73 years old. Haven't exercised in a long time.

SteveVogelfanger

I need suggestions for starting to exercise.

juliegilburd

It's best to start small and simple. Walk around the block, or down your sidewalk for shorter distances if a block is too much to start... figure out what level of exercise you can handle. Swimming is a great low-impact exercise and there are often classes at the YMCA or even senior centers. Slowly work your way up while keeping a close watch on how you feel while you exercise. If you have problems breathing or experience pain, take it down a notch. Best of luck to you as you start to exercise!

carolyn000000

Good for you! We just took my mother-in-law to the doctor and he INSISTED that she start exercising. He said it prevents falls by having more stability. It will really improve your quality of life. If you can afford it, get a personal trainer to at least get you started. Good luck, and good for you!

siderider2

Good luck on your endeavor......I am 72 and am trying to get exercise and proper diet under control....it's difficult...but I am hanging in there.....!

shifterbrainz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OORsz2d1H7s

Listen to the lyrics. Understand what they say. Take the words to heart. ". . . and soon you'll be walkin' out the door! " Sounds silly but it's what got me moving. You can too!

WendyLaubach

I live in a town with a high proportion of retired people. There's only one gym in town, and lots of people my age (59) and older go there. I see them on all the machines: treadmills, ellipticals, circuit machines for various muscle groups, rowers, bicycles. You can see some are new or recovering from surgery or injury, and they take it slow. Others have been at it a while and do vigorous routines. They all seem to do well starting slow and steadily pushing themselves. Lots of gyms are free with Medicare, and have classes suitable for all ages.

ninerbuff

With new clients who are older, I work on just balance with them first. Why? Because loss of balance can lead to falls and falls can be devastating to seniors. So one legged balancing (with something nearby to grab on to in case), lunge holds, and some other functional basics. Walking is a great way to start off a cardio regimen.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

paulandrachelk

I'm 73 also. Find yoga works great most of the time. Use Bowflex (increased resistance easier on joints-most machines do that) twice a week. Start ridiculously low and work up. Took 4-6 months to get to where I thought I was REALLY working out.

kpk54

Start walking. I'm 62 and walking is the bulk of my exercise. It helped me lose 60 pounds and keeps my blood pressure down. I don't have fancy gadgets. Just a decent pair of shoes and my cell phone. I use 2 free apps for fun and a little motivation: WalkLogger and runkeeper. If I walk in the A.M., I listen to Mike and Mike on ESPN. In the afternoon, music or talk radio. When I started, I did too much too soon and ended up with a bone bruise in my right knee that took forever to heal so bought a stationary recumbent bike and did chair exercises from youtube. Good luck!

socalkay

I have health issues that make exercise difficult but I have been trying to find ways to exercise anyway and with great results. I started on a recumbent stationary bike that I got for around $150 shipped on Amazon.com. At first, I could only do a few minutes. By the time I got to 45 min, I was getting bored. I checked the community centers in my area and found "Chair Volleyball" for seniors that goes on for 2 hours twice a week. It's great fun and a lot of upper body stretching plus standing up/sitting down as we rotate through servers. The socializing and laughs are good for my health, too. I also took water aerobics classes this summer and was able to do pretty well in "senior" classes. Check your local community or senior centers and find out what they offer in the way of exercise classes and maybe you even have Chair Volleyball there.

Best of luck on finding your thing that gets you moving. The more I push to keep moving, the better I feel and you will start feeling some benefits almost immediately. Staying on the stationary bike 15 minutes instead of five was an early victory for me -- I can't believe that it was less than two years ago when I could only do 5 minutes. I feel so much better for it, mind and body!

xrayhal

Move your body. I've been sedentary for 8 years and I'm taking it slow! I've been watching my weight and challenging myself walking! So far 9 pounds have come off--I'm working on 50 more (or so). Feel free to add me. Good Luck sir!

SteveVogelfanger

Thanks to everyone.

Healthydiner65

I agree that walking is the best exercise and the safest for us. When I started I could only walk 2 minutes straight and now I can do 40 without resting. Good luck to you!

rileysowner

Walking is an excellent place to start. Biking is good as well, although if you have not done it for a while you might want to look into a 3 wheel bike to avoid balance issues.

PaytraB

I also agree that walking is the best. My step-dad walks everyday (he's 84) and loves it. Start with a distance that is comfortable to you until you adjust to the routine, then start to increase as you feel fit.

Bob314159

I started with walking 3 years ago, and its very good, I've managed to get up to 20k steps in a day when on vacation, but it needs more.

Food control is the primary way to pose weight, but strength and flexibility is also required.

I'm 68 - have not been in a gym for 35 years. I've been doing weight and machine workouts 3 times a week for almost 3 months. I have a very competent trainer who can push my limits without damage. I'm lucky to be at a gym with a lot of people older than me, so I'm not inhibited. Some guys there are moving from workout to workout with a cane and need help changing weights, but they can lift like crazy.

I've got rid of a torn rotator cuff that I'd had for a year. If I fall, I can now get up from the ground without something to pull on. My posture is 75% better. My waist has dropped 6".

MelaniaTrump

Walk, walk, walk. Just 20 mins a day. I also had a torn rotator cuff.

Annie_01

This is a site dedicated to the senior citizen that you might find helpful.

http://eldergym.com/exercises-for-the-elderly.html

Here is their link that lists all the exercises for various body parts. Just click on the exercise and it will give you a video on how to perform them.

http://eldergym.com/exercises.html