Over 40s - What do you do to stay in shape?

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  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    46 years old. Here's what I do:

    1. Bike commuting to and from work, 6 mile round trip, so 24-30 miles a week depending on my schedule. Takes me 15-18 minutes each way depending on wind; since I ride in my work clothes, I go slowly so I don't sweat much. Driving takes 10-12 minutes each way, so I get over 2 and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercise for a time cost of less than an hour.

    2. 50-100 miles of road biking at a faster pace, usually with a fair amount of climbing. As days are getting shorter, some of this will become indoor cycling on rollers with a resistance unit. Distance will decrease, since rollers are so boring.

    3. Running three times a week. I've just added this back into the mix; right now I'm at 3 5km runs (25 minutes each) but I'm planning to work up to 2 30-minute runs in the week and a 60-minute run on the weekend.

    4. Bodyweight exercises 2-3 times a week, with a focus on core and upper body. Over the winter I'll add some squats as I dial back on the cycling.

    5. Other activities from time to time, such as walks or hikes with my wife, and cross-country skiing in the winter (when we have good snow in western Massachusetts; lately it often melts in January and then gets cold again without more snow). A friend has proposed forming a virtual rowing team for the Concept2 January challenge, so I might be back on the erg this fall to train for that.

    My day job as a historian is pretty sedentary, so I try to stay active in my recreation.
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
    59 yrs old and swim and do acquagym 3 or 4 times a week for an hour or more. I love it. I live in Rome, Italy and on the weekends my husband and I walk for hours---remember the city is built on 7 hills and sometimes we hit all of them. :smile:

    I'm running the Rome Marathon in March. I don't like it when I see you use words like hills LOL
  • runnerchick69
    runnerchick69 Posts: 317 Member
    45 years here. I run three times a week, use the Arc at the gym 3-4 times a week. Weights a couple times a week. I have a road bike so I just did a 50 mile ride and now that winter is approaching I'm trying to get out on the bike a couple times a week. I do love to workout though so that helps a ton :happy:
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    59 yrs old and swim and do acquagym 3 or 4 times a week for an hour or more. I love it. I live in Rome, Italy and on the weekends my husband and I walk for hours---remember the city is built on 7 hills and sometimes we hit all of them. :smile:

    I'm running the Rome Marathon in March. I don't like it when I see you use words like hills LOL

    Sorry about that. I hope you have a great time. Best. :smile:
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    Walk/Jog 20-30 miles a week.

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  • LanceDuvall
    LanceDuvall Posts: 66 Member
    Eat as healthy as possible.....get sleep.....I do cardio 7 days a week and ride my bike when weather permits.....and lift weights 5 dayas a week....
  • glenmchale
    glenmchale Posts: 1,307 Member
    Hi

    42 (just a week or so ago) and spent last year losing weight (well fat) and lost 3 inches from my waist, now this year is about building up muscle.

    I cycle weekdays too and from work (60 miles per week)
    Play badminton 1-2 times per week
    2 hours of weight training 5 times per week
    and eating now 3500 calories per day with the aim of 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat

    starting to see changes but its a hard old slog at the moment hoping the next few months will be a turning point as i'm starting to lift heavier and heavier than before

    good too see all these posts from people... us old'uns gotta stick together :smile:
  • songwriter1
    songwriter1 Posts: 3
    I am 50, I stay active. I roller skate three times a week, and I go to the gym three times a week to do incline walks and a little bit of weights. I sometimes ride my bicycle. Overall I enjoy doing thing that are fun and burn fat at the same time.
  • PeterStef003
    PeterStef003 Posts: 20
    You're doing great with the cardio although I personally would add some strength work to your weekly routine. Not only does strength training burn more calories but it will help with retaining more of the muscle mass that you lose as you get older (it happens to all of us) and will also help to keep your bones strong and healthy.

    As for me, I like to do strength training that involves using a number of muscles at the same time rather than targeting a specific muscle such as the bicep. The kind of stuff I do therefore is:

    1. Deadlifts
    2. Squats
    3. Pull Ups
    4. Chin ups
    5. Bench presses
    6. Shoulder presses
    7. Inverted rows.
    8. Dips

    You've certainly got some very good suggestions from all the comments, it's just a matter of picking what you enjoy doing.

    Good luck.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Just turned 40 this year - does that count? :)

    I workout 5 days a week, sometimes 6, for at least 45 minutes. My routine is always changing, mostly based on what I'm enjoying at the time. This past summer, I got out of running and mostly walked but about a month ago I decided to add in running intervals again and feel back in love. So right now the plan is to run at least 2 days a week, strength train 2 days a week and then cross-train cardio (bike, elliptical) and maybe a little more strength the other day. The occassional sixth day is either a walk/run or DVD workout.

    Once it gets cooler and I'm trapped inside, I'll probably kick the strength training up a notch because I hate running on the treadmill. :)
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
    I am 42 and I run 3 days per week and do full body strength training 3 days per week. On the 7th day, I do active recovery, by walking 3-4 miles depending on how I feel. I do something every day.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    My main 'exercise' is gardening and yard work. When I have time, I also like to hike, ride my bike or shoot basketball.

    The gardening and yard work is very seasonal though. I'm working on getting exercise more consistently. I tend to lose and gain the same 10-15 lbs every year depending on whether it's time for intense work in the garden (digging, lugging and spreading fertilizer, tilling, etc.) or maintenance type work (harvesting, weeding). Right now it's time for intense work. But in a few months Winter will be here and I need to find something to keep up my fitness over the cold months.
  • thadenge
    thadenge Posts: 51 Member
    Same as most of the peeps here...I run 5 days a week, walk on my lunch break whenever I can and do strength training 6 days a week...generally I'm working out about an hour a day total. Other than that just watching how much I eat. I'm still in the "getting in shape" phase, but I don't think I'll be changing much once I'm in more of a maintenance mode.
  • GulfcoastAL
    GulfcoastAL Posts: 74 Member
    I posted this on another topic but pretty much answers your question - plus some :smile:



    I reached my goal about 8 weeks ago or so and keep losing weight; evidently not eating enough and haven't changed my exercise habits. Calories are set to around 1600 and I exercise about 5 days a week at home (no gym membership). At least 3 of those days I do a short strength training workout with two 5# and one 10# weight. It's a series of squats, presses, pushups and modified curl ups. It's called Metabata and it's fantastic! It lasts about 12 minutes with warm up and cool down. I follow it with 20-40 minutes of elliptical. I also walk for 30 minutes during my lunch break everyday, weather permitting.
    My point here, is that the short Metabata workout has made such a HUGE difference. My arms, abs and chest look fantastic. Legs and *kitten* are coming along nicely as well. I'm 5'4" and last Saturday's weigh-in was 126.4 pounds (my goal was 130); I am going to turn 52 next month. I am very happy with my results of my training/exercise routine and (mostly) clean eating. You must do some strength training on a regular basis! The difference it makes is almost unbelievable! Good luck!drinker happy

    I'm trying to find more info on this workout you are doing- it sounds perfect for me. Is it a workout DVD? From Googling, I see that someone who has tested it (Michelle Olson) has a DVD....is that what you are doing? Thanks!
  • llbennett74
    llbennett74 Posts: 132 Member
    I actually do more now than I ever did in my 20's or most of my 30's. Zumba, cross training, running, kickboxing, yoga. I work out 5 - 6 days a week depending on how my body feels.
  • Spaghetti_Bender
    Spaghetti_Bender Posts: 509 Member
    I used to take martial arts 5 days a week , but had to give that up for financial reasons. Now i belong to a gym and lift 4-5x a week, with a day for strictly cardio. I'm thinking of doing kickboxing on the weekends in addition to my workouts.
  • MeadowSong
    MeadowSong Posts: 171 Member
    Start lifting--it's a game changer. Keep doing SOMETHING. Don't sit down. 'Use it or lose it' also means 'use your body or you'll lose your mind'--60% more Alzheimer's in sedentary folks. Personally, my favorites are riding my horse, running my chainsaw, and yard work--I'm also into results outside my body. Lifting makes all these better and easier--and my bowling scores go up!
  • ohpiper
    ohpiper Posts: 697 Member
    I think the important thing is to keep moving and doing SOMETHING. Lately, as I've looked around, I've been struck by the differences in how people age. As I approach 48 in a couple months, I look at some people my age who look 30 years older. Some are dropping over dead due to factors related poor health and diet.

    As for me, I do Crossfit typically 3-4 times per week and Krav Maga classes one to two times per week. Whether you are swimming, walking, doing yoga, I think the key is just to do something to take care of yourself.
  • mrron2u
    mrron2u Posts: 919 Member
    I started cycling a month ago and can't get enough of it. I probably bike 45 minutes 4-5 times a week and then hit the gym for lifting 3 times a week. I'm 46 and about halfway to my goal weight.
  • onlygettinhealthier
    onlygettinhealthier Posts: 9
    Staying informed and not going at it blindly. You can save lots of time by doing things the right way. This helped me.

    https://healthfit4life.leadpages.net/gdlking/

    -O
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    Motivation. It's all a head game. Find something you would love to try.

    My current goal is to cycle 100 miles in one day (a century ride) in 2015. I love cycling and live in a beautiful area to see by bike.

    This past week I am 60 years old (how the hell did that happen?) and I am rapidly improving by
    1) eating properly "you can't out-race your fork"
    2) alternating days of heavy lifting (Stronglifts 5x5) and high intensity interval training (HIIT)
    3) building an iron-clad habit of working out either at the gym or home
    4) stay motivated with an interesting physical goal.
  • shouldice9
    shouldice9 Posts: 12 Member
    61 here! I do Jilian Micheals shred it with weights 5 to 6 times a week. I also started the C25K 7 weeks ago and love it, I now run 25 minutes and walk 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week. When the weather is good I will also kayak for 45 minutes 4 times a week and play golf. Just be active and do it.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    I just run, I like running. I train four times per week, around 25-30 miles per week
  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,769 Member
    I pretty much do a little of everything...except run. Every once in a while, I give running a shot, and end up doing something bad to my knees or feet.

    The brand Lululemon would classify my as a "sweaty generalist." I love Zumba and kickboxing, Pilates and Barre. I've recently added HIIT to my regime. I've crashed a Cross Fit Box here and there (although I struggle to fit it into my regular schedule well enough to justify the cost of joining). I've been known to pick up some weights now and then. I play tennis a few times a week (I'm on a team). I show up for yoga from time to time. And if I don't do anything else, I at least try to hop on the elliptical machine we have at home for 30-40 minutes and do a few sit-ups and squats each day.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    I lift, run a bit, and sorta kinda watch my calories while absolutely covering my protein intake
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I lift, run a bit, and sorta kinda watch my calories while absolutely covering my protein intake

    ^^this....well, except the running. I only lift (probably averages 3 - 4 times a week).


    Oh, and I am 47.
  • VictoriaRosetta
    VictoriaRosetta Posts: 1
    Hi. I'll turn 43 in November. I take a 60 min Zumba class four times a week, plus work out with a trainer once a week for an hour, then do my own upper/lower body strength training based on what I learned from him. i also take Zumba toning when I can fit it in and do some running as well, usually on the days I'm going to do strength training.. In the spring and summer, I'm in Triathlon mode, so I'm doing a lot of swimming, biking and running...as well as Zumba (because i LOVE it so much!)

    My gym is going to be doing some Barre classes (ballet movements at a bar) in a few weeks so I may try one of those as well. Good luck! My advice: find something that you love to do!!! It'll keep you motivate and moving!
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    Lift weights and dance. And sometimes yoga just for fun. Do what you enjoy! :flowerforyou:
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
    53 and am glad to say very active. 3 days strength training (fairly heavy I am told just seems normal to me) upper and lower 2 hrs and 2 days 1 hr hard cardio running or hills on treadmill or outside. I competitively ski some and am proud I am beating many in their 20s Good feeling
  • Mindfreak1999
    Mindfreak1999 Posts: 272
    Hi
    I am 54 and cycle up to 300km per week, I tend to alternate between cycling on road and on my mountain bike. Cannot believe how much I have turned my life around ????

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