Over 60 - what do you do to stay in shape?

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fiftysixkilogal
fiftysixkilogal Posts: 10
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I was so impressed with the over 40's thread in this area, that I was keen to know how much exercise is too much to maintain goal weight?
I'm 62. Sounds like we all love working out and keeping in shape. I started using hand weights 9 months ago and this strength training has cured my early signs of arthritis.
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  • fiftysixkilogal
    fiftysixkilogal Posts: 10
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    Looks like I'm a lone wolf...shame.
  • suetorrence
    suetorrence Posts: 163 Member
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    I don't know about exercising to maintain my weight......but I took up running last December at age 66 and I love it. I also work with a personal trainer twice a week doing strength training. All of this helped me to lose 80 pounds in a year.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    I'm no where near maintaining but am losing and attempting to move much more. I know the article that was produced last spring regarding the oldest of the old, based on people who live in Laguna Hills, CA (can't remember name of the research) showed that 45 minutes of any activity a day, kept people fit. And the "exercise" did not have be all at once. Housework and gardening "did" count btw.

    What hand weight exercise helped arthritis, please? My husband appears very fit to look at, but does have some elbow and knee problems that are arthritis caused.
  • georgiaTRIs
    georgiaTRIs Posts: 231 Member
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    I didn't run my first marathon till I was 60. I work out daily and you need to stay active to stay healthy. I am now a personal trainer and have 5 marathons and 18 half marathons done. I did my second TRI this year and am looking forward to more races over the years. You are never to old. Age is just a number. How you feel is important. Stay active and eat healthy. I'm loving life and love working out. I am 69 and going strong. You can too. I lost 71 pounds over the last 6 years and feel better than ever
  • Solar_Cat
    Solar_Cat Posts: 188 Member
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    I recently started with New Rules of Lifting for Life, which is designed for us older folks. I'm loving it. You can do it at home without a lot of equipment, and it's as challenging as you want it to be, with progressive variations to keep it difficult. Recommended!
  • binterla
    binterla Posts: 21 Member
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    I am 53 but disabled...so I consider myself a senior. I take Silver Sneakers classes at my local JCC. You do not have to be Jewish to join. I take chair yoga...muscle strength,resistance ,and balance class...water aerobics...tai chi and stretch classes. On the weekend I go there to use the gym and ride the bike and walk on the treadmill. I am still trying to lose and am new to MFP...but it is helping me lose weight...work on my balance and flexibilty. There r really nice people there too.
  • fiftysixkilogal
    fiftysixkilogal Posts: 10
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    How did you start running? I'd love to take it up but can only do short bursts, say 100 yds between power walking sessions. Is it just a matter of perseverance and increasing distance run?

    Great to see there's a very fit and healthy group here over 60.
  • shanitomorrow
    shanitomorrow Posts: 64 Member
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    Not quite sixty, but heading that way, and more active in the past few years since I moved back to London and gave up my car - now I walk or use public transport everywhere. Amazingly, I haven't missed my car, and last time I was out of London, I found I easily walked the seven miles through the day to do the errands I had to do.

    I took up Pilates while I was on a long break this summer and was really impressed with how good I felt and, especially, how much it improved my stability and confidence. I've found a Pilates studio now I am back in London, and I'm just taking up running, and I enjoy working out to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (on youtube).
  • fiftysixkilogal
    fiftysixkilogal Posts: 10
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    Hi Sodacat,
    I bought a set of handweights and began with the smallest set 9 months ago. I followed Bob Harpers beginners routine and am still doing that 20 mins per day. Not sure how severe your husbands arthritis is, but it helped me (fingers were stiffening and hip flared up very occasionally). I'll post a link to the utube site.
    Cheers!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naJtNxEuBqw
  • shanitomorrow
    shanitomorrow Posts: 64 Member
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    How did you start running? I'd love to take it up but can only do short bursts, say 100 yds between power walking sessions. Is it just a matter of perseverance and increasing distance run?

    Great to see there's a very fit and healthy group here over 60.

    There's a running programme here for starting, produced by the UK National Health Service.
  • shanitomorrow
    shanitomorrow Posts: 64 Member
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    How did you start running? I'd love to take it up but can only do short bursts, say 100 yds between power walking sessions. Is it just a matter of perseverance and increasing distance run?

    Great to see there's a very fit and healthy group here over 60.

    There's a running programme here for starting, produced by the UK National Health Service.

    And here's the link: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx
  • 13Cheryl11tom
    13Cheryl11tom Posts: 18 Member
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    I am 65 and I go to the gym to do strength training three days a week. I am maintaining my weight while working on building more muscle and strength. I hope to fit in a little cardio 2 or 3 times a week in between the strength workouts. I have been going to the gym just 4 months. Before that I did mostly cardio; walking and zumba with a little dumbbell strength workout. It is a long process but I already feel the benefits of working out and hope to keep it up for a longtime.
  • FeefWV
    FeefWV Posts: 36 Member
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    I use the hand weights in addition to stretch bands. I also ride my exercise bike (when my knee allows). I still mow my huge front and back yards every two weeks with a push mower. Keep up the good work!
  • keweenawbee
    keweenawbee Posts: 1
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    I am 62, have been logging 100 miles of running per month on the Nike website, and still am having trouble losing weight. I have just joined this fitness pal and will give it a whirl tracking what I eat. Also I have been on and off because of time with the cross training home gym. I have a couple of the NordicFlex gold iso-kinetic home gyms and they are excellent. I am just having trouble being consistent with them. For a while there I was using them to warm up for my shorter 5 mile runs and I really felt better then I do now. I will try to start back up with them in Oct. (they are in two locations BTW)
  • fiftysixkilogal
    fiftysixkilogal Posts: 10
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    Thanks for that link, shanitomorrow. Incidentally walking around London will be a bonus. Driving there must be horrendous. Interesting how many cyclists we saw there in June.
  • shanitomorrow
    shanitomorrow Posts: 64 Member
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    Thanks for that link, shanitomorrow. Incidentally walking around London will be a bonus. Driving there must be horrendous. Interesting how many cyclists we saw there in June.

    Hundreds of cyclists, especially on the rush hour - they come along in droves. The Boris bikes are very popular (bikes you can hire by the half hour, pick up in one place, drop in another), especially among people getting round London at night, home from clubs and things.
  • libra8
    libra8 Posts: 2
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    I have arthritis in my right knee. I started working with a personal trainer in January of this year. When we started, I was as stiff as a board, my knee ached along with everything else. I could barely sit down on the ground or climb stairs without pain. I work out during the week at a gym and on Sunday with the trainer . What a difference the exercising makes! Stairs - no problem. Bending and stretching- no problem. And there is even the beginning of definition in my legs. Oh I forgot to say, I'm 75.
  • lore11a
    lore11a Posts: 166 Member
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    bump
  • Anniebotnen
    Anniebotnen Posts: 332 Member
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    I'm 68 and hit my final goal weight today. I plan on continuing what I have been doing for years: weightlifting 3-4 times a week for 60-70 minutes, with some cardio 3-4 times a week plus gardening and walking my dogs. I'll just be eating a little more!:smile:

    For the weight training, I'm currently finishing up the Strong Curves beginner program. I picked this program, even though I'm definitely no beginner, because of its emphasis on building lower body strength, which I needed because I had both hips replaced a few years ago. I needed new hips because of severe osteoarthritis in the old ones. The arthritis made it very difficult and painful to use any significant amount of weight for lower body exercises, and post surgery, I had limitations on the amount of weight I was allowed to use, so I had lost a lot of my strength. Before Strong Curves, I was doing New a Rules of a Lifting Supercharged, which I really liked also. I will probably go back to it at some point.

    In terms of cardio, I use the treadmill (uphill) or elliptical for about 25-35 minutes a couple of times a week, and take a Zumba class once a week.
  • sweetconcern
    sweetconcern Posts: 26 Member
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    Hi friends 60 an over, I am 69 and 10 months but who is counting. I go to exercise classes 3 time a week 45 min of low impact cardio and swimming 30 minutes of exercise aqua dynamics and 30 minutes regular swimming. All my class mates are in their late 80's I am the baby. I ride my trike every where I go here where I live in Paradise Florida. I live in a 55 and over community with nice streets and a club house with pool. I ride my trike every evening for 30 minutes weather permitting. I swimming every day for 1 hour or more I love it. I would not call it a workout. I like walking mornings early as a fun thing to do about 2 miles after I read the paper an have my Bullet proof coffee..LOL

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