Fifty and Fit

As a start, maybe ask Google about people like Johanna Quaas, Madonna Buder, Ernestine Shepherd, among others . . . the latter two were late starters, at 48 and 56, too.

Me, I'm just a weak sort of character who mostly likes to have fun, especially now that I'm 61. One of the very most fun things I like to do is shown in the photo below. I'm the one in yellow. The one in pink is my rowing buddy Jeanie, age 70, who also weight trains and does pilates regularly, among other things.



I started rowing in 2000 at age 46, after not having been regularly active in a very long time, as part of an attempt to feel happy & strong again after cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy & radiation in 2000-2001).

Not only did it work, but I got hooked. I loved rowing so much I started doing other things to get/stay in shape for rowing (aerobics, spin class, etc.) or support it (swim lessons). I've even competed (& even placed a couple times!) in on-water or rowing-machine races.

These days, since it's rowing season here now, I row M-W-F-Sa (weather permitting) and go to spin class Tu-Th. I find my body holds up better if I mix things up a bit like that. I'm throwing in a tiny amount of progressive weight work (truly tiny - like 20 minutes) for non-rowing muscles, while in rowing season. I also do the occasional short bike ride, walk, or other fun things.

I try to ramp up the weight training in the off season, but feel like I don't get the needed level of recovery if I weight train while rowing intensely. Truthfully, I tend to be a bit of a slacker about weights: I love feeling stronger, but don't really love the process. Spin is all year, I try to swim at least once a week in winter (don't love swimming either, but rowers gotta swim ). I also do some rowing machine workouts, but Winter is lower volume overall.

Despite being quite active, I stayed obese until 2015 - easy to eat up to activity level, sadly. Something finally clicked, and I lost about 60 pounds, around a third of my body weight, in a little under a year. Most of this was by using MFP to calorie count.



Frankly, I wish I'd done it decades ago: It was so much simpler (not necessarily easier ) than I'd ever dreamed, and i feel so much better - more mobile, less pain/discomfort, easier daily life, . . . and I'm enjoying food & eating more than before, besides.

You can do this! IMO, the keys are to commit to eating in a nutritious & delicious way that supports your personal goals, and to find some active pursuits - not necessarily formal exercise - that you enjoy so much you want to do them, and to get better at them.

ETA: before & after photo.