fitness over 55

There's a lot of us on here that are over 55 (I turn 56 in a few weeks). Losing weight is more about CICO (calories in, calories out). Moving more certainly helps. You have to be extra careful when you're in your 50s or 60s and be smart about it. Dynamic stretching (moving to get warmed up) before workouts, static (classic) stretching after workouts. Incorporate yoga or stretching as a routine. For cardio and weights, start very slow and build up very gradually.

Consistency is the key. So is really paying attention to your body and backing off if something feels really off or you're too sore.

lepidina wrote: »

Thanks Mike. Good to know there are many my age here. Re-starting low-impact power walking at home with Jessica Smith tv. Here's hoping I can move forward replacing those 20 lbs of fat with muscle!

Nothing wrong with low impact power walking but that by itself is not going to build muscle. You need progressive resistance work.

lepidina wrote: »

Thanks Mike. Good to know there are many my age here. Re-starting low-impact power walking at home with Jessica Smith tv. Here's hoping I can move forward replacing those 20 lbs of fat with muscle!

Welcome! Some of us here are even *older* - imagine that! (I'll be 65 next month).

Mike gave you good advice, as did some others.

Jessica Smith is a good start on the cardio side: Start slowly, build up gradually, keeping just that little bit of challenge all the time. TheOldGuy1 had good advice, too: Think in terms of integrating some strength training as feasible. It's so useful as we age, and a more optimal route to muscle gain than most forms of cardio. (Both are good, but in different ways.)

With only 20 pounds to lose, I'd suggest considering combining a slow loss rate via eating, with a gradually increasing** exercise routine, both cardio and strength. Trying to lose fat competes with trying to gain muscle. *Some* muscle gain is possible in a calorie deficit, especially for those newer to exercise, but the faster the weight loss, the less likely muscle gain becomes. Given your goals, slow loss might be something to think about.

There's good information here about strength training options:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Depite the title, it includes some options that involve using bodyweight, and don't require much if any equipment. We start from wherever we are, maybe modifying some exercises if needed, and progress from there.

** Gradually increasing doesn't necessarily mean consistently more hours devoted. Early on, lower intensity (lower resistance/volume, in the case of strength training) is a good start. As that becomes more manageable, you can increase any of frequency, duration, or intensity to keep just a bit of challenge. Challenging current capabilities is what creates fitness improvement. In the case of strength training, the equivalent would be increasing reps, sets, or resistance (weight); each of those have somewhat different effects, but that's the general idea.

Overall, a bit of challenge, doing something you can enjoy, while avoiding persistent fatigue or injury . . . that's the sweet spot.

At 55+, we can achieve lots more than many people believe, often more than even we ourselves believe. Consistency and patience, starting from where we are and gradually progressing, are the magic. Don't let others' low expectations tell you otherwise.

(This morning, I rowed a 4-person rowing shell (the skinny boats like in the Olympics, only ours is slower! 😆). The rowers were ages 74, 73, 64 (me) and . . . 29, all of us women except that one youth. 😉 As we carried our boat down to the dock to launch, we met one of the club members who's 80+ carrying his single shell back to the boathouse after his daily morning row. Old people do stuff! And many of us - me, for one - started quite late, not in our youth.🙂)

Wishing you much success!

I started running when I was 50 and moved on to triathlons. I'll be 65, if I can do it anyone (barring physical limitations) can as I spent most of my adult life as a highly accomplished couch potato.

Another vote for incorporating strength training in your regimen. We start losing lean muscle mass as we age and strength training can help mitigate that, it's not the fountain of youth but close.

sijomial wrote: »

I think our generation have rewritten the rules regarding fitness aspirations into later years - I couldn't imagine my Dad dressing up in Lycra and joining all the other MAMILs cycling enthusiastically when he was my age (60).

Lost my excess weight at 52 and took up cycling seriously and discovered a whole new level of fitness. I've now done more than 60 rides over 100km and a few of 200km. I see people into their 80's doing long distance events and still with a decent turn of pace (plus commonly being lean, fit and mentally sharp).

IMHO a mixture of both cardio and strength/resistance training is best as they offer different (but sometimes complimentary) benefits. Keeping your muscle mass might keep you living independently much longer and keeping your heart health might keep you out of ER.

Be ambitious but temper enthusiasm with (just a little....) common sense. Older athletes improve slower and recovery needs more attention.

Joe Friel's book Fast After 50 is a fascinating read and not just for those with high fitness ambitions.

Agreed 100%, I couldn't imagine my father doing triathlon at 50 let alone into his sixties. At the Toronto Triathlon a couple of years ago there people in my AG (M60-64) whose finish times were within 30 minutes of the 20 something overall winner (I wasn't one of them)