Exercise and Ageing

65 here.....I haven't been running much lately (need to get back in the groove as I've signed up for a half-marathon next May, I've been running since my early 50s) but have been keeping up the cycling and rowing. It doesn't get easier and it takes longer to recover but I'm a stubborn old cuss and I'll keep doing as much as I can for as long as I can.

It's all about pacing yourself and listening to your body. I used to work out 7 days a week up until a couple of years ago now I actually take at least one day off (active recovery) a week.

Arc2Arc wrote: »

I’ll be 62 soon and have steadily exercised for over 45 years. This includes running, swimming, stair master and resistance training. Today I did resistance for an hour and a half and later in the day 40 minutes on the stair master. I also ski about 100 days a season.

I haven’t felt myself slowing down at all. I am very attuned to when something is going on with my body and am careful to reduce load or take a break if something isn’t right. I don’t know if my long history has helped but I really feel as capable as I did 20 years ago. I do have plenty of friends and acquaintances who have had joint replacements, some with weight issues, others not. So each situation is different but in general, given luck and good health a person doesn’t have to slow down at our age.

Which just goes to show that it's individual, but you can't go wrong doing some type of exercise consistently. Start small and do something if you haven't been exercising. The rewards are enormous as you age.

This is the best thread! I love hearing all the inspiring posts. I'm 60, and I've been pretty active all my life. I definitely notice that things are harder and soreness is a part of my daily existence. I kind of like being active every day, but I find I have days where I need to rest.

For example, I had my covid booster on Tuesday. I felt well enough to do a spin that evening (spinning is a fantastic exercise for the aging bod-- and spin bikes are cheap). I wanted to go for a jog on Wednesday. But, by the afternoon I was really tired and felt I needed to rest. First rest day in a week (although some of my workouts are very light). I can live with that! I have missed lots of days in the past month due to various reasons. You just need to get back to it when you feel you can! (And push yourself just a little bit when you feel you can't!)