You need the bone density weightlifting gives you as you age. I'd keep at it but take a good look at the weight you're lifting and form.
getting old and broken
- Thread starter bigmike20vt
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You need the bone density weightlifting gives you as you age. I'd keep at it but take a good look at the weight you're lifting and form.
Soldato
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And cycling for the legs - plenty of cardio with bashing your joints.
That's by choice. It's quicker up hills if you weigh less. I don't think I could be described as scrawny and I'm a cyclist.
My understanding is, weights are more important as you get older. You naturally lose muscle mass, so should lift to try and counter that. (I'm not talking huge strain of course)
with 50s I thought higher protein requirement for sustaining muscles increases, so there is a dilemma of ensuring that you have the right calories ?
annoying that I'm probably nonetheless burning off some of that (more expensive) protein during running+swimming, which I do principally;
( a sustaining diet becomes more expensive ? )
less cycling now as I live in flat/wet South/Cambs - anticipating that had got an indoor rowing machine, which I still think is as good cross-sport if you are not on weights for upper body.
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Associate
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This getting older business is somewhat alarming. I was researching and it was saying dopamine is higher when you're younger and is less when you're older. Testosterone higher when you're younger, lower when you're older. And something like after 49 you have less desire for exercise.
Soldato
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All zone 2 for me now. Happy doing park runs to kick start the weekend.
If people are looking for a low impact full body workout - try rowing (machine or on the water). Cycling is good too but Rowing works out over 80% of your body as it involves legs, arms, back and core.
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Turned 50 at the end of June and have since taken big chunks of time out of my 10k and 1/2 marathon bests. Managed a respective 42:20 and 1:34:50 last Saturday and Sunday. Previous week did 5k at 20 min dead, second only to a parkrun in 2014.
Appreciate there are quicker runners in their 50s, but can't be many faster than they've ever been.
Had my fair share of niggles (calfs, hamstrings, achilles etc) over the last year, but currently racking up over 300k per month (mostly at a very steady 6min/km) and feeling pretty solid. Touch wood, obviously. Discovering zone 2 has been a revelation.
Am also perfectly happy with my typical runner's spaghetti arms. Tried to address that in the past but never found the motivation to stick with it.
Appreciate there are quicker runners in their 50s, but can't be many faster than they've ever been.
Had my fair share of niggles (calfs, hamstrings, achilles etc) over the last year, but currently racking up over 300k per month (mostly at a very steady 6min/km) and feeling pretty solid. Touch wood, obviously. Discovering zone 2 has been a revelation.
Am also perfectly happy with my typical runner's spaghetti arms. Tried to address that in the past but never found the motivation to stick with it.
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it is... but it is better than the alternative
I prefer cycling over anything as it's reasonably accessible (can be expensive though) and can be sustained if you have the time for it. Rowing, I guess I could get a machine (in fact, I think I had one once) but I would find it hard to row for more than probably 30 or 40 minutes, even if I watched TV while doing so. With cycling, I can easily put in 4 or 5 hours of Z2 exercise in a day.
Really it's just about finding what works for you though, isn't it? The comment about 'losing the desire to exercise' is one I don't worry about at the moment. I look forward to getting out on the bike each weekend.
At 72 I do two or three miles cycling daily, often with a bag of shopping and four pints of milk on board. In addition I may walk once a week along a towpath up to five or six miles. I dislike pounding tarmac as I like my joints and hope to keep them in working order a bit longer. I have maintained a fighting weight of 68kg all my adult life which has certainly maintained health although a few things break like my prostate etc.
48 years old - feeling "ok" - nothing major apart from a few aches and pains.
Golf during the summer - good long walks twice a week
Gym - CrossFit and some weights 3 times a week
Also invested in a good chair for my work - Work from home and spend 10-12 hours a day in the chair so probably one of the best things I bought was Herman Millar chair.
Golf during the summer - good long walks twice a week
Gym - CrossFit and some weights 3 times a week
Also invested in a good chair for my work - Work from home and spend 10-12 hours a day in the chair so probably one of the best things I bought was Herman Millar chair.
Absolutely - whatever works for you. I was just throwing in another suggestion to the swimming/cycling examples with the rowing
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went swimming this morning. All good no pain at all as I didnt stretch my calf. I took it easy making sure my arms did most of the work only kicking a tiny amount. So relieved about that .
walking is a bit easier today. don't get me wrong I can't put hardly any pressure on it but it'd better than it was. Am confident it will be essentially fine in 3 weeks for my hols. no racket sports before then however which sucks (I can't risk it not being right for holiday abroad)
walking is a bit easier today. don't get me wrong I can't put hardly any pressure on it but it'd better than it was. Am confident it will be essentially fine in 3 weeks for my hols. no racket sports before then however which sucks (I can't risk it not being right for holiday abroad)
You shouldn't be *losing* muscle mass from cardio, however cardio based exercise after resistance training can limit muscle growth because your body will use the protein to fuel the cardio, rather than build your muscles. Ideally you want to separate your resistance training from cardio but its not always possible, and if you're not doing either in absolute extremes the effect is likely minimal.
Does cardio kill gains? Here’s what the science says
An exercise physiologist separates fact from fiction to answer, does cardio kill gains?
My erg was the best thing I've bought! I've had it 9 years now after screwing my achilles running. It gets used 5 or 6 days a week and at 41 I've never been fitter or stronger. Having my own in the garage is great as it removes any excuses about having to go to a gym or go out to exercise.
I was pretty much injury free all my life up until late my 30s and now I'm 41 I've had three surgeries, one for a broken nose and two for climbing injuries where I tore my meniscus and ruptured the joint capsule in one of my fingers.
As regards protein i bought a vegan protein powder s while back gives me an easy 40 grams in a soya yogurt and fruit smoothie on my break , i think my 3 big hummus wraps were adding two many calories, motivation wise I am not bigging myself up but I get a lot of female attention when I walk around so that spurs me on plus I hate that flabby feeling and I take action when I put weight on , did a plank and the kettle bell before work and some press ups , not spending too long but it makes a difference