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I'm a male who will be 60 in a few months. What do most people my age do for fitness routine. I enjoy pilates, zumba, and workouts - but it seems that most people in fitness classes are 20 something Ashleys and Britney-) I was able to do triathlons earlier in the decade but find I don't have the stamina these days. I want to stay as healthy as possible in my 60s. Any suggestions - IMHO it seems that many 60 year old men start have healthy problems.
Hmmm. I am 63, and am doing the same gym workout I have done for oh, 30 years or so, but I've just added things along the way. I don't run as much as I used to, but still do a short run now and then, but mostly I rely on my gym routine to keep me strong and fit.
As others have said, if you’ve been active, just continue to do what’s gotten you to that stage.
I’m 66, retired at 60. I was always active and athletic, but not an athlete - I could play sports, but average at best. I have had back issues (muscular, not skeletal) since the 70s, so every morning it’s 10 minutes of stomach exercises. M-W-F is either 120 push-ups in 2 minutes or 3 sets of 10 bench presses, then 3 sets of 12 flys, followed by bicep curls. T-TH-S is 10 minutes of core exercises, then 5 sets of pull-ups (varying routine), 3 sets of 12 dips, and then 2 sets of 20-second clutch flags (google it, it’s the exercise, not the purse).
4 or 5 times a week, I also do cardio. My running (knees) and biking (prostate) days are over, so it’s 4 or 6 mile walks on good weather days, or 40 to 50 minutes on an elliptical. I walk anywhere from a 12:30 - 13:30 mile, and can usually get 6 to 8 miles in on the elliptical. I also hit the speed bag for 20 minutes if I have time.
There are weeks when I cannot get in 6 days of exercise, but I do whatever I can. I’m 6’ 1”, 180 lbs, low BP, borderline cholesterol, and on zero meds.
I’m 66, retired at 60. I was always active and athletic, but not an athlete - I could play sports, but average at best. I have had back issues (muscular, not skeletal) since the 70s, so every morning it’s 10 minutes of stomach exercises. M-W-F is either 120 push-ups in 2 minutes or 3 sets of 10 bench presses, then 3 sets of 12 flys, followed by bicep curls. T-TH-S is 10 minutes of core exercises, then 5 sets of pull-ups (varying routine), 3 sets of 12 dips, and then 2 sets of 20-second clutch flags (google it, it’s the exercise, not the purse).
"120 push-ups in 2 minutes?"
Yes, please post a video. I would like to see that.
I'm almost 60, and I work a heavy labor job, on my feet all day hanging items up to several hundred pounds onto an overhead conveyor, 8-15 hours a day. 20 year-olds have a hard time keeping up with me. 'Fitness routine'? Don't think I need one. Oh, yeah, I'm supposed to be 100% 'disabled', the Army gave me an involuntary medical retirement in 1982, after one of my worst [combination of] injuries I was told I would never walk again...haha, fooled them.
If your Doc says it's OK (no heart or other significant issues) you can [re]build your stamina by working harder, increasing on a gradual basis. Weight training may help to increase strength, heavy every other day, interspersed with lighter weights for longer periods of time to increase endurance. Be careful of your knees and shoulders.
This is awesome. I am glad you stay active at your age. I worked with a very dysfunctional computer programmer of about age 60 who insisted that I (in my mid 40s) should not exercise. He claimed that exercise was bad for middle-aged people and older. I thought that was bizarre. I just complained to management that he was giving coworkers horrible medical advice when he was not trained as a physician which is unprofessional.
I studied clinical epidemiology in graduate school, and most epidemiologists and public health scholars who have been funded for research on aging all communicated that exercise was recommended for older people to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, etc.
But the catch was "safe" exercise relative to the person involved. In general, there is wide variation in aging. Some people age faster than others due to genetic or environmental factors. NFL athletes generally age much faster due to severe joint damage and CTE brain trauma. But in general people benefit from exercise if done safely and moderately.
A former Olympic runner like Frank Shorter who won the gold in 1972 can still run. But he would do so in a moderate intensity relative to his youth when he was actively competing. I would think he can still run a marathon but it just won't be as fast as he once was but can still go the distance. By contrast, someone who was not giften in running and at most did casual jogging can still do it safely in his or her 60s but just at a slower pace (e.g. 9 min/mile in 30s to 12-18 min/mile in 60s). There are also safer options like bike riding (as enjoyed by an aged Bill Walton who had really bad knee and back history of pain). The typical gym has low-impact machines like the stair climber, elliptical machine, etc.
As for me, in my prime I was a mountain runner in Colorado and recall hiking Mt. Sanitas with 10lb leg weights one day then playing full court basketball the next day with college kids at CU Boulder. I was about 31 at the time. I could run through the "Keyhold Route" of Longs Peak in less than three hours to the summit with a heavy backpack. Hikers who saw me were often impressed by that speed. I can't do that anymore. Now, in my late 40s I avoid high intensity workouts on consecutive days. But I can still do the hike and play a game but if I rest for about 4 or 5 days after the hike until the game. I can still hike Longs Peak but am just a lot slower. The intensity is moderate for me but still doable.
I did mountain runs the past year in AZ, NM and TX in very fierce trails and saw plenty of good runners in their 50s and 60s able to handle the altitude and steep, rugged trails. They don't want to stop, and I don't think they should. Exercise enhances a great quality of life if done safely in moderation as one gets older. Occasionally, there are runners in their 40s and 50s who actually win an endurance event. One notable runner in Colorado was Marshall Ulrich. Another was a Tarahumarah Indian who won the Leadville 100 miles run at age 55 back in the 1990s. A woman in her 50s recenty won the Denver Marathon.
This is awesome. I am glad you stay active at your age. I worked with a very dysfunctional computer programmer of about age 60 who insisted that I (in my mid 40s) should not exercise. He claimed that exercise was bad for middle-aged people and older. I thought that was bizarre. I just complained to management that he was giving coworkers horrible medical advice when he was not trained as a physician which is unprofessional.
I studied clinical epidemiology in graduate school, and most epidemiologists and public health scholars who have been funded for research on aging all communicated that exercise was recommended for older people to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, etc.
But the catch was "safe" exercise relative to the person involved. In general, there is wide variation in aging. Some people age faster than others due to genetic or environmental factors. NFL athletes generally age much faster due to severe joint damage and CTE brain trauma. But in general people benefit from exercise if done safely and moderately.
A former Olympic runner like Frank Shorter who won the gold in 1972 can still run. But he would do so in a moderate intensity relative to his youth when he was actively competing. I would think he can still run a marathon but it just won't be as fast as he once was but can still go the distance. By contrast, someone who was not giften in running and at most did casual jogging can still do it safely in his or her 60s but just at a slower pace (e.g. 9 min/mile in 30s to 12-18 min/mile in 60s). There are also safer options like bike riding (as enjoyed by an aged Bill Walton who had really bad knee and back history of pain). The typical gym has low-impact machines like the stair climber, elliptical machine, etc.
As for me, in my prime I was a mountain runner in Colorado and recall hiking Mt. Sanitas with 10lb leg weights one day then playing full court basketball the next day with college kids at CU Boulder. I was about 31 at the time. I could run through the "Keyhold Route" of Longs Peak in less than three hours to the summit with a heavy backpack. Hikers who saw me were often impressed by that speed. I can't do that anymore. Now, in my late 40s I avoid high intensity workouts on consecutive days. But I can still do the hike and play a game but if I rest for about 4 or 5 days after the hike until the game. I can still hike Longs Peak but am just a lot slower. The intensity is moderate for me but still doable.
I did mountain runs the past year in AZ, NM and TX in very fierce trails and saw plenty of good runners in their 50s and 60s able to handle the altitude and steep, rugged trails. They don't want to stop, and I don't think they should. Exercise enhances a great quality of life if done safely in moderation as one gets older. Occasionally, there are runners in their 40s and 50s who actually win an endurance event. One notable runner in Colorado was Marshall Ulrich. Another was a Tarahumarah Indian who won the Leadville 100 miles run at age 55 back in the 1990s. A woman in her 50s recenty won the Denver Marathon.
This such an interesting discussion. I'm mid-50 and getting ready for a 15k run/race in a couple of weeks and have to do several 8-9 mile runs in preparation. Yesterday during my run, I was actually thinking what I planned to do if/when the day came where I might not be able to run (due to arthritis in the knees, maybe). I expect brisk walking will be in the cards down the road. But I'll keep running until my body tells me to start walking for my fitness.
I cringe when I see people, especially older folks, participating in fitness classes/activities that aren't matched to their abilities. I usually predict they'll get injured or will completely quit doing anything fitness all together because of the bad experience.
It's pretty important to match fitness level to the type of activity someone plans on doing. But it's important to do some activity, imo.....just get up and move.
It's pretty important to match fitness level to the type of activity someone plans on doing. But it's important to do some activity, imo.....just get up and move.
^^^Excellent advice.
I get up every morning and touch my knees ten times without bending my ankles.
Actually I'm quite active & in good shape for my 69 yrs, homesteading in WI- a lot of shovel work, walking up & down steep grades, now putting finishing touches on the house I built myself over the last year or so....I no longer "work out."
Caveat to senior exercisers: You can maintain strength & muscle mass as long as you continue to do resistance exercises, BUT- there's nothing you can do to prevent the deterioration of your tendons as you age-- you can reach the point where your muscles are too strong for their attachments to the bone. I blew out a biceps a couple years ago trying to clean (as in clean & jerk) a heavy, awkward muck bucket....Pay attention to technique (good advice for any age group) and maybe adjust your routine to lighter wt/ higher reps as needed.
A medical point rarely mentioned: regular exercise completely negates the negative effects of hi cholesterol.
As for me, in my prime I was a mountain runner in Colorado and recall hiking Mt. Sanitas with 10lb leg weights one day then playing full court basketball the next day with college kids at CU Boulder...Now, in my late 40s I avoid high intensity workouts on consecutive days. But I can still do the hike and play a game but if I rest for about 4 or 5 days after the hike until the game.
FYI, leg weights will cause knee and hip problems. There is absolutely no reason to use them. The same is true with the hand weights you see people using when they walk.
Avoiding high intensity exercise on consecutive days is good advice, but there is nothing wrong with say running hard one day and lifting weights hard the next day. Needing 4-5 days rest seems excessive. I would run easy for that long after a marathon when I was in my early 40s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto
Caveat to senior exercisers: You can maintain strength & muscle mass as long as you continue to do resistance exercises, BUT- there's nothing you can do to prevent the deterioration of your tendons as you age-- you can reach the point where your muscles are too strong for their attachments to the bone. I blew out a biceps a couple years ago trying to clean (as in clean & jerk) a heavy, awkward muck bucket....Pay attention to technique (good advice for any age group) and maybe adjust your routine to lighter wt/ higher reps as needed.
Can you cite some medical evidence for this? This seems more like hearsay, but if it is true, I'm interested in reading about it.
I don't know what a muck bucket is but it doesn't sound like something you should be trying to clean and jerk.
Last edited by villageidiot1; 02-13-2019 at 08:14 AM..
It depends on the 60 year old. Its very noticeable at gyms or if ones life, is surrounded by the age group. Some are in much better shape than others their own age. Retire to Florida and believe me, you will see the differences within the same age groups. Some have a routine with weights and cardio, at a level another 60 year old is not capable of doing. It all depends on the persons background and level of fitness. What their level of health is. So its difficult to say what a 60 year old would be doing. Definitely not all are the same. Perhaps ask a trainer with skill in training the age group, at their particular level of fitness.
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