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I work out now. Nothing crazy--I lift twice a week (only for 30 mins, I don't max), I walk ALOT and I do hard sprints 2-3 times a week. I rest completely on weekends, but during the week I"m working out every day essentially. So I'm wondering if this is sustainable into my 40s and beyond. How much training is 'overtraining' and is working out more than 2-3 days a week overall sustainable? Not like powerlifting or maxing out but just going in for moderate strength exercise 2-3 times a week.
I'm thinking in terms of physiology and lifestyle what's reasonable and advisable for older people. I do have a couple of questions:
*Should only athletes or Hollywood actors/actresses with personal trainers be training hard at all? Bear with me for how basic this question is, but what I'm getting at is how safely we can push ourselves without guidance.
* Is overtraining a real thing or do most of us (including me!) flatter ourselves at how hard we are actually working out? I've seen it put that many men overthink overtraining but underthink the small stuff like warmup, stretching and sleep.
* It sounds counterintuitive, but how can regular exercise for older folks be good? Doesn't it introduce wear and tear to your body?
* Is sprinting, running or HIIT possible without injury?
* Do low impact habits like walking or yoga matter at all for general wellness health alertness and strength?
But more generally curious to hear from those that are 50+ and exercise regularly but also enjoy it and find that it adds to their life. How you're able to keep fitness and exercise into your routine in a sustainable way and if you have made any changes along the way?
I'm 47. I workout 5/6 days a week. 40 mins of cardio daily and weights 4/5 days a week. I do some type of ab workout everyday
1. How do you feel like in general?
2. Is your flexibility ok (your own standards, not like a split or anything)
3. And (knock on wood) have you generally avoided niggling injuries?
I'm 67, and ride my bicycle a bit over 1000 km / 620 miles per month. I usually ride about 20 days per month, and most rides average 30-35 miles. I've been a bike rider for many decades.
I also walk quite a bit, since I don't have a car here in Germany.
I'm 68 and a firm believer in working out hard to get stronger and keep and build muscle tissue, and of course, to be fit and healthy. Of course, the older you get the more time you need to recuperate. Your body will let you know if you're overtraining. If you're feeling tired all the time, if you're not making any progress, if you're getting injured, if you're muscles are constantly aching, etc., you are overtraining.
I, generally speaking, train every other day though I might take an extra day of rest, or at times train on two consecutive days depending on how I feel. Heavy lifts such as the leg press I do once every 6 to 8 days.
Regular exercise is good for you regardless of your age, provided you train properly. Weight training tears down the muscle fibers which repair themselves during rest days and become stronger. That's how you progress.
As for running, sprinting, and HIIT, if your knees are good and you're generally healthy, I see no reason not to include those things if you want to do them. Just keep it within reason.
Great topic,
At age 55 I still train daily, weights and cardio.
However, as you age one must train differently; or I should say properly.
At age 25, I was tossing around weights with reckless abandon; which creates such things as shoulder impingement etc. over time. By age 50, I had to go back to school on how to keep more muscles in balance; and use my training to work around a few chronic issues...like knee pain from years free weight squats.
That was resolved by switching to Bulgarian split squats.
Sunbiz1 got it exactly right... you can train hard, but have to change up on certain things since our joints, and assorted other body parts are much more worn out and prone to injury.
I workout 4 days out of the week. All freeweights and at home... save $$$, save time and not worry about Covid @ gyms.
Rest days are super important. Arm upper body day, then leg, core day, then rest. Repeat.
Nutrition is super super important. Esp fueling up before your workout. And I allow for at least 1 hr to digest before working out. And yes I eat pretty much right afterwards because my body screams for calories.
My problem now is that my wrist and forearms hurt... it's the joints and ligaments, etc. Has to do with overuse of my grip. I guess kinda like RSI. Some people on here has suggested using a wrist wrap / support while working out and I'm going to try that out to see if it helps. And yeah, that NEVER happened when I was young and pushing weights like nuts :P
I am in my 30s, so my answer is only what i see in folks around me. Guys in 40s and 50s who work out can keep lot of strength and endurance. Explosivness and speed - not that much. They can train very hard, but need more resting. Cutting down the fat is probably harder too. I can imagine you should rather train for health benefits in your 60s and not pushing body to the limits. Avoiding injuries too. But as i said, i am not in that age category so who knows
I am in my 30s, so my answer is only what i see in folks around me. Guys in 40s and 50s who work out can keep lot of strength and endurance. Explosivness and speed - not that much. They can train very hard, but need more resting. Cutting down the fat is probably harder too. I can imagine you should rather train for health benefits in your 60s and not pushing body to the limits. Avoiding injuries too. But as i said, i am not in that age category so who knows
But can you train and still do sprint intervals or other HIIT? Not so one can beat a college freshman athlete in a 100M sprint but because it's fun, and is one of the better ways to keep off excess weight?
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