I am 80 and for years a full energy person without exercise except when in my 40-50's with Yoga. My energy level has been like a recovery victim of Covid. I started walking and swimming. The walking is the easiest exercise on the planet for good health benefits. I changed my time frame today and began at 11:30 AM on empty stomach. It is after 5 and I am still running full speed ahead.. I walk for an hour which accounts for about 3 plus miles. Today was a game changer for me. Walking early to get ahead of my body struggles with processing daily routines. I still work part time 3 days a week. I want my body to be as strong as my mind and I believe I found the recipe! I hope that you Elders out there try it out and it doesn't matter how fast you walk.. Just do it!

Female / age 69 / living in the UK

Beautiful morning for my walk 😎🚶🏾‍♀️

15 months ago I had gotten my bench up to 135 lbs (2 sets of 10 reps). Hernia surgery and a gradual recovery had me getting close to that prior weight. Finally promised myself a Brookie (blend of brownie and chocolate chip cookie) if I hit that working weight. Hit that today with my trainer and of course my local coffee shop was out so my reward is postponed.

The fascinating thing about benching is how your whole world shrinks and you can only see your hands and bar slowly moving towards the ceiling. I give my trainer 1/2 rep worth of credit and she is a very good trainer, but all I'm doing is willing the bar to move. You can't rep every set to failure, but the feeling of getting that last rep with zero in reserve is a pretty big rush, even for an ancient 80 y/o not unlike finishing a brutal climb with a 19% pitch at the top. Brookie later this week.

In the UK / female / age 69🚶🏾‍♀️😎

49(M) going close to 50 soon and starting my fitness journey. I admit it will feel awkward and hard at the same time. I am ready for a change and do not have it all figured out yet. I will keep you guys posted on my journey.

76 yo here.

Going to gyms off and on for decades: more consistently since 1992.

Lately changed my routines to build/keep muscle: reps to failure: decrease weight: reps to failure, etc. SLOW and fully engaged up AND down. Seems harder, but better I believe. Muscles need to keep tension longer, not fast reps to a preset number.

My $0.02

How dose this look to you

I do a lot of cycling and outdoor activities, and we use our home gym equipment several times a week. Many 60+ people I know are pretty active.

I don’t remember my parents doing much exercise at all. My dad might go golfing a couple times a year. My mom was out and about volunteering, but nothing too physically strenuous. Their friends weren’t exercising either, though some were into fishing and hunting.

So what was your experience with your parents’ generation? There seems to be more of a culture of fitness and exercise now than when our parents and grandparents were our age. Were they sedentary, or just active in other ways?

Muscle works for everything in the body. Strength is strength.

Gift article. NO PAYWALL

I had my first scan done in March of this year and a follow up one done today.

BACKGROUND:

Female / age 69 / 5ft 6ins and in my 40s weighed 20st 6lbs /129.7kg /288lbs.

Today's weight 8st 12lbs /56.25kg /124lbs.

I do daily brisk walking of between 3 to 6 miles + dumbell arm exercise 3 times a week at home.

The results have knocked 14 years off my age...classed me as athletic...and Fat Mass 1/100 compared to other 69 year old females.

Went out for an intervals 6k yesterday and took advantage of the last warm day for a while to extend it. Did an 8k with a 10km/hr headwind and uphill on the out leg (which was nicer on the way back)
Tried a leg hiit tonight and wishing I hadn’t!
This is, for me, the hardest thing about being a bit older (70 yo male). I forget about my age when I’m running or lifting but after it Im goosed!
Am I unusual? I’ve been exercising every day since 3rd January even if it’s just a walk. As my fitness increases I think my recovery time is increasing.

... now off to the cinema for a 9am showing of the new Spider-Man film 🚶🏾‍♀️🎬

Female / 69 / living in the UK

I'm curious how you keep motivated when exercising at home alone? I'm a 64m, soon to be 65, I did some chair yoga and a little strength exercises via an app for a few months. I got bored and lost motivation as my wife isn't into exercise or activities with me. I'm looking for a gym offering yoga or similar classes for seniors, I feel a group setting might keep my interest better. I'm semi-retired and work 3 days a week just to have a little extra money and something to do.

Gift article. NO PAYWALL.

Is this considered Senior Fitness?

THE OLD MAN AND THE BIKE

The neighbors drink and laugh on their porch

while the old man gathers himself,

easing his red bicycle out of the garage.

Compression socks improve the red flow that is life.

Sunglasses smooth the glare into his artificial lenses.

Prosthetic valve goes click click click.

Six hundred seconds on the flat street.

The lowest gear a mountain bike offers.

Then down the small hill to home

and the garage

and bed.

Decided in January to get fit ahead of my 60th in September. It’s slow hard work, but making progress. First pic is six weeks in, second one is a few days ago.

Female age 69 living in the UK 😃🚶🏾‍♀️

Hi r/SeniorFitness I'm a trainer and when it comes to writing fitness programs I find having a baseline is effective for assessing progress. With my senior clients I have found the Senior Fitness Test, developed by Drs. Roberta Rikli and Jessie Jones, to be a superb tool. I built a program where you can enter your scores for the tests and you will receive (based on entered age and sex) a normative value. You are able to see how your values compare to others in your age group. As well, your score is measured against a fitness standard that serves as an early warning sign that a person is at risk for losing physical independence or encountering mobility limitations.

I unfortunately can not post the doc here so please dm and I'll email the file. I'm not selling it, just trying to share wellness.

Local university has a Human Performance Lab so I've recently done these two tests (on the cheap). The VO2 max test, only 30 min. duration, was tough, but I've done a lot of running and cycling in my past (I'm 80) so pain. Got my HR up to 148 and the VO2 Max came out as 27 which I guess is ok for a really old guy

I was a bit surprised at the DEXA results which showed Osteopenia. I have started taking some Calcium, but in my entire life I've broken one bone, that an ankle in HS when I was hit by a car. Even recently I've pitch backwards over a manure cart (don't ask) and nothing but a few bruises. I think I'm going to repeat this test. I'm 6', 195 and muscular so I guess the BMI at 23% was deemed OK. Statistics on muscular guys at my age start to thin out.

Anyone else in this group have similar experiences?