It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising
Workouts can Improve Your Health, Even if You Start After 50
May 4, 2009
The drawback? It takes 10 years for the effects to take hold. The study looked at 2,205 Swedish men for 20 years starting at age 50. The researchers put the men into low, medium and high activity groups. At first, the sedentary group had the highest death rate and the most-active men had the lowest. But after 10 years, people who started an exercise program after age 50 had similar death rates to those who did the most physical activity.
Start Strength Training Before You're 80
However, another study released last week revealed that women who started weight lifting when they were in their 80s did not increase their muscle mass. A similar study showed the same results for men several years ago, although those in both sexes who exercised while they were in their 70s still increased their muscles.
Exercise Helps You at All Ages
This doesn't mean that exercising in your 80s is not helpful: the women were still able to lift more weight after the study, but that was not due to increase strength but rather an increase in the efficiency of the nervous system activating and synchronizing the muscles.
If you're over 50 and planning on starting an exercise program, here are some tips to keep you motivated and injury-free.
- Talk to your doctor first. If you've been sedentary for most of your life, make sure your doctor is aware of your plans and that you have no health issues that could make exercise dangerous.
- Start with walking, gardening, swimming or any other gentle activity that you enjoy. Go slowly at first for short amounts of time, and increase your speed and the length of your workout as you feel more comfortable.
- You may have heard the phrase “no pain, no gain” about 20 years ago, but no one says this any more. Mild muscle pain the day after your workout is normal and means your muscles are getting stronger. Sharp pains in any of your joints or muscles or difficulty breathing during your workout is not OK. Stop or ease up immediately.
- The best exercise routines offer variety. Include cardiovascular activities such as walking or swimming; stretching such as yoga or tai chi; and weight training. This will not only keep you from getting bored but also improve every aspect of your fitness: stamina, flexibility and balance, and strength.
If you're over 50 and haven't started an exercise routine yet, you can still reap the benefits. Just make physical activity a regular part of your routine and start weight lifting as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. This can not only extend your life but also improve its quality. And that's worth getting off the couch for.
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