Podcast - Which Exercises Are Best In Your Middle Years?

Today I want to share with you some of the best types of movement and exercise to optimise your mobility and function as you age.

I know firsthand that the approach to exercise should evolve and adapt with age – what I do today at 51 is somewhat different to what I did in my 20’s and 30’s – I listen to my body much more these days, focus on low impact exercises, a lot more body weight and functional movement for not only strength, but balance, agility and overall performance.

Being functionally capable as you age should be a health goal if you want to be physically independent.

None of these exercises I’m about to share with you are foreign or complicated, but they cover a diverse spectrum – which speaks to the variety of options available to you – plus, I believe in having a well rounded hybrid approach to training the body – because investing in my physical health I know is going to pay dividends as we age and as we get in our later stages of life.

So what are the best exercises to incorporate into your weekly routine once you reach 50 and beyond?

Well of course a lot depends on your physical fitness and capability right now and personal your goals, but the nice thing is you can scale up or down these exercises to suit where you’re at so that you can still receive amazing benefits.

1. Walking – the most foundational, functional movement of all that we are designed to do as human beings.  Gentle on the body and joints, most of the longest lived cultures on earth walk many miles or kilometres per day, so it’s walking everyday is known to add years to your lifespan.  Not only that, it’s great for your heart, your base level cardiovascular fitness and it makes you feel good and is awesome for clearing the mind, especially when you walk outside in the fresh air.  I like to walk first thing in the morning either before or after my main workout, depending on what I’m doing on any given day.  But you should aim for 7,000-10,000 steps per day as a base line and more if you’re not doing any other form of exercise.   The average person walking at a moderate pace on normal, flat terrain can achieve around 130-140 steps per minute, so a 60 minute walk should have you at around 8,000 steps.

2. Swimming – Another incredible low-impact exercise that is gentle on the joints, easily attainable and accessible for most people.  Whether you choose to visit your local pool and swim laps or if you’re advanced and have access to an open water swimming area where you live, swimming is a wonderful exercise to lean into as you age for it’s all round cardiovascular, strength building and flexibility benefits.  If swimming is up your alley, target a certain number of laps or a certain distance to swim if you’re in open water and do that as part of your routine

3. Functional Exercises – these are basic body weight movements that mimic everyday movement patterns we perform and depend on that often we take for granted when we’re in our prime – such as lifting a suitcase into a boot or trunk, placing something heavy above your head onto a shelf, moving a piece of furniture, climbing a set of stairs, digging in the garden, picking up a per or child etc.  It is astounding to me how many people struggle with these basic activities beyond the age of 50 because they no longer practice functional movement exercises.  A functional exercise routine using your body weight can take you anywhere from 15-30 minutes and incorporate a number of exercises from squats and lunges for lower body stability and strength, push ups for the upper body, twists and planks for the core.

4. Strength Training – Strength or resistance training is vital as you age, because the body naturally loses muscle mass from the age of 30 if you allow it to. Some studies estimate by up to 12% of muscle loss per decade.  So by the age of 70 if you do nothing to maintain your muscle mass, you will have lost 40-50% of muscle by that stage – which is not good if you value your physical body and ongoing physical independence.  Strength training can be done with body weight, resistance bands or weight.  As a baseline, you should aim to incorporate 3 x 30 minute strength training sessions into your weekly routine, which could include 5-7 exercises of 3 sets each

5. Cycling – Whether be on a stationary bike or outdoors, cycling is another low impact exercise, easy on your joints that is great for your cardiovascular system and lower body strength.  Cycling is a great way to get your Zone 2 steady heart rate cardio into your weekly routine and also a small amount of higher intensity, maximum oxygen output cardio exercise known as VO2 Max.  Personally, I include sessions on both a Peloton stationery bike and cross-country rides on my mountain bike into my weekly schedule in addition to walking for my cardio cardiovascular training

6. Pilates – This emphasises core strength, flexibility, resistance and overall body awareness.  Pilates is an amazing low impact exercise that will improve your balance, posture and muscle tone, making it an awesome choice in your middle years and ongoing into your later years.  In fact my mum at 70 has been doing Pilates consistently for the last 8 years around 5 times per week and you’d swear she doesn’t look a day over 60. 

7. Yoga – I’m a big fan of Yoga and have practiced many forms over the years from Vinyasa, to Yin, Bikram and Hot Yoga. Yoga is a very gentle practice that focuses on breath with movement, which is great for greater consciousness and body mind awareness.  Yoga is also very restorative in terms of relieving tension and stress, aiding recovery etc.  Even after more intense forms of cardio or strength training, I include 2-3 sessions of yoga per week for recovery and mind and body balance into my weekly routine.  The nice thing about Yoga is it’s easy to do at home when you use an App such as Peloton Yoga, Down Dog, or Glo Yoga or you can find simple classes on You Tube.   

8. Balance & Flexibility – Whilst most of the exercises I’ve already mentioned incorporate some form of balance and flexibility, this is an area that needs individual mention because it is one of the biggest challenges people face with age.  You’ve heard the saying, “have a fall, catch neumonia”.  Which basically speaks to the fact that many people in their middle and later years lose their balance, have a simple fall and then it wipes them out in some other way – they get some other ailment or become completely physically dysfunctional as a result.  So you and I want to be able to handle simple falls, or suffering an injury without being at risk of spiralling downhill physically, and much of this has to do with balance flexibility.  Simple exercises such as balancing on one-leg, back leg raises, bosu ball balancing etc.  

So, I hope this gets you thinking about how you can make improvements to your exercise routine so that you can become well rounded in terms of your physical capability and performance.  And this essentially comes down to the three main facets of:

• Cardiovascular endurance

• Functional strength

• Stability and Balance

So, ask yourself are you doing the right types of exercise right now for your age and physical performance?  And you’re doing enough?

And if the answer to that is NO, then why not start with a pen and paper and create a basic movement schedule that allows you to tap into all of these facets.

What I know is that with a little planning and scheduling it gives you so much freedom and organisation to your exercise plan – and this is half the battle – having that basic plan.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, stay strong and live well.

ZT.