6 Simple Tips To Get Active As You Age

I'm passionate about all forms of exercise for blokes and especially for blokes approaching middle age or beyond. Ironically, the older we get the more active I think we need to be and yet most of the news and media cover all things health, nutrition and fitness for the younger blokes out there.

Thankfully, Australian statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicate 50% of blokes meet the physical activity guideline of being active 5 or more days per week and for more than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity over the one week period.

As is always the case, the devil is in the detail and when we look closer by age group you will see that my favourite cohort (the middle aged bloke & older) the numbers start to look a little less impressive.

Blokes aged 45-54 are still fairly active but the participation numbers start to drop below the 50% mark by the age of 55+ and once we hit 65 years only 30% of blokes are meeting the recommended activity guidelines.

To some it's too scary after a long period away from being active BUT IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE to start being active once you hit your 40s, 50s and 60s.

Here are 6 simple suggestions to start you on your path to increasing your activity as you age:

1. Walking

I know, I hear you ask yourself "surely this cannot be that helpful?" BUT it sure as sh.t can be. Don't ever think going for a 30-45 minute walk every day (if you can) can't put you on the path to better health. A 2015 systematic review and meta analysis (considered the highest quality for clinical evidence) showed walking provided a wide range of health benefits from statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, increases in Vo2 max, to reductions in depressive symptoms.

To me, walking can also be a great social tool if you can get a group of mates together, is low impact so you are certainly less likely to experience any significant injuries, is mostly FREE (unless you want to join a gym or be in the latest fitness gear) and can be slotted into your life in a non-structured way. Meaning, you can also start looking at times when you are driving or taking the elevator and perhaps can implement walking in place.

So whatever you do, don't discount heading outside or onto the treadmill and start walking.

2. Choose joint friendly activities

I can speak from experience here. As we age, there's no question things hurt just that little bit more and niggles can linger for longer than we like.

And if you have been inactive for a long time or perhaps suffer from arthritis, it's best to go slow and steady to start with and pick activities that are less stressful on your body and in particular your joints.

Activities such as bike riding, swimming, aqua aerobics or even dancing can be sufficiently strenuous to provide a health benefit but not so taxing on the body. Even resistance exercise with bands can be a suitable starting point as can yoga or a low impact aerobics class.

3. Make it fun and you'll do more of it

It's not uncommon to hear "but I hate gyms and find exercise generally boring!". Ok, so maybe there's going to need to be a little push here because if you simply believe this and make no effort, then it's going to be hard to get off that couch. You can't force physical activity on anyone............

Whatever you do, however you do it, I firmly believe you must enjoy it so you can stick with it for life.

4. Pick social sports

Social isolation is a serious issue for a lot of blokes and can in itself lead to lots of health issues around mental health. As I mentioned before, making it fun is critical and often the activity that makes the most fun will be the social sports and group exercises.

Why not join a sports club (such as Tai Chi, Bike Riding, Hiking, Walking, Swimming), gym or walking group? How about bowls or croquet? Lawn bowls is remarkably fun, very social and a great form of exercise. And in Australia, it often has some of the cheapest beer going around!

5. Pick affordable sports

There are just some sports that will take your breath away once you start looking into all of the necessary equipment, clothing and accessories you need. That might be ok for some but for many that's just not the case and it's no wonder many of the statistics around activity participation can be closely linked to socioeconomic status.

As mentioned before, walking will be by far the cheapest sport you ever do. Running, if your body can withstand it, is a close second although some sports shoes can be prohibitively expensive.

At home training is now very affordable with the proliferation of mobile APPS. Many cost just a few dollars a month and can be done in the comfort of your home. Two of my favourites for older blokes include: The 7 minute workout & Fit On.

6. Get a trainer

This is more extravagant but will be one of the best ways to get tailored exercises matched exactly to your preferences, health goals and will also be a great way to stay motivated.

There's no shortage of personal trainers available but if you find the one on one fees to high, you can always try out a group session and meet lots of new people or get a group of mates together and add make it part of your catch-up with mates a couple times a week.

My final suggestion for you is start slow and steady It's always important you talk to your GP before you begin any form of exercise, especially if you have been inactive for a long period of time or have any pre-existing health conditions.

But don't let that stop you and get back to healthy living today!

References

Hanson S, Jones A. Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Jun;49(11):710-5. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2014-094157. Epub 2015 Jan 19. PMID: 25601182; PMCID: PMC4453623.