How do you stay young and stay active? Stella Volpe, PhD, chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Drexel University, says, “You can’t control the increase in age, but physical activity can keep you from getting older as fast, and that’s the most important thing.”
This is where there is a huge difference between individuals. You can avoid diabetes and heart disease by being physically active, and you can avoid hypogonadism by increasing blood flow and reducing stress (both of which play a role in erectile dysfunction). On top of that, exercise makes you feel good, says Bill Kohl, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and kinesiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health.
Most importantly, exercise prevents DNA damage as we age. The secret is that the body and mind should move together to maintain an active attitude toward life.
Move for interest
What’s the key to staying active? Doing what you love. Dr. Olson, a professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, says, “Try to find activities you enjoy to be more likely to stick with them.”
Trent Tucker, a retired NBA player, is a good example. He’s still active after 11 years away from the NBA, and he’s just switched from one venue to another for the sport. Trent said, “I don’t play basketball anymore, but luckily I found tennis after I left basketball.”
Even though he’s been retired for seven or eight years, he’s still immersed in the sport. “I really like sports, and I’m still learning how to play and compete. I’m very interested in tennis. Anytime you can still learn and gain knowledge that can help you become a better sportsman, that’s where the motivation comes from.”
Starting simple
You don’t need to go to the gym like a professional or retired professional athlete, at least not at first. Just getting moving at first is great, Dr. Olson says.
If there has never been an effort to exercise, then 5-15 minutes of exercise several times a week is a good place to start. Dr. Olson says, “A small amount of exercise is beneficial because you don’t feel intimidated by it. In addition, one won’t feel pain or injury just after exercising.”
But you have to be active. Being active doesn’t mean getting up after sitting at your desk for an hour, Dr. Bill said. “It means going out for a few minutes of walking and finding yourself feeling better afterward.”
Progressively increasing exercise
The more you exercise, the better. As you keep exercising, you’ll get more exercise. If you’ve been exercising consistently for a month or so, increase the amount of exercise once, by cycling for 20 minutes instead of 15 minutes. You may feel tired at first, but after a few weeks, you’ll be comfortable.
The goal is to get your heart rate up and keep it up, either by walking, swimming, using an elliptical, or biking, which are all great cardio exercises.
If the workload is sufficient, chores like cleaning and yard work can be as good for your body as jogging. Mowing the lawn burns about 300 calories an hour, and housework burns about 150 calories an hour.
But you shouldn’t talk to your neighbor across the fence while you’re mowing or raking leaves; it won’t have the desired effect.
Don’t neglect strength training
Cardio is only part of the workout; strength training is just as important. Strength training helps keep muscles strong as you gain age, and strong muscles keep your metabolism going and can keep your weight in balance. Strength training also maintains bone mass, which helps avoid fractures, Dr. Olson said.
If you like lifting weights, that’s great. If you don’t? Dr. Olson says, “You can use your body weight to do exercises like push-ups and squats while counting.” Try working major muscle groups 2 to 3 times a week.
How much exercise is enough?
Trent says he plays tennis 3 to 4 times a week. If you’ve ever watched a tennis match on TV, you know that a match sometimes takes a few hours and you don’t usually need to exercise that long.
You may often hear that you need to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Researchers say that exercise can help you live a better and healthier life.
It’s important to remember that you’re not 18 anymore, not even 35. You can’t make up for a week of sweating all day Saturday. And don’t try to compare yourself to the person you were 10 years ago. Dr. Bill says, “Keep exercising and give your body a chance to adjust.”
Once you have a healthy body, he says, there’s no reason not to work out as much as you used to. When it comes to strength training, you should be able to do as many exercises as you did in your 20s.
NFL senior Mark May does a cardio strength combo workout that will help him stay healthy after he leaves the league. Even though he has to get up at 3 or 4 a.m. to get an hour on the elliptical, he keeps working out. He lifts heavy weights three days a week, light weights three days a week and does 250 sit-ups a day. He says, “I work out every day even when I’m traveling, looking for hotels that have the workout equipment I need.”
Go beyond yourself
Men in their 60s and 70s can still participate in beyond skiing, surfing, triathlons and more. Every two years, amateur athletes aged 50 to 100 will compete in the U.S. Senior Olympics. They compete in everything that younger Olympians compete in, from archery to triathlons (including a 400-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike race, and a 5-kilometer road race.) In 2014, Neil Gussman completed his first triathlon at age 61. This year, he hopes to win a cycling medal again, or do better, at the 2005 Senior Olympics.
Seniors who love life
How is Neil’s training regimen?
Bike at least 5 days a week, 40-48 km a day.
Swim 3 days a week for 900-1800m each time.
Run about 16 km per week (he is just starting to run now).
In addition to his training, he serves in the U.S. Army National Guard. What motivates him? He says, “Obsession. I like to ride and work out.”
Does he ever feel like he’s too old? “I don’t feel old when I ride a bike. I love riding my bike. Also like to run. I gave up running because of the pain, and then I started missing it.”
What he does to stay active: “When someone over 50 is racing, that’s their life.” Health after 50 doesn’t just happen.