The 10 most important tips for exercising over 50

As you pass 50, it becomes more important for you to extend your "healthspan" through exercise to ensure that you can make the most out of life. Photo / 123rf

While the ultimate goal is to live a long life, it’s also about extending our “healthspan” - maximising the years we can do all the things we enjoy. No matter how old you are, this means leaving your comfort zone.

It’s not about overdoing it, however, but being strategic. Here’s how I do it:

1. No more long-distance running

I’ve done my time of half marathons, marathons and even some triathlons, but testosterone in men can drop if you do too much long-duration cardio. Plus, the potential for tendon inflammation and knee problems only increases - unless every element of strength and mobility is perfect. Most people aren’t perfect every time.

This is not to say “don’t run” - far from it - just drop the repeated long intensive runs or cycles.

2. I only use 75 per cent of my range of motion

Or I use heavy bands to produce progressive overload (I’ll explain that another time) when lifting the heaviest weights. I also only lift the heaviest levels once each week for each body part. At medium to high levels you get maintenance and some growth. At high load, with a high range of motion, there’s a real risk of tendon strain: the gains are safest in the reduced range at the highest loading.

Use heavy bands during your workout. Photo / 123rf

3. Tennis twice a week

Tennis is amazing for testing co-ordination, movement, power, mobility and competition. It also boosts hormones like crazy. The effects of forcing the body to have to move in response to random events should not be underestimated.

4. Zone two cardio training four to five times a week

This is a level of fast walking or continuous medium-level cycling for a minimum of 30 minutes - without deviating on the intensity.

This is not high intensity, however, but “tick-over” level, which stimulates your heart, lungs, energy system and mitochondria, all of which help to balance your metabolic system.

5. I aim for high-intensity intervals three times a week, including tennis

On top of that, I row for six to eight intervals of two to four minutes each at close to maximum, with a recovery of a similar duration.

Most older adults are likely to benefit from high-intensity interval training. Photo / 123rf

6. Spend 10-20 minutes per day doing mobility work

This is a killer because it can be boring, but not half as boring or disconcerting as the involuntary grunts and noises you can make when you stand up if you aren’t mobile.

7. An ice bath or cold shower for five minutes, four to five days a week

There are well-documented benefits of this to our DNA, our dopamine system, or cardiovascular system, our mitochondria and our fat-burning. Suck it up for the gruelling first minute - the gains are from 90 seconds onwards.

8. A sauna

... increases my cardiovascular strength, my circulation, aids my kidney and internal organ function and speeds up my recovery from exercise. This is a 15-20 minute process repeated three times, so it’s time-consuming but invaluable.

Saunas offer many benefits to those who use them consistently. Photo / Getty Images

9. Good sleep

Six hours is the minimum, seven is great, and eight is amazing. Average five hours and you have real problems; and if that’s a disturbed five or less, then you are more than likely suffering with some significant hormone disturbance and need to address this right now.

Eating late causes digestive issues that can wake you overnight. Alcohol disturbs your sleep patterns, as will a too-warm room. If you have a drink within an hour of going to bed, it will possibly wake you up.

There are some very good sleep-aid supplements: I swear by Magnesium Threonate, 5HTP, and Ashwagandha.

10. If it’s niggling or injured, I fix it

Strains, niggles, stiffness are all the things that disturb our exercise patterns, and if you don’t fix them straight away they will either stop you or they will make you use a “workaround” that leads to another problem.

Fix it, then get back to functioning as you should. Get a blood test done, get it analysed properly and take action on the exact areas that need attention.