You're Not Too Old For This

Getting Older Doesn't Mean Giving Up

Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash, just two guys resting after a long walk.

“I’m too old to start exercising.” This is a falsehood, untrue, and divorced from reality in every conceivable way. Unfortunately, this mindset is pervasive among far too many. The worst part is those who espouse this opinion are usually the ones who would benefit the most from more movement in their life. It’s easy to see why people believe this, though. With age comes wisdom, along with aching joints, sore backs, reduced cardiovascular fitness, and loss of muscle mass. These are all parts of aging that, for the most part, are unavoidable. Add to that the mental component of knowing that your body can’t move like it did in your younger days, and you’ve got a recipe for throwing in the towel on exercise altogether. Now, you’re firmly ensconced in a negative feedback loop. You feel bad because you know exercise is good for you, but you don’t because you don’t feel like your body is up to the task. As a result, no exercise occurs, and the physical effects of aging start to snowball, further inhibiting your ability to do any physical activity.

It should not, and does not, have to be this way. I’m still baffled by how many people who succeed in many aspects of life have given up on caring for their physical health. The irony is that putting energy into building a successful career, starting a family, having an active social life, and pursuing hobbies prohibit them from staying active and caring for themselves.

“Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.” This Henry Ford quote sums up most people who like to play the “I’m too old” card. Once again, have a look from their vantage point, and you can see why they feel this way. A person with arthritis who deals with pain on a daily basis fears that exercise might worsen it. Someone who can barely stand up from a chair might even be embarrassed to enter a gym. The person who is overweight and fears what everyone else will think of them when they see them exercising. The person who was a former athlete feels that if they can’t compete like they used to, why even bother to try? These are all legitimate and valid concerns that must be addressed before any action occurs. You have to start somewhere, so my advice is to start simply by doing something you’ve been practicing most of your life: walking.

30 Minutes For 30 Days

Do you have a comfortable pair of shoes? Great. Then, all you have to do is put them on and step outside. Put one foot before the other and repeat for 30 minutes. Have a friend with shoes? Even better, call them up and walk together. Not only are you exercising, but you’re also socializing, a great combination that improves your physical and mental health. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far you walk, walk for 30 minutes. If you get tired and need to slow your pace, do so; keep moving until the 30 minutes is up. That’s a sign that you’re working hard, and that’s a good thing because change doesn’t come without effort. Sometimes, the simple answer is the best answer, and 99% of the time, walking is going to be the simplest way to start exercising if you’ve got no clue where to start. If you’re starting from scratch, 30 minutes for 30 days will absolutely cause a positive change in your life. Walking can be done just as easily in a gym on a treadmill, but outside in nature is preferred, such as in a park or trail. Below are just a few of the excellent benefits of walking.

• increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness

• reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

• improved management of conditions such as hypertension, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes

• stronger bones and improved balance

• increased muscle strength and endurance

• reduced body fat

Photo by Katie McBroom on Unsplash

Walking is the best entry into exercise for many reasons. It’s very low-impact and joint-friendly, with a low risk of injury. You don’t need equipment outside of shoes, or no shoes at all, if you can walk on the beach or other outdoor areas that you know to be safe. You can pace yourself to go as fast or slow as you need. Most importantly, walking is a great way to establish an exercise habit. Humans are creatures of routine, so making walking part of your daily routine sets you up for success in the future by instilling a need and desire for physical activity.

Now that you’re walking every day, it’s getting easier but potentially a little monotonous. Let’s modify that by making your walk more challenging. You can add intensity in a few different ways.

• Intervals - Walk quickly for 30 seconds, then return to normal for 30 seconds.

• Incline—Walking up a hill is much harder than walking on a flat surface. If you don’t have hills to walk on, you can easily do this on a treadmill.

• Add weights—Hold weights in your hand or use ankle weights. For even more of a challenge, grab a bookbag and toss your weights in there—this is known as rucking. Again, start light, at around 10 pounds. You’ll be surprised to find out how just a little extra weight can make your walk harder.

• Walk a greater distance in the same amount of time. You can do this by using landmarks if you’re walking outdoors or having an exercise tracking app on your phone. Your app can track you using GPS, so you can precisely measure how far you’ve gone.

If you’ve made it this far, then you know why and how you should be walking every day. The next step is to get up and do it! For 30 minutes for 30 days, because you’re not too old for this.

Daniel is a personal trainer and health coach based out of Winston Salem, North Carolina, offering online fitness training and health coaching. He can be reached at dctysinger@gmail.com