Does it seem like active, older people are sort of neglected in the fitness industry? - Page 3

cataddict · 05-23-21, 04:02 PM

I've hesitated about even trying a workout labeled "senior" as it seems it's always the equivalent of beginner/easy. Yes, it does appear that once one enters somewhere in the 50 to 60ish age group everything allegedly breaks down and falls apart all at once and 6 oz soup cans are the heaviest one can lift. I always smile to myself when our 35 year old daughter lets her ancient parents haul furniture up and down the stairs as she watches. She's thin but weak and seems to only care about what the scale shows and is worried that she will "bulk" if she lifts weights. But I digress.

Does it bother me that the fitness industry mostly ignores me? I guess not really, since I've always been unusually active for someone my age even when I was in my thirties. So I do the workouts that the younger people do and modify if I feel I need to, either up or down.

JackieB · 05-23-21, 04:30 PM

Sure there is ageism out there...but one of my best friends is almost 20 years older than me. She and her dh work out at a local crossfit gym and they are animals! Her dh runs marathons and does a lot of extreme challenges.

We actually have two local gyms in my tiny town that seem to have a variety of ages participating there.

I think if you don't like a gym (or a program/dvd)....then switch.

Most of the people who take my class are older exercisers. Some go to a gym or do other programs. I also have a couple younger (20's) that participate, too.

I've also been taking workshops online from FAI (Funcional Aging Institute) and there are some pretty intense programs out there!

Pam61 · 05-23-21, 04:49 PM

I dunno, I've always felt comfortable doing Senior workouts (before my time!) Of course it depends on the workout, instructor, content, pacing, etc. Now that I say that, I'm putting all of these conditions on workouts, ha!

I'm not quite 60 but love Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Classical Stretch, and Yoga workouts.

I like strength workouts that move a little slower nowadays.

Never being a fan of complex choreography, I don't mind if a dance or step workout has too much TIFTTing.

If I'm in a Zumba class, I'm usually the last person in the class to pick up the choreography or feel comfortable enough to cut loose!

toaster · 05-23-21, 05:03 PM

Pam, I am similar to you, not with respect to having always done senior workouts, but with respect to having always gravitated towards gentler stuff. Even in my 20s, I did not like doing intense cardio/high impact! I have always enjoyed strength training though, and I think lifting as heavy as possible is even more important as you get older.

I love the Yoga for Healthy Aging blog for age-appropriate information that is never condescending or too beginner:
http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/

schoolgirl-01 · 05-23-21, 07:14 PM

i live in south florida and there is certainly a lot of senior people here but we certainly aren't neglected by any business fitness or otherwise.

south florida depends on seniors and snow birds more than tourists to keep things going.

certainly you can find a sit and be fit style of class but any class at 8am till 4pm in a gym is filled with the active adult lifestyle crowd most are north of 55.

the pilates studio is very diverse all day long with the active adult and the SAHM when the kids are in school. once the school is out for the summer the SAHM isn't really seen in the pilates studio again until the fall.

Sue B · 05-23-21, 07:38 PM

This has been a peeve of mine for a long time. Remember when Collage categorized workouts labeled "over 40" or "over 50" in their seniors/specialty section, or when Margaret Richard told the AARP that people over 50 shouldn't do squats or jumping jacks. And I've seen so many senior videos where the sets look like a funeral home, the wardrobe is polo shirts and bermuda shorts, and the instructor talks like a preschool teacher. I was so afraid that on my 50th birthday a switch would flip and I would run out to buy polo shirts.

Thank goodness there are a few exceptions, like NROL for Life, and James Crossley's DVD. Even Cathe is mellowing out some. I'm actually kind of tempted by her bands.

adawn · 05-23-21, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue B

And I've seen so many senior videos where the sets look like a funeral home, the wardrobe is polo shirts and bermuda shorts, and the instructor talks like a preschool teacher. I was so afraid that on my 50th birthday a switch would flip and I would run out to buy polo shirts.

Gams · 05-24-21, 07:10 AM

I think age takes a toll on everyone, just to a lesser degree in those who stay in shape. I was thinking about this after reading an interview with Martina Navratilova the other day where she expressed her disappointment with her lack of speed as she got older. Then I woke up this morning to see that Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship yesterday at the ripe old age of 50 and was the first golfer to win a major over the age of 50 in 161 years. People are in better shape as they age these days, but we can’t escape aging completely.

toaster · 05-24-21, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gams

People are in better shape as they age these days, but we can’t escape aging completely.

Gams, I think this is exactly right. I do think that part of the reason people are in better shape is staying more active. I just want to keep exercising as much as I can to keep my body as strong, fit, and functional as possible as I get older.

Vintage VFer · 05-24-21, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toaster

... But I agree with you about the beginner thing too. As a yoga instructor, I am especially appalled at some of the yoga videos labelled "beginner" - some of them are why people get scared off from yoga!

That is a huge pet peeve of mine. The majority of so-called "beginner" yoga videos are far from beginner. Maybe for a beginner 12-year-old!

Way back in the day, one of my first yoga DVDs was one by Patricia Walden. She was such a bendy, pretzel-woman that it almost put me off yoga for good!

Here is my VF Review from 2004:

"I have been wanting to post about this for ages. Years ago, I had done a few yoga classes when I decided to try Patricia Walden's so-called "Yoga for Beginners". AAAACCCCCKK!!! PTOOOOOEEEYYYY!!! Beginners - my butt! It was hard and awful and she bends like a pretzel and seems so smug. I swear, that one video put me off trying yoga again for years and years.

Thankfully, I finally decided to try a yoga video again. Yoga Zone's "Conditioning & Stess Release" with Alan Finger. It felt wonderful and I loved his voice. Since then, I have tried many instructors that I had avoided. I visited the Yoga Cross-Trainers check-in (a hotbed of enablers!!! ). I've found that I like Shiva, Erich, Eion, etc. And only recently even saw videos by Bryan and Baron. I like them, too!

All these years, I could have been enjoying yoga and these fine and diverse instructors. I might even have gotten past the beginner stage by now.

I can never forgive Patricia Walden. (And I know I'm not the only one!!!)

Instructor Comments:
Patricia Walden almost ruined my life!"

Dramatic much? LOL!

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05-23-21, 04:02 PM
cataddict VF Supporter Join Date: Oct 2006	I've hesitated about even trying a workout labeled "senior" as it seems it's always the equivalent of beginner/easy. Yes, it does appear that once one enters somewhere in the 50 to 60ish age group everything allegedly breaks down and falls apart all at once and 6 oz soup cans are the heaviest one can lift. I always smile to myself when our 35 year old daughter lets her ancient parents haul furniture up and down the stairs as she watches. She's thin but weak and seems to only care about what the scale shows and is worried that she will "bulk" if she lifts weights. But I digress. Does it bother me that the fitness industry mostly ignores me? I guess not really, since I've always been unusually active for someone my age even when I was in my thirties. So I do the workouts that the younger people do and modify if I feel I need to, either up or down. __________________ How fierce will you be today? VFer KateTT Watula, Cheeto, Charli, Lux, Merlin, Rudy, Finley the Cat, Hobbes, Winston, and Finley the Dog Fan Girl! Word of 2024: Patience

05-23-21, 04:30 PM
JackieB VF Supporter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Minnesota	Sure there is ageism out there...but one of my best friends is almost 20 years older than me. She and her dh work out at a local crossfit gym and they are animals! Her dh runs marathons and does a lot of extreme challenges. We actually have two local gyms in my tiny town that seem to have a variety of ages participating there. I think if you don't like a gym (or a program/dvd)....then switch. Most of the people who take my class are older exercisers. Some go to a gym or do other programs. I also have a couple younger (20's) that participate, too. I've also been taking workshops online from FAI (Funcional Aging Institute) and there are some pretty intense programs out there! __________________ Jackie Certified Essentrics Instructor, Level 4---February 2017 Yoga Tune Up Roll Model Method Practitioner---December 2021 "Movement is a privilege. You don't have to exercise. You get to exercise. Visit a person whose mobility is severely limited, and you'll appreciate the distinction. Do what you can, count yourself lucky, heal yourself in the process." Essentrics Colorado

05-23-21, 04:49 PM
Pam61 VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The Ocean State!	I dunno, I've always felt comfortable doing Senior workouts (before my time!) Of course it depends on the workout, instructor, content, pacing, etc. Now that I say that, I'm putting all of these conditions on workouts, ha! I'm not quite 60 but love Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Classical Stretch, and Yoga workouts. I like strength workouts that move a little slower nowadays. Never being a fan of complex choreography, I don't mind if a dance or step workout has too much TIFTTing. If I'm in a Zumba class, I'm usually the last person in the class to pick up the choreography or feel comfortable enough to cut loose! __________________ Pam April Focus: Linda Stejskal Wooldridge (Barlates) Dean Pohlman (Man Flow Yoga) April 8th Everyday Yoga Four Week Challenge Jessica Smith Cardio Walks/Pilates Fusion Lee Holden Qi Gong 30 Day Challenge

05-23-21, 05:03 PM
toaster Exchange Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Western NY	Pam, I am similar to you, not with respect to having always done senior workouts, but with respect to having always gravitated towards gentler stuff. Even in my 20s, I did not like doing intense cardio/high impact! I have always enjoyed strength training though, and I think lifting as heavy as possible is even more important as you get older. I love the Yoga for Healthy Aging blog for age-appropriate information that is never condescending or too beginner: http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/ __________________ Beth aka Toaster (she/her) *Follow me @YogiBethC* YouTube\|Instagram\|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.

05-23-21, 07:14 PM
schoolgirl-01 Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Parkland, FL	i live in south florida and there is certainly a lot of senior people here but we certainly aren't neglected by any business fitness or otherwise. south florida depends on seniors and snow birds more than tourists to keep things going. certainly you can find a sit and be fit style of class but any class at 8am till 4pm in a gym is filled with the active adult lifestyle crowd most are north of 55. the pilates studio is very diverse all day long with the active adult and the SAHM when the kids are in school. once the school is out for the summer the SAHM isn't really seen in the pilates studio again until the fall.

05-23-21, 07:38 PM
Sue B VF Supporter Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Maryland	This has been a peeve of mine for a long time. Remember when Collage categorized workouts labeled "over 40" or "over 50" in their seniors/specialty section, or when Margaret Richard told the AARP that people over 50 shouldn't do squats or jumping jacks. And I've seen so many senior videos where the sets look like a funeral home, the wardrobe is polo shirts and bermuda shorts, and the instructor talks like a preschool teacher. I was so afraid that on my 50th birthday a switch would flip and I would run out to buy polo shirts. Thank goodness there are a few exceptions, like NROL for Life, and James Crossley's DVD. Even Cathe is mellowing out some. I'm actually kind of tempted by her bands. __________________ Move your body often, sometimes hard. Every bit counts. Drop Two Sizes, Fit Body Blueprint, STRONG Eat. Lift. Thrive. and Revamp grad DISCLOSURE: I have a professional relationship with a seller or producer of fitness videos or products. For details, please see my profile.

05-24-21, 07:10 AM
Gams Join Date: Mar 2007	I think age takes a toll on everyone, just to a lesser degree in those who stay in shape. I was thinking about this after reading an interview with Martina Navratilova the other day where she expressed her disappointment with her lack of speed as she got older. Then I woke up this morning to see that Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship yesterday at the ripe old age of 50 and was the first golfer to win a major over the age of 50 in 161 years. People are in better shape as they age these days, but we can’t escape aging completely.