Extreme & Hardcore Workouts & Those getting Older - 40-s - late 50's??

[Castella]

52. I wouldn't say I ever embraced really intense workouts, but I could hold my own and considered myself high intermediate/low advanced. I've always been committed to maintaining good fitness.

Mostly what I do now is a lot of Essentrics and some lifting, but cautiously, because all my joints hurt. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with me, but I have pain and I don't want it to become chronic. It was frustrating to learn that my glutes are really weak, because I have tried hard to build them up and avoid the atrophy that I saw in my parents. PT told me that as we age, the nerves die out and even though the brain keeps telling the glutes to kick in, they never get the message.

I'd love to be doing something more vigorous, but I've lost strength, and I'll have to start slow.

Everyone really is different, and what I'm learning is that sometimes trying to proactively fix something that isn't broken yet won't work.

[Gale K.]

I'm turning 57 later this month. If I do a super-intense workout, I either end up with a flare-up of a shoulder issue, or have DOMS that takes almost a week to recover from. So I may not eliminate hard-core workouts, but modify them to my needs. I prefer to focus on kettlebell workouts these days, with some yoga and dumbbell workouts thrown in. I'm definitely not in the shape that I used to be, but that is mostly because of other demands on my time (mostly work).

I know everyone is different, but it is still helpful to hear how others are handling exercise/aging (to me, anyway!).

[spotted zebra]

Originally Posted by Jeanne Marie

We've had this conversation here many times before. Everybody is different, so it really doesn't do any good to compare. Honestly, I think age has less to do with it than personal preference, injury history, and just knowing what works for you.

Maybe age is a factor in that as we get older, we are finally smart enough and experienced enough to know what works for us and what doesn't!

So true. There's a lot to be said for learning to be comfortable in your own skin, and understanding and honoring your needs. I never understood the need for comparisons. We're all unique and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[at120]

The moment I feel like a headache is coming on or that something feels wrong in my knees or shoulders, I stop. As a result, I've still been able to do some HIIT.

[Lurdes]

I'm not sure what constitutes "extreme or hardcore", but I'm 55 and I run and do Cathe pretty much exclusively. I exercise almost every day. I don't see these workouts as punishing; I really enjoy them. I also feel that the older I get, the more important it is to be in excellent cardiovascular condition and to have strong muscles. I'm lucky because I haven't had any serious injuries to deal with except for a broken ankle last year that healed really fast, which my doctor attributed in part to my fitness level. Of course, everyone is different, as others have said.

Lurdes

[Demeris]

Originally Posted by dnna

I am 66 , and was doing hardcore -even doubling up workouts and going for 90 minutes a day.
So turning 66, I injured my ACL (ligament) and have been down- really down and injured. hard to walk, hard to go up stairs and forget going downstairs. so I have been doing an upper body and have started lower body ( doing Winsor buns and thighs almost daily, has exercises the Chiro recommended) and always doing an AM yoga to loosen up. added in pilates abs.
and surprise ! I look better than when I was really pounding my body. Nice strong arms and back, abs pulled in and legs very strong. who would have thought this could happen!!!!

Donna--this is wonderful to read, my friend. I'm glad your body has responded to your gentler routine.

[macska]

Originally Posted by Lurdes

I'm not sure what constitutes "extreme or hardcore", but I'm 55 and I run and do Cathe pretty much exclusively. I exercise almost every day. I don't see these workouts as punishing; I really enjoy them. I also feel that the older I get, the more important it is to be in excellent cardiovascular condition and to have strong muscles. I'm lucky because I haven't had any serious injuries to deal with except for a broken ankle last year that healed really fast, which my doctor attributed in part to my fitness level. Of course, everyone is different, as others have said.

Lurdes

I feel the same except that I had more serious injuries but I overcome them as fast as you did.

[summer breeze]

I'm 59 and thankfully I do pretty much the same workouts I always did. However, I never did hardcore type workouts even when I was younger. Now I mostly walk, do essentrics/barre/pilates type workouts and Margaret Richard. I can still do Firms and SS workouts that I used to do but they're not exactly hardcore. I fortunately don't have injuries (besides occasional aches and pains) to deal with. Hey, maybe that's because I never did do those hardcore workouts . I try to do what feels good to me and what I enjoy so I can stay active and consistent.

[Pratima]

Originally Posted by Lurdes

I'm not sure what constitutes "extreme or hardcore", but I'm 55 and I run and do Cathe pretty much exclusively. I exercise almost every day. I don't see these workouts as punishing; I really enjoy them. I also feel that the older I get, the more important it is to be in excellent cardiovascular condition and to have strong muscles. I'm lucky because I haven't had any serious injuries to deal with except for a broken ankle last year that healed really fast, which my doctor attributed in part to my fitness level. Of course, everyone is different, as others have said.

Lurdes

I'm 43 and in some ways doing more intense workouts than ever. I do feel like I need more recovery, specifically, more sleep if I really push myself. I also find I need more stretching than I used to. It used to be no big deal to skip a cooldown, and I'm very flexible, so that was never an issue. Now, if I don't stretch, everything gets really tight.

So, as others have said, you really have to listen to your body and do what feels right. And what your body says can depend on what you were doing before plus where you are right now.

[AZY]

I think genetic factors come into play here as well, as well as what effects the post-menopausal state has on a particular individual. Given the wide variability in life experiences and our own individual make-ups, we really can't compare, can we?

It's great that some can just keep going, and it is also good for the wisdom of paying attention to what does and doesn't work as time goes on, respecting that, and altering accordingly.

Anne Y