So you’re 50. You probably haven’t been to the gym in years. You may have gained quite a few pounds, a beer belly, and lost hair! While I can’t help you regrow your hair, I can help you with the first two problems. Many men are out of shape in their fifties. But you don’t necessarily have to stay that way. If you have been thinking that your metabolism is too slow now and you’re not strong enough, think again. It’s never too late to start working on your body. Not even if you just reached 50. Here’s how you can stay in shape with these fitness tips for men over 50.
When men reach their fifties, their gym patterns have usually changed. They can roughly divide them into three groups, based on how much they work out. These groups are:
- 50 Year old who never stopped working out
- Men over 50 who stopped working out some years ago
- Men over 50 who have never worked out
Obviously, there are bound to be differences in fitness levels between the three categories. 50-year olds who never stopped training are usually fitter than those who stopped working out 10 or more years ago. Similarly, men who stopped working out years ago are still going to be in better shape than men who never worked out. You will need to work differently, depending on what category you fall in. Let’s have a more detailed look at these categories, as well as weight-loss/ fitness tips for men over 50.
50 Years Old who never stopped working out
Are you one of those fitness buffs who still train like twenty-year-olds? You’re probably in pretty good shape as you approach your fifties. But at some point, your body is going to start protesting at this treatment. So how should you keep training and still stay as spry as you feel right now? At this age, you don’t want to overload muscle groups with isolation exercises. Right now, you’re probably beginning to feel that recovery takes longer than it used to. So, it would be more practical to do full-body exercises.
You need your whole body to be functioning and fit. So maybe its time to start placing emphasis on mobility. This is something you never had to think about when you were younger, but it is a reality now. You don’t want to dedicate full days to arms, legs, and back. The best fitness tips for men over 50 are to try to focus more on movement. Try mixing up variations like CrossFit, movement exercises and speed training. Sure you can still fit in heavyweights in your regimen. But your focus should mainly be preserving your agility instead of packing on more muscle and potentially injuring yourself.
As far as diet goes, you need to keep your calorie intake regular. Since your metabolism is slowing down, you are more likely to start gaining fat if you keep consuming excessive calories. Weight-loss tips for men over 50 aside, you need a robust nutritional routine at any age. But it would be best if you limited how much you eat. Try eating until you are around eight-tenths full. This will keep you healthy while being easy on your waistline. Other than that, go for protein-intensive foods, brown carbs. If you’re really committed to maintaining your physique for as long as possible, watch your alcohol consumption as well.
Men over 50 who stopped working out some years ago
So you used to work out a lot in your teens and twenties, but you started slowing down in your thirties. Now you’re 50 and it has been years since you last worked out. Is it too late to climb back up on the fitness horse? I wouldn’t think so. How should you start again? It would be best to start right from the beginning. You have to rely on muscle memory a lot at this stage. You have to realize your body has aged since you last picked up the weights. Many movements that came naturally to you may have changed.
You may have had a hip or shoulder injury over the years. So take it easy on your body. The best fitness tips for men over 50 are this: Correct your form with lighter weights and wait for muscle memory to kick in. Once it does, you can start hitting the heavyweights. You should always rely on a personal trainer, though. Your body is approaching a time when muscle degradation and lost mobility will prevent you from being as fit as you were. You will obviously improve. But don’t set the bar too high for yourself. Full-strength may not always be possible, depending on your specific condition.
Nutrition, if you are just getting back on the fitness wagon, is going to be annoying at first. You will have to cut out white carbs completely from your diet if you really want results. You may also need to start cutting down on how much alcohol you consume. Focus on brown carbs, lean meats, and high-protein foods, without eating huge portions. Eat until you’re 80% full and spare yourself a growing-belly problem. This is one of the best weight-loss/ fitness tips for men over 50.
Men over 50 who have never worked out
So you never worked out for a meaningful stretch in your life. You were lazy, or too busy, or uninterested. That happens to a lot of people. But just because you hit your fifties does not mean you can’t begin from scratch. Your first step is to build confidence in yourself. You can do this by starting the basic movement and stretching drills. You’re going to have to build up your fitness slowly, and safely. Try forward lunges and step-ups until you have enough confidence to start doing heavier exercises.
Nutrition depends on what condition you are in physically. If you’re approaching obesity or are obese, you will need to make drastic changes to your diet. Remember, the best exercise to lose weight won’t help unless you’re eating right. There are nutritionists who believe that you can fight obesity with supplements. If your genes have been good to you and you are still reasonably in shape, you need to build on that. Like always, focus on high-protein foods. You need to cut out white carbs completely. This is one of the most important weight-loss/ fitness tips for men over 50.
