The Best Lifestyle Fitness Activities for Your 50s, 60s, and Beyond

Introduction: The Best Lifestyle

In your 50s, 60s, or even 70s, it’s not too late to
prioritize your health and put yourself first.

How do you start a health and fitness journey when you’re an older adult?
Rather than focusing on goals that feel unattainable or
unsustainable, you might be better off focusing on lifestyle
activities that will keep you active and exploring — and allow for fun.

Connie Smith, the healthy living director for
Florida’s First Coast YMCA, said just to try something new.

“Try something different that you’ve never done before every single
month, and it’ll keep you going,” Smith said.

But don’t let the big number overwhelm you before you begin.
If you start small and find out what you like, you’ll
see there’s an exercise for you that doesn’t even feel like exercise.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Weight and strength training

Don’t be intimidated to lift some weight. Weight,
strength, or resistance training —
however you want to refer to it — is vital for optimal health.

Strength training can especially benefit older adults,
reducing their risk of injury and falling,
making everyday tasks easier, and improving their mood, mobility, and brain function.

“It helps with living,” said Jermaine Solomon,
a personal trainer and the
Maximum Effort Fitness & Performance Training owner.

He trains clients at a retirement community and his gym,
often incorporating weights into their fitness routines.
“When you just sit down and stand up,
but you’re holding weights as you do it,
that goes a long way,” Solomon said.

You can also just work with your own body weight.
Smith said, “If you’re looking to lose just a little bit of weight,
body weight is really great for the joints.”
Using various weights in varied exercises
allows you to make this part of your fitness journey unique.

Swimming and water aerobics 

Jumping in the pool for a round of aquatic
sports is another way to kick-start your
fitness routine. In addition to being cardiovascular exercise,
swimming gives you a strength workout because of the water’s resistance.

Try aqua aerobics if you prefer to have more
fun in the pool than just swimming laps.
It combines the benefits of swimming and group fitness.

Smith said, “Aqua aerobics is just
fabulous for this age group.”
The water’s resistance and the cushion water provides
for reduced impact on your joints allow you to
gain strength while minimizing aches and pains.

Zumba

Zumba is a great activity for those who
love to dance. Combining dance moves
with an aerobic workout, Zumba is a way
to get your exercise in without feeling like you’re exercising.

“You don’t think about the fact that you’re exercising,”
Solomon said.
“Some people dread the word ‘exercise,’
and so that feeling definitely makes it a lot better.”

Yoga 

Yoga can be a great activity to strengthen
your body and clear your mind. You can do
it alone or in a group setting, indoors or outdoors,
with puppies, babies, or even goats.

Yoga checks the box when it comes to resistance
training because you’re moving and holding your
body weight through the asanas.
It also helps with balance and mobility as we age.

Smith recommends yoga for people in their
50s and 60s who are working to reset their lives.

“You can start with chair yoga if you don’t
want to get on the ground,”
she said. However you feel most comfortable starting,
give it a shot. Smith added,
“Yoga gives you that mental balance that goes along with some
of the stuff that’s happening in life …
yoga has a lot to do with giving back to yourself.”

Running, hiking, and biking

For those who love running, there’s no reason
to stop as you age. While running is not low
impact and can stress the knees and other joints,
Solomon said you may want to switch to a treadmill to decrease the impact.

But if you love the mental clarity you gain from
being outdoors and exercising in the fresh air,
perhaps hiking is more suitable for you.

You’ll burn more calories than walking alone,
and the benefits of being outdoors include
improved mood, self-esteem, and emotional response.
You may also experience decreased fatigue while exercising.

You can bike indoors or outdoors.
Smith noted, “A spin class at any age is not only a
fabulous thing from a cardio standpoint,
but also for the mental health piece …
you’re in that dark room, and you can just let
life go for 45 minutes to an hour.”

Try a recumbent bike if a traditional bike or
spin class isn’t right for you. Many now have
a screen attached, allowing you to watch
Netflix or stream other content.
Solomon said just make sure you’re not so
focused on the TV that you forget you’re supposed to exercise.

Horseback riding

Horseback riding works up a sweat, engages your joints,
muscles, and core, and allows you to be
outdoors and commune with an animal and nature.
Again, you might even forget you’re
exercising when you’re on the back of a horse,
feeling the breeze as you ride.

Smith suggests visiting a personal trainer first
if you want to prep yourself to ride horses.
“If you’re doing things like horseback riding,
you’ve got to be able to figure out how to get on the horse.
So, we’ll do things like hip openers and
strengthen you so you can get on the horse.”

Bucket list training

If participating in trendy fitness exercises of
the moment isn’t your thing, maybe you’d
prefer to work toward a goal on your bucket list.
Smith said she’s trained people in their
50s and 60s to hike the Great Wall of China,
scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, or even climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.

For these out-of-the-box fitness activities,
you have a definitive goal you’re trying to reach.
Smith said finding exercises tailored to reaching
that goal will help you stay motivated to
achieve the accomplishment.

For instance, when training for a mountain trek,
she recommends taking fitness classes that focus on
breath work and using the Jacob’s ladder
apparatus to get you used to climbing.

“The Jacob’s ladder is actually a moving ladder,
so you’re holding on with your feet and your hands,
and you’re kind of climbing.
This is one way to allow you to simulate rock climbing.”

The takeaway

Whether you’re exercising to maintain your
health or knock some accomplishments off your
bucket list, it’s never too late to prioritize your health and fitness.

Solomon said to remember that the reason we
exercise is so much more than to benefit our physiques —
it’s about keeping your heart healthy.
“If you stop [moving] every day, your heart could
start to slow down, and it’s a lot harder to get started again,
as opposed to maintaining and keeping it going.”

Finding a way to move that makes you feel good
will take you a long way. No matter what,
Smith said, at this age, you’ve got to apply the
Nike phrase to your fitness: “Just do it.”