Alexa: ‘You’re never too old to start’
At 73, Alexa Lawrence is fitter than she’s ever been. She goes to the gym every weekday and walks, cycles or swims at the weekend. She’s done several of New Zealand’s notable cycle trails, like the Alps to Ocean in the South Island, which takes five days.
Yet until she was 65, she’d never done any kind of regular exercise.
“I’ve always turned my nose up at things like the Jane Fonda exercise craze and I’ve never played sports,” says Alexa. “I was one of those girls at school who used having my period as an excuse for getting out of games. I just wasn’t interested.
“But now, I can’t go a day without doing something,” she admits. “Exercise is a part of my life and I feel so much better for it. I’m proof that you’re never too old to start.”
Most of us know that physical activity makes a big difference to our physical and mental health. People who exercise regularly function better, are less likely to have chronic diseases, live longer and have a better quality of life.
However, many over 50, who’ve spent much of their lives being couch potatoes or only exercising in fits and starts, assume they’ve left it too late to get moving and improve their health in their later years. That kind of thinking is wrong, says fitness instructor Catherine Wild, who runs an exercise programme called Never2old at Auckland University of Technology.
An award-winning active ageing initiative, it caters to people over 60 and Catherine, 58, says the participants are prime examples of how exercise can change your life and your health outcomes, no matter how old you are.
“They’re so fit and strong, and it makes such a difference to their lives,” she shares. “I wish everyone could see it can be enjoyable and fun, and that it’s possible to be fitter and stronger when you’re 60, 70 or 80 – even 90 – and you can start an exercise journey at any point in your life.
“I’ve got one lady who’s 76, who’s had two bouts of cancer, and she can leg press 100kg on our machine. The average age here is 78.5 and some of them are much fitter than me.”
But you don’t have to lift weights or run long distances to achieve results.
“If you can get into the habit of doing 20 minutes of exercise twice a week and keep that up for 12 weeks, you’ll notice the benefits,” maintains Catherine.
Top tips
Don’t overdo it: Start with a small and achievable programme, and build from there. If you over-exercise, you’ll increase the risk of injury or becoming fed up.
Have rest days: These are critical because when you rest, your body builds muscle and your fitness improves. Catherine says exercising seven days a week with no rest days is counter-productive.
Make it fun: You’re more likely to exercise regularly if it’s something you enjoy and if there’s a sociable aspect, like working out with friends or going out for a coffee afterwards.
Why fitness is a game-changer
Exercise can help you to live longer – even if you don’t start until you’re older.
Being active helps our physical health, improves cognitive function and our mental wellbeing. Some of the ways it helps include:
- Increasing strength and flexibility, and warding off frailty.
- Building stronger bones.
- Reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
- Improving balance and coordination, and reducing the risk of falls.
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Reducing joint and muscle pain.
- Enhancing thinking skills and slowing down cognitive decline.
- Reducing the risk of dementia.
- Improving sleep quality.
- Boosting mood, and reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Relieving stress.
- Reducing the side effects of medication.
- Increasing self-esteem and mental wellbeing.
A report compiled by medical experts and published in the Journal of Health, Nutrition and Aging last year says exercise should be regarded as a form of treatment or a preventative medicine. It recommends people be prescribed a workout programme that’s tailored to help with their issues.
“The ultimate goal is the enhanced quality of life, regardless of age or initial state of fitness or frailty,” it says. An added bonus is the potential reduction of healthcare costs for older people and less need for long-term care.
I want to get fitter – what should I do?
If you’re new to exercise or haven’t done anything physical for a long time, Catherine suggests starting with a 20-minute workout twice a week, consisting of:
Resistance training for 12-15 minutes
“That’s using some kind of weight, whether it’s your body weight, dumbbells or kettle bells, a weight machine in the gym or resistance bands to build up your strength,” she says. “It’s vital once you get over 50 to keep strong, and it also helps to regulate hormones and has a positive impact on cardiovascular health.” She recommends a selection of five exercises that work different parts of the body, such as:
- Squats for the legs.
- A pushing exercise such as doing press-ups against a wall.
- Something that involves pulling, for example, on resistance bands.
- A bicep curl for the arms.
- A lifting exercise that works the upper back.
Cardio for four minutes
“For postmenopausal 50-plus women, high-intensity training is great,” she says. “You only need to do a short burst of cardio, like Tabata, where you exercise quickly for 20 seconds, then you rest for 10 seconds. If you do that for eight cycles, it’s done in just four minutes and it’s really effective.” Tabata – a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) – can include walking fast up and down stairs.
Note: If you are new to exercise, it pays to see your doctor before you start, especially if you have existing health issues.
Don’t forget your pelvic floor
Some exercises can put pressure on your pelvic floor and lead to issues like urinary incontinence. Talk to your trainer, instructor or GP about pelvic-safe versions of your exercises. For example, you might be better off doing a rear lunge rather than a sumo squat with your legs wide apart.
Along with Kegel exercises, which specifically target the muscles that play a part in bladder control, there are exercises that are good for pelvic health, such as the bridge pose and pelvic tilts.
Balance for several minutes
Improving your balance is important to avoid falls. Incorporate exercises into your routine, like the “drunk walk test”, where you walk along a straight line with one foot directly in front of the other.
Or spread out balancing exercise throughout the day when you have a spare moment. “Standing on one foot like a flamingo, then switching to the other foot, is really good for balance,” says Catherine. “And it’s a good one to do while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil! If you do it in the kitchen, you can grab the bench if you lose your balance.”
Alexa: ‘Keeping fit is my work now’
Apart from a couple of short-lived and half-hearted phases in which she tried swimming and gym workouts, Alexa didn’t do any physical activity.
“I knew that exercise was good for you,” says Alexa. “But I was busy with family and work, and I never enjoyed it, even when I was younger.”
Then in 2017, when she was 65, her life changed dramatically. She retired from her job as an academic and her husband died.
“I needed to fill my days to help with my loss and I thought I’d start going to the gym. It gave me something to do.”
After about a year, she joined the Never2old programme and enjoyed their various workouts. “They have a different class at 9.30 each morning – one day, it might be a balance class or there could be a circuit they’ve set up, or it might be tai chi or yoga. If I’m feeling energetic, afterwards I’ll go and potter around on a few gym machines.
“Now I go every day and I look at keeping fit as being my work now. It’s my priority.”
Those workouts have inspired her to do other types of exercise, including swimming, walking and cycling. One of the first big cycling trails she did was the Cook to Kupe coast-to-coast e-bike ride in Northland. “I was still in a grieving space after my husband died and thought I had to do something. I loved it – there’s nothing like being on a bike with the wind in your face. There was an 82-year-old woman in the group who was such an inspiration. I said to her, ‘I’m going to be like you.’”
Alexa says it took a little while to notice the benefits exercise brought, but now she feels healthier than she was 20 years ago. “I’m fitter, stronger and healthier mentally. It has really made a difference, without a shadow of a doubt.”
