How to start exercising in later life

If you don’t know how to start exercising, or it’s been a long time since you last worked out, it can feel an almost insurmountable hill to climb. But it doesn’t need to be. The trick is to build small, daily habits. Slowly – and there’s no rush – you can build on these habits.

For example, you could make it a habit to walk around the house whenever you’re on the phone rather than sitting still. You might decide to walk to the post office instead of driving.

Let's start at the beginning...

There are many ways to start or return to exercise, depending on your current activity level, and our expert, Eddy Diget, has some great advice.

Aged 78, Diget works as a personal trainer and rehab specialist at Pure Gym in Milton Keynes. A lifelong fitness lover, who has been working as a PT for more than 20 years, Diget has helped many people become fitter, healthier and stronger.

If you’re looking to get more active, here are his top tips.

1. Add more movement to daily life

“If you’re a person that has never trained before, my advice would be to start as gently as possible, as your body will not be used to exercise,” Diget recommends.

We all perform different patterns of movement every day. That might be walking around the house, getting in and out of the car, carrying shopping or digging the garden. Increasing your daily activity is one of the easiest ways of starting to move more.

Here are some ideas to try:

• Park a little further away from the supermarket.
• Get off the bus a stop earlier.
• Take the stairs instead of the lift.
• Set an alarm at home every hour to get you out of your chair to walk about.

As your daily movement increases, you will become ready to start gentle exercise too. “It’s worth keeping in mind that this will vary a lot from person to person, depending on medical problems or restrictions,” Diget advises.

“The key is to ensure the movement is easy enough for you to succeed, because if it’s too hard, it becomes a reason not to try.”

2. Try these easy at-home exercises

Lower back, shoulders and spine

1. Stand behind the chair with your arms outstretched in front of you, holding the top of the back of chair, with your feet slightly apart.
2. Try to lower your upper body forward by bending from the waist, so your head goes between arms, if that’s possible.
3. This will start to work mobility in your lower back, top of shoulders and spine.
4. Aim for 10 repetitions.

Chest, shoulders and upper back

1. Sitting on the chair again, sit holding the broom handle (or similar) across your thighs.
2. Lift your arms above your head, for approximately 10 repetitions, two times over (with a rest in between).

This will work the chest, shoulders and upper back, as well as most of the neck muscles.

“Along with walking, these simple exercises can be done in very little time each day, to help you get stronger in the safety of your home.”

3. Consider a step goal

A daily or weekly step goal can be a great way to start regular exercise. There are plenty of devices on the market that will count your steps, ranging from smart watches to relatively inexpensive step counters. Lots of phones will also count your steps – if you keep it on you while walking, of course.

A step goal can become a fun competition between family and friends, and they’re inspirational for a lot of people. You’ll suddenly find yourself doing laps of the living room just before bed so you can hit your target – with a little buzz of euphoria when you get there.

If you’d rather not have the pressure of a specific target, that’s OK too. As Diget explains:

“Any movement done while standing will improve blood flow to the heart, lungs and especially the extremities such as the legs.”

A lack of movement is why some people can get an ‘oedema’, meaning the swelling of feet. So doing any walking, be it around the garden or to the shops, will help to avoid this, ensure blood is circulating, and your muscles are being worked. Step goals vary depending on the person.

“I would always start with ensuring you are at the very least spending a part of your day moving.”

4. There are many ways to get active

Exercise builds confidence, and once it’s become a part of your daily lifestyle, you’ll want to explore more options. There are a wealth of cardio exercise and strength training options out there.

If you are new to exercise, consider getting started with walking, or perhaps starting running with the help of the Couch to 5k app.

Maybe swimming is something you did when you were younger and would like to do again. A gym membership offers a good choice of activities. Some gyms have a pool or added community activities such as football or badminton teams. Almost all offer a range of fitness classes and a fully equipped gym to use.

5. Always warm up and cool down

“You must educate the muscle before you train it,” Diget says.

“Therefore, with whatever exercise selected, the first few repetitions should be a warm-up of the muscle group being used, with little to no weight. If you’re new to exercise, you can injure yourself without a proper warm-up.”

You can also use a cardio machine, such as a treadmill or rower, to warm the whole body prior to starting specific exercises.

“A cool-down would follow the same approach, working the muscle groups with light movement,” says Diget.

6. Try some cardio exercises

Cardio can take many forms, from a run on a treadmill to joining a fitness or dance class. Variety keeps things interesting.

If exercise is new to you, take it at your own pace, rest when needed and ensure you stay well hydrated throughout your session.

If you don't fancy any of those, Diget suggests adding some weights to your workout to raise your heart rate.

• Use a light dumbbell (around 1kg, or 2lb 3oz). Hold it in one hand and while standing, lift the weight above your head then swing down across body to the inside of the opposing ankle.
• Do this on both sides, with 10 repetitions each, for two sets.
• With two weights in each hand (1kg, or 2lb 3oz, to begin with) while standing, move the weights forward in front of you so they’re level with your chest, and ‘dip’ by bending your knees, so the weights become parallel to your body in a squat-style position.
• Do this for 10 consecutive repetitions, for two sets.
• With a Slam Ball of about 3kg (6lb 10oz) in weight, stand with one foot on a stepper box, the ball resting on your thigh. The movement will be to swing the ball up and over your head while at same time stepping up on the box and keeping your feet still.
• As you step down from this upward movement, bend the same knee as the foot on the box and tap the ball on the box by your foot, and repeat.
• Do this for 10 reps on each side, for three sets. Doing this consecutively will be a real cardio burn!

7. Stay strong with strength training

“It is medically proven that any form of strength and resistance exercise helps with posture, reduces the likelihood of bones breaking, and staves off osteoporosis,” Diget says.

“It will also tighten supportive muscle groups in your body, increase heart function, and add endurance to muscle groups. Weight loss and more can also be attributed to strength training. There are so many physical and mental benefits.”

Strength training benefits your health and is a really important aspect of fitness as we age. If you’re already exercising but not doing any form of strength or resistance work, it’s worth adding some in.

Talk to gym staff or a personal trainer for more information on how to get started.

8. Gyms are welcoming older exercisers

A few years ago, lifting weights or being active in a gym as we get older would have been almost unheard of.

But most gyms now actively encourage older participants, with classes tailored for them and many community offerings such as cafes, quiz nights, parties, book clubs and other social events.

Diget’s own Pure Gym runs a specific ‘Over 50s Fitness Championships’ to celebrate older athletes. With cardio and weight-lifting events, it proves you’re never too old to try something new.

“It can be daunting for many people to walk into a gym for the first time, which is based on the fear of not knowing what to do, equipment you’ve never seen and the thought that everyone is looking at you,” Diget says.

“But what you’ll actually find is a community that are all aiming to get healthier, reach a goal, and help each other in doing so.

“You’ll find a lot of likeminded people at the gym. If you just want to go, workout and go home, you can do that.

“But if you’re open to meeting new people and making friends, you’ll find that all at a gym – and wonder why you didn’t join sooner.”