showing a a healthy lifestyle over 50 is not promoted very often on the internet. so this series is very worthful.

This is great! All that bollocks about abs in ya 50’s! Normal people just wanna be fit til the end 👍🏻

Thank you for this series. At age 53 this is very timely advice for me. Great “food for thought”.

Thanks so much for this series! Sensible, concise, to the point… No wasted time. Wish there were more channels like this on YT!

I still work out as hard as I ever have at age 58. In fact I've added to my winter training regimen so I'm ready to hammer on my my bike come spring. For me it's not about maintaining healthy fitness, it's still about being as fit and fast as possible. And I am as fit as I have ever been as an elite athlete. Still waiting to hit the wall but it hasn't happened yet. Each year that passes motivates me even more.

I strength train in my home gym but recently have gotten into rucking. It's hiking with a weighted backpack. Great for core, back and legs. Thanks for another great video.

I so agree with the contents of this video. I used to do body building and was in the gym 6 days a week loved it, it’s very addictive one of my worries now. I have the added complication of ME and Pulmonary Sarcoidosis so loads of fatigue and inflammation. This year was a disaster first a death in the family then the other half’s terminal diagnosis so you can imaging plenty appointments and little cycling 5000+ miles a year to just + last year being at my fittest and rattling of many century road rides and a 200 mile turbo. I was fine for the first six months and still able to do a 60 mile off roader but come 8 month I was beginning to feel it a struggle to walk! I’m now back concentrating on the training program my old coach gave me to start building my strength and I was looking into yoga/palates with an instructor with experience of my issues. I’ve pretty much vowed I will never stop cycling again regardless I was off my feet due to my conditions once before it’s not going to happen again. I think it’s great that your doing this series exercise is contra indicated for one of my conditions yes prescribed for the other my experience is keep moving as much as you can and it will keep you right.

This being the year that I'm officially 'retired', has been a wake up call. I don't feel old, as I work my smallholding and build guest accommodation to bulk up my micro-pension. But I don't want to be like the bumbling oldies I see shopping in town, as my life's getting better each year. So I've rebuilt my mountain bike, dusted off my weighted jumpropes and am buying new 'barefoot' trail running shoes. I've also gone from 43 years veggie to mostly carnivore, fermented foods + zero sugars and grains, as I feel they're the best food choices to age with strength. Thankyou for inspiring us to not let go too easily.

Totally agree! I really started to notice after age 50, and started to hit the gym which I never used prior - just doing had been enough. After age 65 in particular I noticed leg strength (and balance) getting weaker. I hike more than bike (but started to really bike after my niece invited me to join her on a 100 mile mountain ride - started training as that was better than telling her sorry, too old! 🤣). Some things to add to your excellent list - I made a plywood box, 12 inches one way, 16 the other (30cm and 40 cm) and I put on some music and do box step ups. Many ways to do this, with and with out added weight. Do this without pushing off the bottom leg for best results, nice and controlled. Put the bike in a higher gear to make peddling harder and do hill repeats. Can do this running too - short sprints up very steep hills. Or just do short repeats up a very steep hill with a heavy backpack. That is just legs for hiking/riding, but need to strengthen the whole body.

I am going to watch every video. May improve my motivation for strength training. Not seen much anywhere about stressing your body to slow sarcopenia, just warnings about overdoing it 😒. I'm faster at running than I was 5 years ago following your type of training. Just getting back into mtb racing at 70+ years old. Life is fun 😄

Having watched a few videos in this series, I'm always stunned by the beauty of the landscape around you.

You are committing a lot of time and effort to your fitness. Well done you. Impressive.

In alignment with the running part, I have found that running provides pretty much training for the entire body. It's hard on the joints, so use soft ground if you can. Unliek x-country skiing or swimming, the impact builds more durable muscle. Runners are not as flexible as swimmers, so they need to work on suppleness, but swimmers do not have the gravity endurance that runners do. Running is hard. And it can hurt you, but it has a tremendous number of benefits.

Very good content. At 54, 3 years ago, I rediscovered the gym after a rotator cuff injury (I spent 20 years cycling, ocean paddling and trail running: “the outdoors are my gym, mate!”). Strength is now an integral part of my weekly routine as well as lots of mobility exercises (I’m now more flexible than when I was kickboxing in my 20s!). I tend to go hard and learned that at 57 my tendons need extra care, so I immediately change my routine as soon as the slightest join pain arise (elbows and shoulders are my achille’s heels). Cardio is still important but I train less often and most of all I listen to my body, if I feel that I need 2 days of rest on a given week, so be it.

Thanks for another fantastic video Simon. Strength training is so important. I've never been one to hit the gym - I'm so much happier being outdoors running and riding my bike each day-- but that said I try to work in it into my fitness plan three days a week, alternating weight training with Yoga or Pilates with are both also excellent ways to build and maintain muscle mass. Thanks once again for the great tips and excellent resources.

Thanks for another useful video. I'm a healthy, sporty 45-year-old, who is currently out of action with runners knee (depressing!). I would do yoga now and then, but it was inconsistent and obvously not enough. I've spent months training for a trail ultra, which is now down the pan, all because I didn't strength train. I'll be coming back stonger!

Im a cyclist and I also visit my gym too to use weights for stregth training . Im current trying to expand my cross training to include hiking, and kayaking

I also do a weights session 1-2 times per week but I go as heavy as I can (within safety limits) and do bench press, pulldowns, chin ups, etc. This works for me and I'm able to maintain muscle mass pretty well although at 64 there must be some decline from 30 years ago! After a while the body adapts to the training so it's important to continue to stress it to enable gains or even just maintain. As you know this is the principle of training, stress the body so next time it will be stronger.

Brilliant posts! Ive been following DOCTORS mcdougall, klapper, a whole host of healthy eating gurus.....I generally try and keep fit....Iam 69 had inflammatory issues in past, DOC prescribed pills excreta.....So i brought myself a boardman, hiking boots, wet gear and swimming googles😂......Was a smoker , a happy drinker and a jogger! Am 7years smoke free, alcohol cut back, jogging is minimal but enjoy hikes.....I really appreciate seeing these posts and the knowledge gained!

Wonderful series so far (I'm watching them in order). I've done a lot or research on the topic of fitness and longevity since retiring a couple years ago and came to much the same conclusions. Some small variations would be more protein emphasis, more strength training (3 days a week, heavier, hypertrophy and strength oriented), some high intensity interval training and varied sorts of cardio training. My preferred sport is motocross so injury prevention and full body endurance are priorities. Power-to-weight, body fat percent and VO2max are key metrics. Healthspan is the primary focus and is consistent with the requirements for motocross apart from the injury risk IMO.

I also ride and depending on time of year also go to a gym 2 or 3 times a week also to maintain. I want to ride when I am 80 and that I will do now realizing it only in 2.5 years. Then I am going to keep extending it in 5 year increments along with continuing with gym hopefully on the same frequency as now. Riding is easy on joints if one does not fall or get hit by cars as has also happened.

Two key requirements of slowing the ageing process is Developing our VO2 max and building muscle throughout the body. Everything I've read narrows it down to this. Sarcopenia (the natural deterioration of muscle as we age) is inevitable but we can do a lot to reduce the rate at which we lose muscle strength. Likewise developing how much oxygen we can get into our lungs in a minute (Vo2 max, ie, Volume of Oxygen). To develop both and we can at any age requires overloading our systems to increase their capabilities. Whether through progressive overload weight training or through intensity of cycling/running/rowing to increase heart/lungs. All adults will benefit and the younger you start the better. To this I would add workouts focusing on flexibility, especially, hips, knees and ankles. But all joints will benefit. I'm 55, been doing this for 40 years now. Won't ever stop.

Strength training over 60 is so hard due to degenerative spine issues we all encounter due to age. Have to be super careful with weights - I have moved more to the bands.. Squats?!? If you ever had a pulled groin - its with you for life and you have to be super careful. Swimming killed my shoulders and neck. On and on....

Excellent videos, thank you

Thanks for the great videos. I am doing the Atlas mountains race in February. Its my first ultra.

Strengh training has been my weakness, maybe after seeing your video, it will inspire me to use the weights I bought 7 years ago 😂 Many thanks!

A lot of cities and towns have a parks and recreation dept than have gyms. For the older citizens there's no charge.

This is great really thoughtful approach, I do quite a few different exercises but some of the same as the ones you do. I still ride tough enduro routes every week on my mountain bike as well as doing gravel I find I need to do more mobility type exercises so I can move about on the bike which I find is not as easy as it used to be and also because of various past injuries, then I work on the upper body / core strength as holding a line requires a lot of bike handling where you are literally wrestling the super wide handlebars whilst squatting. I probably only have a few more years of this type of riding before I go back to xc rides only but I will keep trying. The other area I find that has dropped off is how long I can put down full power I now go into the red earlier, and find repeated short bursts more draining but it what’s gets you over obstacles so I will definitely try to keep going. Anyway your videos have jogged me into getting slightly more disciplined so thank you. For variety you might enjoy a decent sized kettle bell, these are super versatile then when you crush some epic climb or descent you can roar “I am Sparta” 😂 across the glens, or you could go super authentic and get a big stone.

How old are you? I’m 70, been an active runner/cyclist/rock climber/mountaineer my whole life - and exult in the daily struggle to keep ticking over . I’ve just come across your channel, and love it.

Do you do any specific mobility work? I've started brushing my teeth standing on one leg, and try to put shoes on standing on one leg also

Did you say cycling? (LOL) Thanks for making these videos.

Keep soaring 🦅

My weekly goal is to ride 3 days and do 2 strength days. I use a local gym and mostly use dumbbells. 69 years old....70 in April. And yes, that freaks me out. At the end of the day training is the easy part. Nutrition is a bitch.

Im very much enjoying your videos. Im a 65 year old ex triathlete. I swim now(open water) some yoga(iyengar) weights 2x perweek. And no car! so lots of biking but just puttering around my home town here in Haarlem ,NL. Ive decided to get back into running, but easy going style.I have a history of calf muscle injuries , possibly related to facia restriction. Common to older ex runners and often called Mad Calf Disease. Id like to avoid any injuries as i build my running base, have you any expierience with this injury?

I agree with everything you say . Only thig is that the weights are not nearly heavy enough. Also it is better to train in a gym because training is a social thing.

I'll turn 65 in April, 2024. I follow a strength training program in the book "Barbell Prescription" by Sullivan. I highly recommend it. I believe strength training does require progressive loading. I can see limits to this with the exercises I saw in the video.

Some really useful info here. I know I need to start strength training, but as you've alluded to it, I hate it!

I wonder if wheeling 3 heavy barrow loads of wet leaves across my allotment site constitutes strength training. Working a half plot seems to provide alot of the flexibility one needs judging by my 88yr old plot neighbour. All the bending down weeding, stretched out sowing and cultivation must help, plus the nutrition of the vegetables 😂

running for proprioception. Very important while aging. 68 in three week ;)

If you have access to an indoor climbing wall you have the perfect environment to develop whole body strength and flexibility. It’s good fun too😂

Try with kettlebell

If you're looking for motivation for strength training, check out Chris Dorner's channel on youtube. Hundreds of videos and about 5 new ones each week covering also mobility and all free. The best fitness instructor around in my book, who nags you in the nicest way on your technique😂 cant reccommend her enough.

Just discovered your channel - excellent advice. I basically have followed the same regimen as yourself for over 40 years - except for the diet aspect - too much sugar. However, at age 77 from watching your videos it appears I am better shape than you. I have never taken supplement and have many family responsibilities which limits 100% dedication for any objective to perfection as many of the other videos on the same active aging subject obviously benefit. It must always be strongly emphasized when discussing age and health that pain and injury will occur no matter how much you try to avoid it. Sadly unless you are under the expert care of professional trainers and nutritionists you may never meet your objective of being a 70++ strong and heathy looking man. For me, so far so good, but Father Time is hard to fight. I will never give up, but I am human.

Just curious Simon, how young are you please?

Great analogy - hang glider sliding towards earth. The other one I like is exercise is like putting money in the bank- you get to take it out later. Also squaring the curve by Jeff Kovak -video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZqmUqrqdztybeJs.html time 54 minute spot. Probably the greatest health video ever made. IMO

❤

This 55 year old cyclist thanks you.

Don’t forget to eat your meat!