It's never too late.

[turnturtle]

I was delighted to hear on the BBC news this week that scientists have been surprised to discover that taking up exercise for the first time in your sixties can have significant and lasting health benefits. Hooray! I am vindicated. I am not mad after all. I was just ahead of my time...

[Fitfor60 Graduate]

Fantastic

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Fitfor60]

Sorry Fitfor60, that should have read WE are ahead of our time!

[Fitfor60 Graduate]

Totally agree

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At last i can say to those (my wife, my grown up children) who thought i was crazy at 62 last year to start running that i was right.

[turnturtle Graduate]

Where we lead others follow. (Well, in reality, for me the reverse is true at present but just wait till this time next year )

[OldNed Graduate]

Yep, me too. Started at 61, graduated on my 62nd birthday. fast approaching 64 & still running. Yay!!

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to OldNed]

Maybe we should start a 'growing old disgracefully' splinter group and compare notes!

[OldNed Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

There are plenty of us!

[gingernut49 Graduate]

I started c25k in January at 63 and still run around 5k three times a week. I bought a fitbit zip in August which I wear all the time and have just clocked up 500 miles. Together with losing three stone on 5:2 I plan on living another healthy and fit 40 years plus!

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to gingernut49]

I just found this video savoringyoursixties.com/ins... which shows how we could be doing in 40 years plus. I love her!!!

[gingernut49 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Wow - that'll be us!

[turnturtle Graduate]

Me too Gingernut and that no longer seems such a daunting prospectI I think I am fitter- even though this morning's run (W8 R2) was slower than Run1 which really annoyed me. But my pulse returns to normal much quicker now, which is supposed to be the real test. Only four more runs to graduation. Then what?

[OldNed Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Start training for 10K, then Half marathon!!

[gingernut49 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

I alternate the three c25k+ podcasts on my three runs each week. I don't measure the statistics any longer and don't intend going for longer distances, but every Tuesday I run to the cinema, watch a film and then run home and that's a round trip of around 7k.

[turnturtle Graduate]

Of course! But why stop there?

[Pat184 Graduate]

I started at 73 June 2012 and graduated in the September, still out there not quite so much as hubby was with me all the way, unfortunately he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and the treatment has slowed him down somewhat but we are getting walks in. I think I am still the oldest to have graduated and still love reading the posts from newcomers and old timers alike. Pat

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Pat184]

That is fantastic Pat. You are an inspiration. I do hope you and your hubby get going again when his treatment finishes. It will be something really positive he can do himself for his health after having to rely on others for the past few months

Personally I would never have got this far without the programme as I was beginning to think of myself as over the hill and just didn't have enough faith to believe I could start running at my time of life . Now my confidence s growing with every run (even the bad ones) and I feel like a missionary for Cto5K among my creaking, hobbling, groaning friends!

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Well done and I hope your husband makes a full recovery and can enjoy running for a long time yet. You are an inspiration. I like the idea of a 'grow old disgracefully' group! Best wishes.

[Blenkinsop369 Graduate]

as a fellow sexagenarian I too was very pleased to see that it is not too late to start exercise and that the benefits are significant. I was aware that come the changes in the weather I could find reasons not to go out. So six weeks ago I joined a gym. Further advice gleened suggested that although I could manage the 30 mins of running I maybe causing problems with my joints as I'm significantly overweight. I've therefore changed the activity but none the less kept it up including use of rowing machine and cross trainer - and thrown in twice weekly swimming.