Keeping fit for older persons

[AlMorr]

I am 71 years of age, I don't consider myself as 'old' I think of myself as ' young at heart'.

I have lived a healthy lifestyle up to now, I like cycling, mainly in the summer months and go walks all year round, the walks during the winter months are longer than the summer ones. I also exercise at home, yoga I like as well, I plank regularly, my 'record' is 6 minutes doing the elbow plank and 5 minutes doing the full extended plank, however, I do a 3 minute one every morning, later I vary between doing 100 press ups doing 10 reps with, a minute rest and so on until I complete a hundred, that's two times a week.

Other days I do 100 sit-ups, this time its 15 with a two-minute break until 100 is reached, I also have two kettle weighs (5klos) not too heavy but I exercise with them as well.

I sort of regret having never done any serious running like doing 5k, 10k, half or full marathon runs at any time, I took up cycling instead. The trend nowadays is for many people to do those runs, I do watch them on TV and if there is a 10k near where I live a support the runners on the course.

[Cornet-Carolyn Graduate]

What an inspiring post. I'm 56 but until starting c25k never done anything energetic only a bit of walking. Total respect for you!

[Hidden]

I'm not surprised you don't consider yourself old, you're clearly not!!

[Dpsl Graduate]

You are so awesomely fit, I don't see why you can't do some running as well. (You don't mention doing the C25K programme, so forgive my assuming you aren't.) You certainly should be able to build up to running for 30 minutes and, with regular running, on to doing 5k. Go for it!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to Dpsl]

7th July 2018. Update to you Dpsi, I have just come across this post which I posted last September (2017). No, I was not participating in the C25K program back then, I started that after the very cold winter we had in the UK. First run was 18 April, I graduated with run 3 of week 9 exactly two months later on 18th June 2018.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

I thank all that replied to my first post here on 'HealthUnlocked'( only joined on Monday(18th September 2017), you are correct Dpsl in assuming that I am not doing the C25K programme, as far as running I certainly might try that, just the other day, on Sunday 17th September I was spectating at our local 10K run, I was speaking to some of the marshals officiating at that event, one of them, a year older than me who is 72 told me he had run 58 10Ks since he was 68, that made me bow my head in shame and I asked myself, yes perhaps I should start running as well, so who knows, I might try it soon. I'll try and build up to running for 30 minutes as you say, run for 2 minutes, walk for 2 minutes (interval training) and see how I get on.

PS Of course, I'll still keep my cycling, walking and inside exercise workouts just the same as I have been doing them.