Fitness ideas for a middle aged man?

[OldroundmaninTx62]

I’m a mid 50’s straight male that checks in at 6’0” and weighs 240 lbs. I have let life control me instead of my controlling life and a decision has been made that it is time to make several changes. The first being the need to loose about 20-30 lbs. My business has me sitting behind a desk for most of the day and my lack of exercise has caused the proverbial spare tire in the mid section. My question for any of the fitness minded people out there is what are some of the most effective exercises that I can implement to get myself back on track in a 30 minute or so window first thing in the AM.

Pickleball

 

[Bossybats]

I am also in my 50s, have a mostly desk job. I dropped a quick 5-10 pounds by just cutting out soda! I also got a stand up desk set up so I can stand while at the computer, making small modifications helped me without even working out.

 

[MidKnight1378]

I’m 59 y/o, I swim and bicycle 5 days a week. I usually swim 1500 yards and ride 12-18 miles on my bike. To stay in shape I have to be very careful with my food intake, very low carb and limit my calories to about 1800 a day. I’m 6’5” and weigh about 220lbs.

 

[NormalMarriedWhiteGuy]

I too an 6 ft but I am 260. Just started with walks and light weighst at the gym. So far so good with weightwatchers but the toughest part fo me is alcohol. No I am not an alcoholic but I do like me beer and wine

 

[Wylie3]

I too an 6 ft but I am 260. Just started with walks and light weighst at the gym. So far so good with weightwatchers but the toughest part fo me is alcohol. No I am not an alcoholic but I do like me beer and wine

Intermittent fasting knocks the weight back without giving up the things you like even if you only do a 14/10 ratio of fast to eating.

 

[Rockymtnman]

Weight or resistance training, portion control and some cardio ( I prefer hitting the heavy bag to running) I’m 54 and played 60 minutes of rugby today with my 23 year old sons team so we could play together. Younger son comes home soon from college and all three of us are playing in a match this summer. Good luck! You can do it.

 

[KatieDoes]

I’m a mid 50’s straight male that checks in at 6’0” and weighs 240 lbs. I have let life control me instead of my controlling life and a decision has been made that it is time to make several changes. The first being the need to loose about 20-30 lbs. My business has me sitting behind a desk for most of the day and my lack of exercise has caused the proverbial spare tire in the mid section. My question for any of the fitness minded people out there is what are some of the most effective exercises that I can implement to get myself back on track in a 30 minute or so window first thing in the AM.

The best exercise is the one that you enjoy enough to do consistently.

Try different things. My answer won’t be your answer. Just try different active things, until you find one that you look forward to doing again and again.

 

[luvclassics]

I am also in my 50s, have a mostly desk job. I dropped a quick 5-10 pounds by just cutting out soda! I also got a stand up desk set up so I can stand while at the computer, making small modifications helped me without even working out.

I have cut out all soda and sweet tea and work out most days at least 30 minutes. I have managed to drop about 12 pounds so far

 

[luvclassics]

I too an 6 ft but I am 260. Just started with walks and light weighst at the gym. So far so good with weightwatchers but the toughest part fo me is alcohol. No I am not an alcoholic but I do like me beer and wine

I hear ya! I have only had 1 beer in the last two weeks. I work out doing regular exercises about 15 minutes and then walk and jog on a treadmill for about 30 minutes. I also have been more aware of the calories that are in the foods that I eat and even the portions that I consume. I have dropped about 12 pounds over the last month.

 

[sixsixnsexy]

Surprised I'm the only one suggesting this but CrossFit worked wonders for me. Started at 61 years, now 66, 5x per week. Amazing changes.

 

[Bossybats]

Surprised I'm the only one suggesting this but CrossFit worked wonders for me. Started at 61 years, now 66, 5x per week. Amazing changes.

CrossFit is great, till one does a move wrong and gets an injury. I know someone that still has back issues, after a back surgery from a CrossFit injury.

 

[daytr1pper]

Thanks, I have already started working on my food intake.

That's great.

I'm in your age range. A little over a year ago I found myself the heaviest I've ever been in my life. Went for my yearly physical. My blood pressure was high. Doc wanted to prescribe me meds.
I told him I'd prefer to treat the cause (I'm fat) over the symptoms (high blood pressure) and to give me an opportunity.
I asked him to refer me to a dietician.

When I was a kid, fat was the bogeyman. Now it would seem sugar is the bogeyman.

I started watching carbs. I didn't eliminate them (keto), but just started realizing I don't need soda every day or a whole bag of oreos.

I had been listening already to a podcast - Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World - and he had one called "The Mystery of Weight Loss". He was once a BIG dude. Now he's a skinny guy.
For him what it boiled down to was calories.

Around the same time frame I met a woman that is a diabetic. She makes a batch of cookies every Sunday and eats two a night.

So changes I made:
1) Eliminated one meal. I was already a 'late' breakfast eater. Jimmy Akin's eats one meal a day. He got there by every couple of days, delaying the first meal by an hour. Your body gets used to "I'm not eating til X" and learns not to tell you your hungry at 8am. So now I don't eat before noon. I still eat lunch and dinner.
2) Eat better carbs. I used to eat whole wheat bread. Healthy, right? Well now I eat a bread with more protein in it. I'm not full keto or anything. Just the bread I use for lunch sandwiches either has a little less carbs (due to the protein) or more fiber (which "offsets" carbs). I used to drink 1 soda a day. Now it'll be a treat - maybe once a week.
3) Eat only two cookies. If I sat down at night with a container of Oreos, I'd eat them until I was full. Now I limit myself to 2. Knowing I'm only going to have 2 is surprisingly enough. I know that's all I'm going to eat so appreciate them and don't eat more.

I didn't lose weight as quickly as one would on keto. But at my next physical (1 year later), I had gone down 37 lbs. And had good blood pressure.

And none of that was 'extreme' on my part. I wasn't counting calories or carbs. Just making minor changes to my food habits.

Good luck!

 

[FL30]

I’m a mid 50’s straight male that checks in at 6’0” and weighs 240 lbs. I have let life control me instead of my controlling life and a decision has been made that it is time to make several changes. The first being the need to loose about 20-30 lbs. My business has me sitting behind a desk for most of the day and my lack of exercise has caused the proverbial spare tire in the mid section. My question for any of the fitness minded people out there is what are some of the most effective exercises that I can implement to get myself back on track in a 30 minute or so window first thing in the AM.

Go visit a couple of gyms and while you're there ask to speak with a trainer and ask them your questions. They'll probably have a bunch of suggestions and possibly even show you a couple of exercises while you're there.

 

[pezzheaddazzler]

I'm M 68 bad back and 2 replaced knees I got into Aquarobics at the Y in the deep end of the pool with a aquajogger belt puts traction on my back, no impact and its helping me the workout can be as easy or hard as you want using the water for resistance.

 

[KentLondon]

I’m a mid 50’s straight male that checks in at 6’0” and weighs 240 lbs. I have let life control me instead of my controlling life and a decision has been made that it is time to make several changes. The first being the need to loose about 20-30 lbs. My business has me sitting behind a desk for most of the day and my lack of exercise has caused the proverbial spare tire in the mid section. My question for any of the fitness minded people out there is what are some of the most effective exercises that I can implement to get myself back on track in a 30 minute or so window first thing in the AM.

Hi. I am living proof that a lifetime involved in sports does not make one immune from putting on weight.
Sitting in front of a screen is the ultimate sedentary lifestyle. It's also easy to fix if you take regular screen breaks and go for a walk round the block every two hours.
You don't say if you have played any sports or not. I played racquet sports and soccer at a competitive level and now enjoy playing pickleball two or three times a week. With an underarm serve it's so easy to learn, it's loads of fun and you will quickly make friends whatever level you play at. The fun and the social buzz will keep you coming back for more, but try not to drink too many beers after playing or the weight loss aims will go out the window!
I coached for 30 years so please feel free to ping me a message if you would like some more specific advice.
Good luck on your journey!

 

[hulmule]

I use the gym 3 days a week. Problems my old body just feels sore from it but ive stayed with it. Mid 60's and not really seeing any results yet but i know its good me. Problem i pull a muscle .So im going easy but still going. I'm active so i dont want to spend my day exercising. Need to get more stretching time in. So stiff sometimes. But im sticking to it and hopefully it pays off.

 

[luvclassics]

Keep working at it. For the past month I have working out 5 to 6 days a week about an hour a day and I am down around 15 pounds. I also watch what food I eat as well as how much food I eat. It is a long journey but worth it in the end. It is so much easier to pack the pounds on than take them off.

 

[Gengen0806]

Give these exercises a shot:
1. Blast fat with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
2. Build strength with bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and lunges.
3. Get your heart pumping with jumping jacks or skipping rope for cardio.
4. Strengthen your core with planks.
Also they are good with fasting which info u can read here https://betterme.world/articles/48-hour-fast/. U got it!

 

[EdwardsOtherSide]

Start a log book.
What you measure will improve.

Don't obsess on weight, but track measurements every week or two (waist & chest will tell the story).

Over 40, consider talking to a physical therapist BEFORE you are limping/have a shoulder injury.

Over 50, be careful with CrossFit and military fitness plans; they are built around 20-something recovery and limitations. It is faster to progress slowly than to hurt yourself, recover, and start over.

If you can motivate yourself, a clear bit of floor (think toes to fingertips extended overhead by fingertip to fingertip with your arms spread wide, 6 ft by 7.5 ft or so for me), a chin-up bar, and a jump rope is all you really need. A rucksack & 20 lbs of bricks, a place to walk, a swimming pool will give you a lot more variety (not at the same time; 20 lbs of bricks and a swimming pool is a foolish combination) .

Julia Reppel's mobility workouts have done wonders for fixing what decades of military fitness & lifestyle have done to my back.

Darebee is an excellent (and free) resource.

(Me? I am in my late 50s and retired from the military. I swore I would never run again once I retired, but am determined to avoid doing the Michelin Man impression that many of my peers have. Cardio day (walk or swim), mobility/range of motion day, strength day (chin-ups, push ups, core), mobility/range of motion day is my basic cycle. Sometimes I will substitute one of Julia Reppel's kettlebell/dumbell routines for the strength day.)

 

[IARainman]

I know it sounds odd but walking is much better fat burner than anything. Your heart rate about 60% of max for your age.

If you get your intensity too high, your body switches from burning fat to burning glycogen. Sure if you burn enough total calories you’re going to burn some fat too and more to the point not put on excess fat because the sugars you consume will go to replenishing glycogen rather than being stored as fat.

At my highest, last September ( I’m 6’1”) I was 288, with 110 pounds of fat. As of this morning I’m 227 with 61 pounds fat (mostly since late February when I got serious). I did it by:

Cutting junk sugar
Cutting pop (even diet) back
Drinking more water
Avoiding excessively big meals
I rarely have breakfast unless it’s a small protein rich snack after a morning workout
Lunch is hi in vegetable and a little fruit
I primarily walk, though I’ve started running 2-3 times a week for better cardio health- I walk/run at least 4 mi a day and try to burn at least 800 active calories.

I want to lose another 20 pounds and I need to do more strength training now, that’s my next step.

Trying to build sustainable habits, both in diet and exercise.

Oh, and I’m 61 yo male

 

[davion2308]

Hi,

I'm 42, in great shape, I run wellness centers professionally-speaking, and I love this kind of discussion.

There are two things you can do to lose weight: Move your body more and monitor what you eat. We'll call it "nutrition" and not "diet."

What I suggest is this: Write down everything you eat or drink the next week. Literally everything. If you have a snack, write it down. Keep track of how much coffee or soda or beer or whatever you're drinking. Track everything. Half of this is just being aware of what's actually going into your stomach. From there, you can think about changes but you'll be surprised when you track all the things with how much is happening.

That and start moving. Get up for five minutes every hour. Just stand up. Move a bit, move your body. Make it habit to get up and not stay seated. Five minutes every hour.

Do those two things for two weeks and we'll take next steps. One thing at a time (two because you're doing one thing for two separate processes). Once you get into the habit of tracking food and being mindful to stand up, let me know. I'll take a DM and help more.

 

[AlexBailey]

What a drag it is getting old.

I’be been athletic and physically active most of my life, able to eat whatever without weight issues all the way into my late forties. Suddenly the pounds started accumulating with no notable difference in my activity or intake.

I don’t like fasting so I looked for different diets and tried keto for a while. To make a long diet story short I found the key for my weight management is lowering sugar and wheat intake. One of the best things to me about different diets was broadening my cooking style. I can cook a great meal for anyone now wherever their diet needs.

Now I find I need to work on fitness management more than before. Activities used to keep my body toned but now I find I need to do some intentional workouts- three time per week seems to do the trick while I’m healthy. I mostly rely on swimming and kayaking but when I can’t find time for that the gym works okay.

I recently had an extended flu and it wiped me out. I lost a lot of strength and energy and it’s been an uphill battle to get back to my regular form. Paying more attention is just the new norm.

 

[Tigersman]

Before my heart attack I had my weight down to 162 lbs. from a high of around 200 lbs. At 5'10" this was way too much. After my heart attack my weight went up to 175 lbs. overnight. Today my goal is to get my weight down to at least 155 lbs. maybe down to 150 lbs. Right now I'm at 165 lbs. I've cut my food portion size down and sweet content down.

 

[Inducker]

All great advice from those who have been there and got the t-shirt.

Getting into a habit is key, even if you don’t want to or it’s too hot, cold or raining, make a plan.

If you’re not a runner, just up the intensity of your everyday daily cardio - walking, stairs, hills, mowing the lawn, hoovering, anything.

I too think Julia Reppel's sessions are very good.

And Tim Robinson is the bees knees, look up originalstrength.

If you haven’t got info overload by now, the Five Tibetan Rites will make a difference to your body and mind.

Looking forward to hearing how you get on.

 

[simontie]

Fitness can be fun and rewarding at any age. I'd suggest a mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises for a middle-aged man. Start with something you enjoy, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. These are great for your heart and easy on the joints. Strength training is vital to maintaining muscle mass as you age. Try bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats, or use dumbbells. Don't forget about flexibility – yoga or stretching routines can help prevent injuries and keep you feeling limber.
Equally important is setting achievable goals and heeding your body's signals. Pushing yourself too hard can result in injuries, so it's crucial to pace yourself. Joining a gym or fitness class can help you stay motivated. Consider https://www.exercise.com/grow/best-gym-management-software/ if you need a tool to manage your workouts and monitor your progress.