60+ minutes of exercise per day to maintain weight after age 50

[emily_in_nc]

This just in:

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/03/60-minutes-of-exercise-per-day-needed-for-middle-aged-women-to-maintain-weight/.

It makes sense and I believe it. I'm going to have to pick up the activity level as I've already gained a little weight since moving to Belize, where I haven't been as active as I was in the US for a variety of reasons (heat, humidity, boredom with the limited options available, no road cycling, no gym access, etc.) When I move back to the US next year I plan to rectify the situation.

It would be hard to get the hour daily for those working full-time or more than full-time, at least every single day.

Comments/discussion?

[OakLeaf]

Without reading the article :rolleyes:, most of these studies consider any activity to be "exercise." So medium to heavy housework, gardening, walking one's commute, etc., would all count toward the hour.

[SadieKate]

"The most active group of women spent the equivalent of 420 minutes a week (60 minutes a day) or more engaged in moderate-intensity physical activity."

I did read the article and the primary reported measurement was a total duration over a week which coincidentally could be achieved at 60 mins/day. Frankly, a blanket 60 mins a day seems weird since you need to vary your workout activities. 60 mins a day for me would be complete burnout but I easily out do 420 mins/week.

[Irulan]

No comment on what kind of diet these people eat? I"m fifty two and am maintaining weight just fine but then again I'm super mindful about not eating too much and not eating crap.( without 420/wk or 60/day)

[PamNY]

No comment on what kind of diet these people eat? I"m fifty two and am maintaining weight just fine but then again I'm super mindful about not eating too much and not eating crap.( without 420/wk or 60/day)

Agreed -- and I am 62.

[emily_in_nc]

They do say it needs to be moderate-level activity (brisk walking or more). My impression was housework would NOT be considered to be enough. Basically, this study debunks the earlier recommendations of 30 minutes 5x a week was enough to maintain weight without cutting calories. This study says, nope, that's not enough, at least for women 50+. They found that for people who got less than the equivalent of an hour a day of moderate exercise, calorie cutting was required to maintain BMI.

I do agree that the 60 minutes doesn't necessarily have to be *every* day, but I'd think that being a slug 6x a week and then blowing it out on one huge weekend event might not do it either.

When I was living in the US, I maintained my weight within a 2 lb. range for 10 years while working full-time, but I did get moderate to high physical activity for 60 minutes most days (gym + walks + running), plus 2-3 hours usually once a week (long bike ride with hills or long hilly hike). Now I'm getting a little less than that except when we travel and do a lot of hiking, and I've gained about 4 lbs. We live on a flat beach, and it's hard to get the intensity needed to burn the calories. Running does it, but between the heat and humidity, I've found it hard to keep up with that. I do yoga 2x a week for 90 minutes each time, but it's fairly low intensity overall.

I'm sure it's not true for every woman -- some are natural ectomorphs and can maintain on less activity; some may need more. This is also not talking about people who are trying to lose weight, just women of normal weight who are attempting to maintain at age 50+. For me it seems to be pretty accurate.

[jyyanks]

AACK- That's pretty depressing. While I'm not yet considered middle age, I can't imagine having the time to do 60 minutes a day. That may change when my child and job responsibilities decrease but for now, 30 minutes a day is what I aim for and I don't even know if you would consider what I do "moderate"!

[Crankin]

I find this to be true, in that I need to exercise 5-6 days a week. I might not do an hour on a couple of those days, but what I do on those days is intense, i.e. 40 minutes of riding, which includes 2 hills with +10% grades. I do an hour boot camp 2 days a week, ride 4 days a week during the season. Right now I am riding outside 2 days a week, doing some hiking and/or fitness walking in addition to boot camp. When the snow comes I replace the outdoor riding with snow shoeing, x country skiing, spin class or the trainer. I usually do some running, too. However, I need to take one full day off and do one day of easy stuff; a light walk or yoga.
I know I can never stop exercising. I've been working out 5-7 days a week since I was 25 years old and it's paid off, because at 59, I weigh about the same as I did in high school. When I did less, I gained weight. But, I do eat very clean compared to a lot of people. As the years go by, I can eat less and less carbs. While I do go out a lot, I generally try to stay somewhat healthy with the eating, even in restaurants.
There's no magic pill. It's hard work.

[Catrin]

I keep reading that, in the end, diet matters far more than exercise for weight loss...but of course we are talking about maintenance once we get to our target weight. If our diet isn't right then we can kill ourselves every day without receiving the full benefit, and they aren't presenting the full picture in such articles/study when they don't examine the diets of the participants.

As for me - I will never be able to stop exercising and eating very clean- and I am fine with that. It's paid off and I am not about to stop now - and the older I get the more important it will be to keep my body limber and flexible.

[shootingstar]

I'll be reading the article when I have time later today.

But for an initial response: For myself, 60 minutes in total in 1 day, nearly daily does manage my current healthy weight. When it's half the amount of exercise weekly and I don't cut back on calories, then I do gain weight.

So how can one do this: bike commute to work /groceries --at the very least for me. Plus add on at least 3-4 more hours of cycling on weekends.

Yea, if I really thought about the effort, it would be slightly discouraging....except we all love cycling don't we?

[tulip]

Eliminating white foods (pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, mostly) has really helped me, but I'm not 50 yet. Incorporating exercise into your day will help--not by driving to the gym for an hour, but by making the whole day active either by walking or cycling for transportation, also seems to help me maintain an even keel. I've drawn a 5-mile circle on a map with my house in the center. The idea is to ride my bike to destinations in that circle instead of driving my car. I'm not there yet, but I'm getting better.

[malkin]

I walk around (and run around, and jump around too sometimes) at work, and I believe that that helps. A couple years ago I wore a pedometer and I hit 10,000 steps every day that there were kids at school. It would be a different story if I had a sedentary job.

Then there are days or phases when I eat a bunch of crap and I just feel kind of lousy.

[shootingstar]

I wish that the study did not focus just on middle-aged folks... people in their late 20's onward aren't normally slim like they were as the norm, 30 years ago. Witness the cut and style of women's clothing now compared to back then.

Good habits start before hitting your late 40's and upward. While it's true that for many women in perimenopause and menopause, metabolism may slow down a tad without exercise and diet changes, it should be an alert for younger women who need to make changes now before mid-life.

[jobob]

Ever read the book Younger Next Year (or Younger Next Year for Women) ? Although the title is kind of off-putting (no, it's not about getting plastic surgery or looking like a kid again!), it has lots of very sound advice. The main message of this book is that people in their 50's and beyond really need to exercise 6 days a week for the rest of their lives, four days of which should be aerobic exercise. It's not about maintaining/losing weight, it's about maintaining muscle tone, balance, cognitive function and helping to slow down the inevitable biological decay that accompanies aging. Although the authors acknowledge that people who get off their butts and start exercising are apt to lose weight as well, especially if they also stop eating crap food.

I'm not going to delve into the hows & whys here. The book is available in some libraries, the Amazon site has a fairly lengthy preview of the book (http://www.amazon.com/dp/076114773X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb), and if you have a Kindle you could download a free sample. I recommend it, it's a good read IMHO.

[SadieKate]

Inquiring minds want to know why there is a men's and women's version. Which did you read?

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/younger-next-year-live-strong-fit-and-sexy--until----?keyword=younger+next+year+live+strong+fit+and+sexy--until+...&store=allproducts

Another inquiring mind question: What is the Serotta Solution? Spill the beans at least a little.

[emily_in_nc]

Ever read the book Younger Next Year (or Younger Next Year for Women) ? Although the title is kind of off-putting (no, it's not about getting plastic surgery or looking like a kid again!), it has lots of very sound advice. The main message of this book is that people in their 50's and beyond really need to exercise 6 days a week for the rest of their lives, four days of which should be aerobic exercise. It's not about maintaining/losing weight, it's about maintaining muscle tone, balance, cognitive function and helping to slow down the inevitable biological decay that accompanies aging. Although the authors acknowledge that people who get off their butts and start exercising are apt to lose weight as well, especially if they also stop eating crap food.

This is an AWESOME book! At one point at work, all of us 50+ women (I was 49 at the time) were reading and discussing it.

Why a men and women's version? Because we're different. I don't have my copy here, but I remember it talking about some issues specific to women, including menopause and metabolism.

I recommend it to everyone 50+ or getting close to that milestone birthday. It's very motivating as well. I need to re-read!

I didn't mention in my above post that I have gained four lbs. or thereabouts since moving to Belize and becoming car-free. That is certainly counter-intuitive, no? But as I realize, too much heat and humidity are not the most conducive to vigorous physical activity (the locals move sloooooow and I fly past them on my bike!) And there are other issues at play here as well -- since moving here my cycle has gone from once every 20-27 days to once every 45-90 days, so there is hormonal stuff, my diet has changed (carbier here since meat is expensive and fruit is plentiful), and living in flat terrain, it's hard to get the heart pounding as on our hillier walks, hikes, and bike rides back in NC. And I also retired from my job, so my entire lifestyle has changed 180 degrees.

[SadieKate]

Why a men and women's version? Because we're different. I don't have my copy here, but I remember it talking about some issues specific to women, including menopause and metabolism. Well, duh! ;)

However, I always feel like separate books indicate something was left out of one which means that a mixed-gender household has to buy both books when the vast majority of info is covered in both books. When I see this I tend to shy sway as it seems like a marketing ploy.

[tealtreak]

This is an AWESOME book! At one point at work, all of us 50+ women (I was 49 at the time) were reading and discussing it.

Why a men and women's version? Because we're different. I don't have my copy here, but I remember it talking about some issues specific to women, including menopause and metabolism.

I recommend it to everyone 50+ or getting close to that milestone birthday. It's very motivating as well. I need to re-read!

I didn't mention in my above post that I have gained four lbs. or thereabouts since moving to Belize and becoming car-free. That is certainly counter-intuitive, no? But as I realize, too much heat and humidity are not the most conducive to vigorous physical activity (the locals move sloooooow and I fly past them on my bike!) And there are other issues at play here as well -- since moving here my cycle has gone from once every 20-27 days to once every 45-90 days, so there is hormonal stuff, my diet has changed (carbier here since meat is expensive and fruit is plentiful), and living in flat terrain, it's hard to get the heart pounding as on our hillier walks, hikes, and bike rides back in NC. And I also retired from my job, so my entire lifestyle has changed 180 degrees.

This echoes my pet theory for over 50 fitness maintenance......intensity! My fav older mountain bikers all profess to the importance (along with strength training) of hitting it hard! The difference is more recovery (

http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/featured-stories/ned-overend-s-secrets-riding-forever

[jobob]

Inquiring minds want to know why there is a men's and women's version. Which did you read?

I read the original book. As for the differences between the original & the women's version, the original is directed somewhat towards men, and I imagine the women's version is directed more towards women -- perusing the table of contents & the forward in the preview of the women's version on the Amazon site confirms this. I tried to look up the preview on the Barnes & Noble site but you need an account to be able to view much of the preview.

As to why, I don't know. I suppose there might be some readers, be they male or female, for whom this might matter. It didn't matter to me.



Another inquiring mind question: What is the Serotta Solution? Spill the beans at least a little.

One of the authors became an avid cyclist post-retirement. He's trying to convey the notion that exercise need not be drudgery, and that one should try to find fun activities. Bear in mind this book is directed to a wide audience -- some of the suggestions in this book might seem pretty obvious to readers of this forum.

[SadieKate]

Ah, another old guy with lots of time to ride so they become fast old guys. Ah, some day. :p

[jobob]

Well, duh! ;)

However, I always feel like separate books indicate something was left out of one which means that a mixed-gender household has to buy both books when the vast majority of info is covered in both books. When I see this I tend to shy sway as it seems like a marketing ploy.

I think the basic information conveyed in the original book is worthwhile both for me and for my husband. I didn't feel the need to run out and buy the woman's book as well.

[SadieKate]

Thanks, ma'am. :)

[Crankin]

I remember reading this book when it came out and I was closer to 50 than 60. My take is most of the people who post regularly here don't need to read this book! It's common sense. However, what they said was excellent, but it's geared toward what I call the "normal" population. My "normal" friends, even those who do some exercise, would say flat out they they couldn't do 60 minutes a day.

[jobob]

I agree with you somewhat, but personally I still got a lot out of the book. Guess I'm a slow learner. Or I constantly need reminders of basic concepts :o :)

[jobob]

Ah, another old guy with lots of time to ride so they become fast old guys. Ah, some day. :p

Heh. He was pretty proud of how well he managed Ride the Rockies at age seventy-something. :)

[katluvr]

UGH! I'm not doing close to 60 minutes daily and fast approaching 50....so that much be my problem! (As I lay in bed typing on lap top after a glass of wine!)

[solobiker]

UGH! I'm not doing close to 60 minutes daily and fast approaching 50....so that much be my problem! (As I lay in bed typing on lap top after a glass of wine!)

Thanks for the laugh..

[Irulan]

This is an AWESOME book! At one point at work, all of us 50+ women (I was 49 at the time) were reading and discussing it.

Why a men and women's version? Because we're different. I don't have my copy here, but I remember it talking about some issues specific to women, including menopause and metabolism.

I recommend it to everyone 50+ or getting close to that milestone birthday. It's very motivating as well. I need to re-read!

I didn't mention in my above post that I have gained four lbs. or thereabouts since moving to Belize and becoming car-free. That is certainly counter-intuitive, no? But as I realize, too much heat and humidity are not the most conducive to vigorous physical activity (the locals move sloooooow and I fly past them on my bike!) And there are other issues at play here as well -- since moving here my cycle has gone from once every 20-27 days to once every 45-90 days, so there is hormonal stuff, my diet has changed (carbier here since meat is expensive and fruit is plentiful), and living in flat terrain, it's hard to get the heart pounding as on our hillier walks, hikes, and bike rides back in NC. And I also retired from my job, so my entire lifestyle has changed 180 degrees.

Just curious, have you ever thought about how much of that is bloat and water retention from the heat and climate? Every time we go to the Caribbean, I gain at least 6 pounds and lose it back within ten days of getting home. I know its bloat because of how things fit.

[Crankin]

JoBob, you're not a slow learner. You do a lot more than me.
Hey, I am not giving up my wine, for anything. I'm fitter and thinner since I started drinking a glass of red wine everyday. See, I can justify anything.

[tealtreak]

Ah, another old guy with lots of time to ride so they become fast old guys. Ah, some day. :p

haha this is so funny to me- my college kids and friends were all complaining last night about how "unfair" haha that the "old guys" they race don't have to stay up till 3:00 doing thermo problems (:

[OakLeaf]

You know, I wonder how long it takes before one's metabolism resets itself.

I'm 3-4 years post menopause and spent a good part of the last six months flat on my back or belly with my injury. But I haven't gained any weight. Lost a lot of muscle mass obviously, lost a lot of cardio fitness, body composition isn't near what it ought to be, but if all they're looking at is the number on the scale, it hasn't happened to me (yet).

Glad I'm starting to be able to ramp up again before the weight gain starts. :rolleyes:

[emily_in_nc]

I agree with you somewhat, but personally I still got a lot out of the book. Guess I'm a slow learner. Or I constantly need reminders of basic concepts :o :)

I agree jobob -- I got a lot out of it too. It covers a lot more than just exercise, and was a great motivator in the exercise department. Because my DH wasn't really interested in it, I am glad I got the women's version just for me, but YMMV. :-)

[emily_in_nc]

Just curious, have you ever thought about how much of that is bloat and water retention from the heat and climate? Every time we go to the Caribbean, I gain at least 6 pounds and lose it back within ten days of getting home. I know its bloat because of how things fit.

I would love for that to be the case but don't think so. We spent 16 days in the US this summer and I didn't lose any weight. Course I was enjoying Greek yogurt, berries, wine, and a lot of other things we can't get here! But I can tell I am flabbier in the tummy and love handle area than when we got here, so I think the weight gain is really fat gain. When we arrived I didn't feel too chubby in a bikini, now I do.

I agree with teaktreak about intensity being key. That's mostly what I'm missing here with the heat and lack of hills, I think. The heat/humidity ma kes me lazy, I admit it. :o

[emily_in_nc]

You know, I wonder how long it takes before one's metabolism resets itself.

I'm 3-4 years post menopause and spent a good part of the last six months flat on my back or belly with my injury. But I haven't gained any weight. Lost a lot of muscle mass obviously, lost a lot of cardio fitness, body composition isn't near what it ought to be, but if all they're looking at is the number on the scale, it hasn't happened to me (yet).

Glad I'm starting to be able to ramp up again before the weight gain starts. :rolleyes:

I think it's different for everyone. I am not officially in menopause but peri-menopause. My weight gain began about a year ago as my cycles started getting longer between (2-3 months instead of less than a month). But my slower metabolism may well be due to less high-intensity exercise and dietary changes, as I mentioned above. Hormones may have an impact in my body composition changes, though; I know that is fairly common around menopause for many women (more weight carried around the waist and abdomen and less in the legs).

[shootingstar]

Nearly 5 yrs. ago, when I cut back drastically on my white rice and bread intake, it was not for weight management. It was to deal with my sugar crash feelings due to certain high glycemic foods and after getting a near diabetes 2 blood test reading (with 2 tests to make sure). However most likely by changing ....subconsciously this part of my diet probably has contributed to weight management. But it doesn't feel like "hardship" for me.

When I was in my mid-30's, it was obvious to me that weight gain just naturally came whenever wintery snow and ice resulted me in not cycling at all for at least 5 months. Toronto has more moisture in the air so snow remains slushy and icy on the pavement longer. During cycling season in those years of my life, I was cycling annually at least 25% more than what I've done annually in the past 2 yrs.

Whereas in Alberta, the winter air is drier, it is ALOT colder here but evaporation of melting snow and ice is faster. So I winter-cycle short distances at least on weekends or whenever pavement is dry. Then we get snow again.

So while I do attribute menopause as slowing down my metabolism somewhat, I know there are other factors. I think the key thing now, is that for same amount of weight I gained annually after winter, I have to work harder to get it off through exercise and ongoing mindful eating.

I'm still not good since I do snack on desserts with coffee several times per week. But in hindsight 85% of my diet now is food-wise healthy. I rarely eat deep fried foods simply because deep fried foods are not my preference in general. Probably because my childhood diet had very little deep fried foods. I have very little processed foods..except a small bag of chips once per month or less, but that's just been a unconscious evolution. I've never cared for soft drinks/pop. Never, not even as a child. I have canned soup maybe 2-3 times per year.

With the exception of desserts, how I eat is still fundamentally at home, is still what I ate as a child/teen growing up --minus the rice and bread. So, enormous proof that how influential good or bad childhood/teenage diets can be...even over 50 yrs. later for me. :)

It's just that I don't consistently eat lunch which is probably not good. Instead I have been eating more for breakfast in the past 8 years...meaning just more than just a glass of milk. But not into bacon, eggs etc. for brekkie at home unless we're at a hotel.

Because I start work early daily (7:30 am and it's an office job) and end earlier (4:00 pm), I now usually eat supper well before 7:00 pm which is better for my metabolism now.
All of these factors-- when I eat, what I eat and frequency/non frequency probably contribute to present situation, in addition to what exercise I do/don't do at various times of the year.

I noticed myself each time when we were in Hawai'i, I definitely was not motivated to do alot of cycling with the higher humidity and heat combined with more intense/brighter sun. and for past few decades, I definitely am not a beach baby lying out in the sun.

[Crankin]

Emily, I would also find it very hard to run, ride, etc. in the temperatures you experience. When I lived in AZ, I *never* dreamt of exercising outside, thus, I was a gym rat. I regret that I was so much in this habit, that I didn't use the cooler time of year (winter) to do more outdoor activity, because it took me a long time to become an outdoor person. I had lived in MA 10 years before I started cycling, although I had made a small (and I mean small) attempt at cross country skiing starting in 1991; fully dressed in layers of cotton :eek:, I may add! I also missed out on exploring some of the beautiful natural terrain near where I lived in AZ. Almost 2 years ago, DH and I went to AZ for his mom's memorial celebration. We did some hiking in a county park that I had never been to. Sure, it was not super close to where I lived, but still, only a 40 minute drive. I sincerely regretted this, but I just never would have braved the elements.
I think intensity is the key, too. I spent about 2 years in my mid forties burned out on the gym, doing less and less each time I went there, and gaining some perimenopausal weight (15-20 lbs.). When I started cycling at age 48, the weight started falling off, without too much of a change in my diet. I wasn't eating horribly, but I am much more "clean," now. Like ShootingStar, I have pretty much eliminated white breads and rice, except on very rare occasions. In fact, I try to even avoid all grains during the week. I don't think i could ever go totally Paleo, but adapting some those eating habits and adding in boot camp (strength and balance) has gone a long way in helping me maintain my weight and fitness. I haven't eaten junk food or lots of sweets in years, so that's not a problem for me. If I have dessert once in awhile, I enjoy it and get back on track.

[shootingstar]

I guess my biggest comment to any women who won't be approaching perimenopause until a few years/decades later is:

It's great there is alot of info. more than ever for women about perimenopause and menopause, whole books and talk/concern. But it is nothing to be fearful/overly concerned.

However it important to have a healthy attitude towards it all and that having/changing to healthy habits and exercise now, not to be forced to change in perimenopause/menopause (when there may be other things going in life), will make the whole business of weight management abit easier later as one ages. This preventive approach then becomes so embedded in one's daily ife that one doesn't think about it all the time. You just do it, practice it, like brushing your teeth or taking out the garbage (is that good analogy??). Because if you don't do either of these things, you know you will physically not feel great eventually.

[Melalvai]

I have an opinion, which I will entirely fail to support by offering any facts, that one's activity level BEFORE age 50 may have as much to do with fitness as your activity level AFTER age 50. If you are already exercising 420 min/week, it'll be easier not to drop to a poor fitness level if/when age-related metabolic changes kick in.

By the way a bunch of people around here are doing one mile a day Thanksgiving through Christmas. It was a suggestion in Runner's World, the idea being that if you go out for a mile, you're likely to go further, and even if you don't, it's still a mile. Depending on their fitness level some of them are doing a mile walk, or 10 min walk, or 10 min run, etc. But it's daily, whatever you choose.

[malkin]

It was a suggestion in Runner's World, the idea being that if you go out for a mile, you're likely to go further, and even if you don't, it's still a mile.

In for a dime, in for a dollar.
I do the same with practicing piano. If I sit down at all, I know I will do more than just a little.
(Of course it usually works the same way with drinking beer too.)

[jobob]

By the way a bunch of people around here are doing one mile a day Thanksgiving through Christmas. It was a suggestion in Runner's World, the idea being that if you go out for a mile, you're likely to go further, and even if you don't, it's still a mile. Depending on their fitness level some of them are doing a mile walk, or 10 min walk, or 10 min run, etc. But it's daily, whatever you choose.

That's kind of what DH and I are doing now, although not quite so deliberately.

We both drifted away from cycling, and the pounds were coming back on at an astonishing rate :o so a couple of weeks ago we started walking. We're very fortunate to live w/in 1/4 mile or so of the Alameda Creek Trail, a very nice MUT that leads to Coyote Hills Parks by the SF Bay with lots of flat & hilly trails, so we have a great resource literally in our backyard. And there are lots of other great hiking trails within a very short drive that we're starting to discover after having lived out here for, oh, a couple of decades ... :rolleyes:

So we're trying something new. We've been heading out together for 3-6 mile walks roughly every other day, and I'm really enjoying getting to know places that I used to zoom by (heh heh) on my bike, and tromping up steep dirt trails that I was never inclined to ride up & enjoying the lovely views when I get up there. We've been doing this together because DH and I have both needed to get moving, although I have no qualms about heading out on my own on the days he wants to ride his bike instead.

Meanwhile my bikes glare at me ... I reassure them that this is just a break, I'll start cycling again sooner or later ... maybe.

Anyhow, I like that idea of committing to doing (in my case, walking) at least a mile a day every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Melalvai. It's an attainable goal and would motivate me to get me off my butt. So thanks for that!

[jobob]

If I sit down at all, I know I will do more than just a little.
(Of course it usually works the same way with drinking beer too.)

:cool:

[Slowspoke]

Ugh, it's pitch dark, my husband is snoring in front of the fire and here I am reading at the computer. Meanwhile my bike is in the basement, shackled to a trainer and beckoning for my company. I could shut teh basement door and snooze or walk down those steps. Stay tuned! 60 minutes a day sounds crazy to me right now! LOL

[emily_in_nc]

Ugh, it's pitch dark, my husband is snoring in front of the fire and here I am reading at the computer. Meanwhile my bike is in the basement, shackled to a trainer and beckoning for my company. I could shut teh basement door and snooze or walk down those steps. Stay tuned! 60 minutes a day sounds crazy to me right now! LOL

60 minutes on a trainer is pretty much purgatory, I think. I think the longest I ever managed was around 52 minutes, and that was hard.

One thing that was so nice about the neighborhood my DH and I lived in before moving down here is that there were street lights, sidewalks, and hills. Even in the dark of winter, we could take our dog out for a long and hilly walk after dinnertime and get a good workout in.

[Veronica]

60 minutes on a trainer is pretty much purgatory, I think. I think the longest I ever managed was around 52 minutes, and that was hard.



Spinervals and good background music make it more bearable for me. I did a three hour video - once - when I was training for double centuries. And I've done a 2.5 hour combination of two videos. :D I actually kinda like doing a hard 45 - 60 minute video on the trainer. Yeah, I'm weird.

Veronica

[Selkie]

Agree w/Veronica about Spinervals and music making it more bearable. Unfortunately, some of my favorite Spinervals are the older ones that don't offer the "music off" selection so I can't listen to my own music. I've done Tough Love (3 hrs) straight through multiple times out of mule-headedness, and once, was able to knock out the 5 hour Hardcore 100. Once was enough for that one. ;-) I've now started mixing other workouts with my Spinervals and swimming, i.e., Ilaria Montaganani's Powerstrike/Athletica DVDs and recently, getting back into step workout DVDs. I've found that it's easy for my quads/glutes in my lazy leg to let the left leg carry the workload while cycling, but weight bearing exercising, particularly stepping, makes it more difficult for the right leg/glutes to let the stronger side do most of the work. Plus, I have always loved step workouts and Powerstrike. Variety is the key, as is doing what you enjoy.
Months away from turning 50, I find that I need a lot more recovery time after a hard workout. Saturday and Sunday naps are becoming the highlight of my week. :)

[OakLeaf]

It's been a long time, but I always thought it was easier to spend time on rollers than on a trainer. At least a little bit of your mind has to stay engaged keeping you centered. A lot of LBSs and bike clubs have winter group trainer sessions. Always more fun with company.


I also finally read the article and found that it doesn't define "moderate intensity" physical activity. The original study apparently is in next week's print edition of the JAMA, not online yet, and who knows if it's free anyway (I don't subscribe). But the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/measuring/index.html) gives the following examples of "moderate" physical activity:

Walking briskly (3 miles per hour or faster, but not race-walking)
Water aerobics
Bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour
Tennis (doubles)
Ballroom dancing
General gardening

So I still think that a lot of ADLs rise to the intensity level they're calling for. "General gardening" is the only one they mention, but the way I do it anyway :p the "moderate to heavy housework" I mentioned is at least as intense as "general gardening" - sure it's harder pushing a rear tine tiller than a carpet shampooer, just for instance, but most people shampoo a much larger area than they till, and do it more often as well; as far as the lightest activities in the categories, dusting is at least done standing and picking up objects, while weeding is practically a seated meditation.

[malkin]

... weeding is practically a seated meditation.

Maybe for the civilized part of the yard, but out in my wild back yard, weeding can be more like MMA or cage wrestling.

"Heavy housework" must mean moving furniture and dragging the vacuum cleaner up the stairs.

[OakLeaf]

Yeah, whatev', but the couple of activities we all do, walking a 20-minute pace or cruising/coasting <10 mph on a bicycle (I'm assuming they mean flat pavement or they'd have said so) - none of that raises our HRs over about 90 bpm (50% of max, 180% of resting), right? So wear a HRM doing your ADLs. I'm thinking the only people who aren't getting that much activity either are the kind of people who get home from their desk job and collapse in front of the TV for the rest of the night ... or the ones who are injured/sick/disabled and really would like to be doing more if they could.

[goldfinch]

I think the biking 10mph is misleading to us. That would be pretty speedy for my spouse and for my sister and would get their heart rates up about equivalent to a brisk walk. It also probably does not assume a lightweight road bike either.

[Crankin]

I agree, Goldfinch.
I can only take about 45 minutes on the trainer. Most of the Cyclo-Core programs I've done over the past 4 years are about that long. Of course, there's no video, just a list of the drills. I use my own music. A few are an hour. I also have a really good interval workout that is 30 minutes long, that I got, from all places, Runner's World magazine. That's my favorite. I sweat more than anything else and it's over with quickly. During the winter, I tend to do one trainer workout and one spin class a week. Any other aerobic stuff I do depends on my schedule and if there is snow for nordic skiing/snowshoeing. I feel as if I work as much in 45 minutes on the trainer than in an hour ride outside, maybe even more. I'm not doing drills outside, just riding up hills. Since, I maintain my weight this way, I think intensity trumps time for me. And i am working out 5-6 days a week.

[jobob]

I think the biking 10mph is misleading to us. That would be pretty speedy for my spouse and for my sister and would get their heart rates up about equivalent to a brisk walk. It also probably does not assume a lightweight road bike either.

Of course. Common sense has to come into play here, most of us here probably know what constitutes moderate activity for us as individuals, and what kind of activity is necessary to elevate our heart rates enough to be worthwhile. These guidelines are likely meant for sedentary people to give them some ideas.

[OakLeaf]

But I don't think walking 3 mph is misleading to any of us. Most of us do at least a little walking with people who are mostly sedentary, don't we? A 20-minute mile isn't a leisurely stroll, but it's not exactly brisk, either. It's just kind of a "normal" walking pace that most people would use to get from one place to another when they aren't in a particular hurry. And they aren't talking about how high we need to elevate our HRs to get cardio fitness. They're only talking about maintaining weight after menopause. And I maintain, as many other studies have found before, that a reasonable "suite" of ADLs is all one needs to do that.

[beccaB]

I'm having a challenge with the 5 pounds I gained since last Christmas, but I know I'm not always eating correctly. Just seems less forgiving since I turned 50.

[PamNY]

They're only talking about maintaining weight after menopause. And I maintain, as many other studies have found before, that a reasonable "suite" of ADLs is all one needs to do that.

I'm inclined to agree. I have very few friends who are overweight -- of course, they may have gained a bit after age 50; I haven't interrogated them. But most people I know don't look heavy at all to me.

I'm convinced that being largely car-free in NYC is the reason I haven't experienced (or seen much of) mid-life weight gain.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm having a challenge with the 5 pounds I gained since last Christmas, but I know I'm not always eating correctly. Just seems less forgiving since I turned 50.

Ditto. I used to be able to take off 4-5 lbs. with very little effort. Now I have to do a lot more involving both diet and exercise, not just skipping dessert for a few days!

[emily_in_nc]

I'm convinced that being largely car-free in NYC is the reason I haven't experienced (or seen much of) mid-life weight gain.

Very good point, Pam. My mom lived in Manhattan car-free from her early 40s to early 50s and kept the weight off fine. She walked all the time. Once she moved back to North Carolina and to a car-based, suburban lifestyle, the pounds started coming on rather quickly, and she's never been able to get them off -- she's 78 now. She also quit smoking around the same time, which was certainly part of it, but the change from an active lifestyle to a much more sedentary one was obviously a major factor.

[Crankin]

Well, almost everyone I've known since moving back to MA is a lot heavier. That's over 22 years, from ages late 30s to late 50s/60-ish. Of course, this doesn't count the people i know from riding, but I didn't know them in 1990. An astonishing number of them (particularly the men) have huge guts. And these people are super strong riders. Not so much the women. Funny, everyone i've reconnected with from my childhood is thin. And my friends in AZ, well, they are the same. The heavy ones are heavy and the thin ones are still thin.
I do believe that living in a city keeps you thin. Every vacation I've ever taken that involves a lot of city walking and a lot of eating has been a test of this factor. I never gain weight on these trips.

[shootingstar]

All my friends, except for 1 over the past 25-30 years, who are around the same age as I, either are healthy slim or if they've gained weight it's been under 5-10 lbs. with effort to do something about it over the years.

It's not that I choose friends like that..just life works out that way sometimes. Each woman has found something to help herself: walking, organized yoga/pilates classes, weights, cycling, volleyball and x-country skiing. More proof that it does require some mindful habits and healthy diet.

Note: I actually haven't engaged much in any of these physical activities with each friend...except maybe for walking which we end up talking/catching up on news. :) So I haven't selected friends initially based on a type of exercise....there's other things that hold our friendship together. We actually don't have time when we see each other, to undertake some sort of physical exercise together.

[Slowspoke]

Update. I did get down those stairs and on to the trainer. I listened to couch to 5k to do a little interval work. That seems to help. I need some spinervals I think. I can tell you right now, my attention span will not last a full hour on a trainer!!!

[goldfinch]

Very good point, Pam. My mom lived in Manhattan car-free from her early 40s to early 50s and kept the weight off fine. She walked all the time. Once she moved back to North Carolina and to a car-based, suburban lifestyle, the pounds started coming on rather quickly, and she's never been able to get them off -- she's 78 now. She also quit smoking around the same time, which was certainly part of it, but the change from an active lifestyle to a much more sedentary one was obviously a major factor.

I recently read that one of the strongest correlations between the growing obesity problem in the US is the decline in smoking. The two track each other far more accurately than things like the growth of the fast food industry, lack of exercise, or portion size track weight gain. I thought it was interesting.

[tulip]

I recently read that one of the strongest correlations between the growing obesity problem in the US is the decline in smoking. The two track each other far more accurately than things like the growth of the fast food industry, lack of exercise, or portion size track weight gain. I thought it was interesting.

Curious; I'm not in agreement, though. I get that when you stop smoking, you gain weight. But I would bet that the obesity problem is not with people who quit smoking. It's the kids and people who never smoked who are obese. I would think it has plenty to do with cable TV, video games, and computers. And kids getting shuttled everywhere and not riding bikes and walking to school anymore.

[OakLeaf]

I wonder how far they took the correlation back. Is it just a myth that very few women smoked until after WWII? Because if not, then perhaps smoking delayed epidemic obesity, rather than quitting smoking caused it.

And come to think of it, I surely knew a lot of girls my own age who took up smoking to control their weight. So they started with the weight issues as pre-teens, before they started smoking. Again, a recent phenomenon.

[jobob]

A data point (a bit OT, admittedly): LeeBob was quite the skinny guy when I married him, and he stayed that way for several years. Then he quit his 3 pack a day habit. Within a year or so he was reaching tub-o-lard proportions. Sometime after that, he bought his first bike. :)

[Melalvai]

Exercise after 50, but not too much! "New Studies on Older Endurance Athletes Suggest the Fittest Reap Few Health Benefits (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323330604578145462264024472.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_sports)"
No worries about me ever running faster than 8 mph! Or more than 25 miles per week!

[emily_in_nc]

Exercise after 50, but not too much! "New Studies on Older Endurance Athletes Suggest the Fittest Reap Few Health Benefits (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323330604578145462264024472.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_sports)"
No worries about me ever running faster than 8 mph! Or more than 25 miles per week!

Nice...I certainly have nothing to worry about then, either! :D Thanks for posting the link.

[OakLeaf]

Meh. I read that. Just one of those things like Mark Twain's quote about how he got his exercise acting as pallbearers for his friends who exercised. Some people have nothing better to do than to offer "proof" that healthy behavior really isn't.

If you couldn't tell the story was idiotic from the outset, that absolute citation of a 7:30 mile cements it. That's quite a bit quicker than my PR 5K pace, enough to win AG in most of the 5Ks I compete in. I might be able to sustain 7:30 for a one-mile race ... but I've never tried it, and I certainly can't do mile repeats that fast in training. Now, I know plenty of women my age who *are* that fast, but for a 50-something woman, it's hardly an easy jog. For a 70-something woman, it's probably national level pace.

So, we're probably all safe. After all, look what happened to Paula Radcliffe! Painful surgery! Missing the Olympics three times! It could happen to you! :eek: :eek:


ETA: Runners World takes it apart: http://www.runnersworld.com/health/too-much-running-myth-rises-again