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

[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, 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/youn...re=allproducts

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

[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.

[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.

[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/mountainbik...riding-forever

[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.