Fitness tips/resources for people who are not *that* into fitness?

July 20, 2020 7:43 AM

I’m a 52 year old man. When I look for fitness advice (especially around strength training) it seems like most of what I see is targeted to people who are more into fitness than I am- people who want to spend several hours a week at the gym lifting weights. I just want to figure out how to keep reasonably fit in ways that are effective, minimize injury, etc. I welcome and tips/advice/pointers/resources you might have, as well as knowing what's worked for you.

I’m at a stage in my life where time is more scarce than money. I don’t mind spending money on stuff, especially if it can save me time or make things easier for me.

I’d like to do this in a way that is evidence-based.

Also – if you think I’m framing the question wrong or want to challenge any of the assumptions in it, I’m very happy to hear that.


Thanks!!



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In case it's helpful, here's some info on where I'm at with all this:

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- I generally maintain a pretty healthy lifestyle. I eat pretty well, don’t drink much or smoke, get enough sleep, meditate a little. Last time I had a checkup all my indicators were good: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc, and my resting heart rate is in the low 50s.

- Since my mid-twenties or so, I’ve mostly always done some sort of regular exercise, doing borth cardio and some sort of strength training.

- My weight has fluctuated a lot over the years. At 6 feet tall, I’ve got up to 245 pounds, then down to 170 (through very careful “best practices” over a few years, tracking what I eat and exercise), and now am back at 210 (due all the stuff that makes long term weight loss hard, and maybe especially, parenthood). I’m very much on the fence about whether to try to lose weight again. Opinions seem to be very mixed about whether weight loss is possible/desirable.

- My goals are: I’d like to generally feel healthy and good and reasonably energetic most of the time(which I do). I’d like to sleep well, reduce risks of diseases. I’d like to minimize aches and pains and injuries.

- I do a fair amount or intense and moderate cardio: I work out regularly on a home elliptical, get around a lot by bike, and walk quite a bit (generally shooting for 10,000 steps a day as a minimum)

- I don’t love exercising. I can sort of tolerate it enough that I’m able to keep doing it. But most of the time it feels sort of like a chore. I can live with this, but it anyone had some magic recipe for increasing fun/motivation I’m all ears. I especially find strength training not-super-fun

- I have a lot of other commitments in my life, including a little kid. I used to have more time for exericse than I did a few years ago (which I suspect is one reason for the weight gain).

- I generally do all my formal working out at home, because this feels more time-effective. I use dumbells and a chinup bar for strength training, and try to focus on compound movements.

- My strength training varies quite a bit, and I suspect this is where I could use the most help.

- Depending on where my life is as: I can commit around 60 to 90 minutes a week to strength training. At times I’ve done more, but I’d rather not, especially now, as life is so busy.

- One thing I always wonder with strength training is: Everything I’ve read focuses on progressive overload – getting stronger each time you go in. I’m not sure I really need to do this. I might be okay to just maintain my strength, or even just slow is reduction as I age (And don’t even understand how it works: Like, if you work out for 25 years, do you keep getting stronger and stronger forever?)

- As I get older, I get more frequent and worse aches and pains, that occasionally get a little debilitating. I’d really like to do what I can to reduce this.

- I have not really worked with a trainer much/ever. I guess my worried about trainers are a) trainers will want me to be more into fitness than I am. b) Trainers will have a bunch of strong non-evidence-based opinions on what I should do. C) Working with a trainer will take a bunch of time.

posted by ManInSuit to Health & Fitness (19 answers total)

I don’t mind spending money on stuff

Well, I dropped by a re-opened sporting goods store yesterday to see if they had any dumbbells yet, and there were still none to be had. So it seems that that there may be little stuff to spend money on, as far as some kinds of home fitness supplies.
posted by thelonius at 8:01 AM on July 20, 2020

For strength training, see if there are any “super slow” trainers in your area. Very effective and only requires around 45 minutes a week.
posted by slkinsey at 8:05 AM on July 20, 2020

> Also – if you think I’m framing the question wrong or want to challenge any of the assumptions in it, I’m very happy to hear that.

You are already very active and probably pretty fit. You are not going to find anything other than novel exercise (run, swim, bike) to change what you're doing today, without becoming more focused on "fitness".

> I’d like to do this in a way that is evidence-based.

That means setting concrete fitness goals and measuring your progress. There is no other evidence. This is the kind of stuff trainers do, although you don't need a trainer to do it.

Consider the possibility that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing, and could continue to do it without changing a thing.
posted by grog at 8:06 AM on July 20, 2020 [8 favorites]

I'm definitely into the area of the spectrum that's "into" fitness, but mostly because I'm a very dedicated road cyclist. That said, pre-COVID, I was also in the YMCA 2x a week to lift to (a) support that discipline and (b) provide some additional upper body training to avoid being the middle-aged rider with flappy chicken arms.

Obviously, I'm not going to the gym anymore. I tried to buy dumbbells for a while, but it just wasn't possible (and would've been expensive), so my wife and I bought a TRX. She had experience with it from classes and some personal training sessions, and they're very well reviewed. My cycling coach was very pleased we got one, too.

They're small, easy to move around, and can be used on nearly any doorframe in your house (or, if you prefer, from a permanent mount point, or even a tree in your yard). The exercises you do with a TRX mimic a number of freeweight kinds of things, but they pretty much ALL come with a side order of significant core engagement, so you get a pretty good whole body workout. We're pleased with it.
posted by uberchet at 8:08 AM on July 20, 2020

From listening to my (?)75-year old yoga teacher the most important things are strength and flexibility.

Strength you get from any weight-bearing exercises so your current regime is probably a great start. A little weights routine that you do once or twice a week needn't be more than 10 minutes of convict-type exercises, or you could add light hand weights to your usual workout - 500ml water bottles are a good cheap solution to try at the start.

Flexibility sounds like it's already becoming an issue so I'd concentrate on that. Obviously I'm going to recommend yoga, and I would in particular recommend Iyengar because it's great for posture and alignment and if you can do your usual work outs in the right posture then it helps your flexibility as well.

Over time your muscles will get weaker so you won't be able to lift or do as much but maintaining strength and flexibility training should help you be fitter for longer.
posted by london explorer girl at 8:11 AM on July 20, 2020

Not specifically strength training, but the best habits I've developed for my 42-year-old self is cycling and yoga.
posted by gnutron at 8:16 AM on July 20, 2020

I was in kind of a similar place to you--not working toward any particular goal, mostly doing lots and lots of walking plus elliptical workouts--and I've started doing HIIT workouts with Emi Wong's videos on YouTube. She has a couple of 30-day workout plans that you can follow. The workouts require no equipment other than a yoga mat, and the fast pace plus the video with music keeps me from getting bored. Since I'm not working with a trainer, I find it helpful to use a mirror, or use my laptop camera as a mirror, so I can make sure my form is good.
posted by capricorn at 8:24 AM on July 20, 2020

Response by poster: I should say also: One concern I have is reducing risk of injury from exercise... I work with dumbbells from 30 lb up to 75 lb... I hurt my back yesterday doing dumbell squats (something that has not happened before), and am starting to question whether my unsupervised at-home workout might be something to reconsider.
posted by ManInSuit at 8:32 AM on July 20, 2020

Check out GMB.io. They're mostly about bodyweight/calisthenics, with some yoga and gymnastics mixed in. They do some strength stuff for sure, but the idea is that strength is complemented by balance, flexibility, agility, etc. They're also really good teachers, in that they realize that not everyone is able to do advanced stuff, so they provide progressions to work your way up to the advanced level. I've found that quite helpful.

The other bodyweight guy I'd recommend is Al Kavadlo, who has written a few different places. He's pretty intense, but there's a lightheartedness about him that you don't often get from guys who are that into fitness. He's more about doing pull-ups for fun rather than just #gainz.

From bodyweight, it's an easy next step into the aforementioned TRX, or into yoga.

Also agreeing with everyone about cycling. The fittest I've ever been was when my bike was my primary form of transportation. That's probably not an option for you with kids (it's not for me anymore, either), but the more I ride, the better I feel.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:35 AM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]

To make weight training more palatable, try breaking it up into smaller bits. If you do 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening most days, you're already at your 60-90 minute range without having to "do a strength training workout." E.g., set of pushups, set of pullups, set of squats, repeat. This can be after your cardio, but it doesn't have to be.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:53 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

IF you found the right situation, a personal trainer could be the right choice, because you:
are willing to spend some money on it
want to optimize safety and efficiency
have fairly clear goal of getting stronger, healthier (which should also include flexibility and balance)

My husband is around your age and has been going to a trainer for two years. He goes twice a week for one hour and he has never been more fit. He does that and jogs a mile 4-5 mornings a week, and that's that - he doesn't have to think about it. The trainer absolutely understood his goal of just being stronger and healthier. I think if it was more than a five minute drive away, however, it might feel like more of a chore. Also, because it is a small gym, they were able to keep it going during lockdown by emailing exercises and during reopening by staggering appts, etc.

So I think if you could find something like that - someone who had a studio very near or could maybe meet you in your local park, or your own yard, whatever - you can justify the expense as something that is going to keep you healthy and strong while helping you prevent injury, AND keep you from having to spend time and mental energy figuring out what to do, how to do it, etc.
posted by hiker U. at 9:40 AM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]

Is your kid of an age and temperament to be placed in one of those bike trailer attachments? Then you could get in some cardio and entertain the little one as well.

HIIT (high intensity interval training) sounds like it might suit your needs and requires minimal equipment. Lots of good tutorials on YouTube.
posted by ananci at 9:53 AM on July 20, 2020

reducing risk of injury from exercise.

Stretch!! Stretch!!! Stretch!! (says the guy who is pretty fit and got a serious exercise induced injury from jumping 10 inches into the air about 25 times. 24th time was good, number 25 required surgery. Now I do about 1.5 hours of stretching a day as physical therapy.)
posted by The_Vegetables at 10:03 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'm the kind of person who does fitness best when I show up and other people design the workout. I have found trainers who aren't as obsessed about maximizing a workout, so that might be a good option. I have to do strength training as well, with a family history of osteoporosis, but like you I'm not obsessed with continually pushing huge boundaries.

My current favourite app is the Centr app (Chris Hemsworth). It has a wide variety of exercises throughout the week including HIIT and foundational training which I find good for strength and injury prevention, good demos, lots of choice about whether you do self-guided or coached workouts, etc. It might be worth checking out the free trial. I've also used the Nike app in the past.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:08 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

I think you should find a personal trainer who will work with you once a week via Zoom. It doesn't have to be intense, and they won't force you to start bodybuilding or entering competitions or anything. They'll do a comprehensive assessment of your health, posture, injuries, risk, etc., and then work with the equipment you have at home to set you on the right track. You won't need to exercise more, just differently; and after a month or so of working with them, you can shift back to using what they taught you to exercise on your own.
posted by Merricat Blackwood at 10:23 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

So...I've got Thoughts on Beachbody that i won't go into here, and i want to be clear that i'm not trying to sell you anything. That said, one of the best workouts of my life was the Liift4 program. It's 4 days of working out per week. Longest session is about 40 minutes, and it's a mix of lifting and HIIT. If you are only interested in the strength piece and not the cardio, it will come in at about half that, which will fit your time demands. (Though some days mix in the HIIT as opposed to putting it at the end.) I am an overweight mother of an infant who'd much prefer sleeping instead of getting up to workout, yet i do, because the trainer is enjoyable, and i noticed serious changes with my body. To get it, you can sign up for the streaming service, which is $99 a year, but it has way more exercise programs than just the Liift. It's worthwhile to me, and i'm a cheapskate.

But the catch is Beachbody. If you Facebook, there's bound to be a friend or a friend of a friend who can hook you up. Or if you go on the site and order, i believe you get hooked up with a random coach. That coach will try to coach you, which is fine if you like the motivational talks. But they will also try to sell you the shakes, which are overpriced and need lots of additions to make them palatable (in my opinion) and the supplements. But believe me, the exercise programs work just fine on their own without the need for any expensive supplements.
posted by BlueBear at 10:45 AM on July 20, 2020

If you want things simple and effective and appropriate for your age, I think Dan John's "Lifetime Warrior Workouts" is a good place to start. It's a two page pdf based on "minimum equipment and simple concepts".
posted by rollick at 5:57 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

In your situation, with not a ton of time but some money, I’d find a great personal trainer to work with who will set you up with a plan and meet with you virtually sometimes, but not every time. You could do hours of research to find the right program and schedule and equipment, or you could offload that work to one of the many trainers who are now doing this work through phone, video calls, etc.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:30 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]

Check out pappastrong.com - I’ve recommended it a lot here recently but it’s really good!! 5$ a month a new videos every day, it’s really awesome and respectful of different abilities (and short/15 minutes per day) and you can but don’t need to do it everyday..
posted by mathiu at 3:56 AM on July 21, 2020