How to maintain an exercise routine as you age
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Support for NPR and the following message come from our sponsor, Whole Foods Market. Find great everyday prices on responsibly farmed salmon, no antibiotics ever chicken breasts, organic strawberries, and more at Whole Foods Market. You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Hey, everybody. It's Marielle. I've had a realization lately that my body and our bodies, really, are going to change regularly. That's normal.

This starts on day one of the human experience, even for the traits that people think of as fixed. Have you ever seen a baby born with one eye color that morphs into something else? Our hair, our skin, our weight, our muscle mass, the way our voices sound, all of these things and more will change over our lifetimes. And that's okay. You're going to look and feel different at 20 than you did at 10, different at 50 than you did at 40, different at 80 than you did at 70.

And there's acceptance required here as we age. We need to do what our bodies are capable of in the given moment without shaming ourselves that, oh, I can't lift as heavy or run as fast as I used to. And something remarkable and beautiful is that it's never too late to see the benefits of movement.

Becca Georgry is a professor of physical therapy at the University of South Dakota. She studies active older adults, specifically adults who participate in the national senior games, so they'd be 50 or older. And she says our bodies never lose the ability to respond to the signals we send when we get moving. We can do these studies in young adults. We can do these studies in 80 and 90-year-olds. And still, we

We see changes every time. If we tell our bodies what we want, they will respond. She says if you're getting back into fitness and movement after a long time, you do want to take it slowly to avoid getting hurt. But just little bits and gradually increasing that activity, that signal to our body, just lifting a little bit more weight than usual.

than nothing, right? And then adding a little bit more to that once you adjust and that doesn't seem odd. Before you know it, you'll find yourself with greater fitness. And I think...

You know, that takes patience. And that's probably the hardest part is just to be patient. On this episode of Life Kit, we're going to talk about exercising as we age. All Things Considered co-host Juana Summers did an entire series about this topic. And she's also been thinking about how our bodies change over time and what it means to stay active as we get older. She will be your guide.

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A couple of years ago, my mom got sick. She had to have surgery and was out of work for a while with a pretty challenging recovery. She lives halfway across the country, and something started coming up in our phone calls. She'd tell me that she'd started going out with a longtime friend and taking walks in a park. She was working to get her body moving again.

Thankfully, she's doing a lot better now, but that experience got me thinking a lot about how our bodies change over time and what it looks like to get or stay active as we age. And it also got me started thinking about how my own body and my own relationship to fitness have changed over the years. Spoiler alert, they look way different at almost 40 than they did a decade or so ago.

For a long time, I thought fitness had to look a certain kind of way to be valid. I cycled through so many different gyms and workout classes trying to find my fit.

It took a while, but in my 30s, I started figuring out what kind of movement worked for my life and brought me joy. And I wanted to dig into all of that a little bit more. My first call was to our NPR colleague, Alison Aubrey. She's kind of an expert on healthy aging and has spent years covering the topic. I wanted to know more about what the science actually tells us.

If you're a person who is 50 or older, what does research say about how much and what kind of exercise you need? You know, what the research really shows, Juana, is that our bodies are meant to move. And the official recommendation is to aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity. So about, you know, half hour, five times a week.

Okay, let's break that down a little bit. What does that actually mean? Would something like walking count? Absolutely, walking counts. I mean, to get to moderate intensity, you really want to get that pace up. You want to sound a little winded when you speak. Higher intensity exercises, running, biking, can lead to higher levels of aerobic fitness or swimming. That's an option that's easy on the joints. And of course, weight training is important too. So the best exercise is the one you'll actually do.

Alison Aubrey gives us takeaway one. The best type of exercise is the exercise that you'll actually do. Now, this is one you've probably heard a lot if you're a loyal Life Kit listener, but stick with me for a minute. Let's talk about the best type of exercise.

Let's be honest, staying active can be a challenge as we age. We're juggling all kinds of priorities. Many of us are working in intense jobs or we have caretaking responsibilities. There's a time crunch. Plus, as people age, the risk for falling or getting injured increases.

But getting older doesn't have to mean moving less. Fitness can be a lifelong habit, from the functional to the fun. Here's Allison Aubrey again. You know, I think a big part of exercise comes down to building a habit. People who schedule workouts tend to do better. But of course, there are obstacles. I mean, life gets in the way, lack of time, transportation issues, work and caregiving responsibilities.

So I'd really encourage folks to check out online programs. Many communities offer low-cost or even free programs, but it's got to be fun. If you don't enjoy it, you probably won't do it. Speaking of fun...

At the Florida Senior Games outside of Tampa, nearly 600 players registered to compete in pickleball and for a chance to advance to the National Senior Games this summer. I took a trip there to check it out last year. I met Nick Gandy. He's sports information manager for the Florida Senior Games, and he's been involved with the competition for 25 years. It's really an interesting community of 50 and over people.

The stories that I like to hear are the athletes who competed in their younger days and they

went on, had a career, raised families. The kids grew up. They retired from their successful careers. Their kids are gone. And they decided to come back. And they play pickleball or they bowl or they swim. And it's like they're going back to their younger days when they did this with their friends when they were growing up.

Now, let's be clear. Getting or staying active as you age does not have to mean you're a competitive athlete. Any kind of movement can benefit your body. Ruth Weil started playing pickleball 15 years ago after she and her wife moved to the Villages, Florida. You might know it. It is this huge retirement community. And spending time with her, it's clear how much joy she takes from being able to play at her age. I have two very bad knees that I just keep...

plugging along, cortisone shots, but it's just a matter of getting out and doing it and trying to stay active. My wife, who's 85 years old in January, is still competing in pickleball, and she is here today. And she, to me, is an inspiration for everybody because how many 85-year-olds do you see out playing? So as long as she competes, I will compete. Which leads me to takeaway two. Exercise can be social and deepen your community. ♪

Now, I mentioned earlier that my relationship to exercise and fitness has changed a lot. This is one of the biggest reasons why. It wasn't just about finding a type of exercise that stuck with me. It was about meeting people who made me want to keep showing up.

I joined a local running group about a year ago. I didn't really know anyone doing it, but I pretty quickly made some friends who run at my pace. And even when I don't really want to lace up my running shoes, knowing that I've got a built-in gossip session usually helps get me up and out the door.

To see a different type of fitness community, our team headed to a mall in Annapolis, Maryland, where we met a woman named Anita Snyder, who's been coming to the same mall to walk for 20 years. You know, knowing that we have people here waiting for us gets us here. I don't always want to get up and walk, but I got these two ladies waiting for me. So it gets me here. Do you guys have like a big text thread? Are you just texting one-on-one or is it a group text? We're group texts.

Part of what keeps Anita Snyder coming back is the fact that she's got friends waiting for her when she gets to the mall at 8 a.m.,

That's how Snyder met Evelyn Bach, one of the other mall walkers. Bach told me that even though she lives 30 minutes away from the Annapolis Mall, she still drives over before her job at a local gun shop. You get up and you get ready and you go. If it's bad weather or something's going on that you can't make it, it feels like something's missing in your day sometimes. Just because you're always here. Routine matters. So does community. And the benefits can go far beyond physical health and well-being. ♪

Here's a third takeaway. Exercise can give people more independence.

When I think about what I want my future to look like, I know I want to live the best life I can for as long as I can. I want to be able to take hikes and walks in the woods, to keep running races, to live independently, to travel the world. I want my body to be there for me. That's what 86-year-old Mona Noyes wants too. Soft knees, long arms. There we go. Good. See, but it's not smooth, Emily. Well, we're going to make it smooth. Okay. There we go. Good.

I met Mona at a strength training gym not far from where I live in Baltimore. She worked at a big school district until her 70s. After she retired, she said she just became less active. She got less confident.

And then her daughter suggested she try to work with a trainer. I thought, well, you know what, I'll try it. And then I can say, okay, I tried it. That's it. We're done. But I never went away. And then I started to train twice a week. In the beginning, it was kind of, I knew my daughter was very pleased. But then I began to really value it for its own sake. And now I would do it regardless. What kind of benefits has this training brought to your life? What kind of differences have you seen? One of the things was getting off the toilet.

because most toilets are low. So at the point when I started training, I had to pry or like lever myself up because my legs weren't strong enough. Now that is so basic, but it's so important. Who wants to go to a strange place and he can't get off the john? Do you know things like that? Walking stairs. I would creep up the stairs holding both hands.

Oh, my God. Carrying things. Even a regular grocery bag, it was a struggle for me. Now, one time, I carried four quarts of milk. And now that is miraculous what it was to me.

Miraculous. Those are the kind of things I want to keep doing too. There's a lot of research about why strength training is so important as we age. Muscle mass peaks in our 20s or 30s, and weight training can help fend off age-related muscle loss.

The CDC recommends strength training at least two days a week on top of the 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity. But that science, it translates into what your whole life can look like. Here's noise trainer Emily Sokolinski. Being able to still do the things that you enjoy doing. Maybe it's going to the movies. Maybe you like to go to lunch with friends, going to the library, whatever it is, being able to continue to do

the activities that you've always enjoyed doing. And thanks to her training routine, that is exactly what Mona Noyes is doing now.

But getting your hands around a barbell or starting to run or going out for walks, whatever the thing you want to do may be, it can feel intimidating. I'm staring at my calendar right now. Where do I find the time? How do I get over being the new kid in class? What if I'm just not good at an exercise I want to try? Well, here is takeaway four, the last one. Just start.

This idea, or some form of it, was something we heard over and over again from people we interviewed, including Diet Sauer, who's 83 years old. Her life has seen all kinds of changes, including getting sober. But when she was 58, an encounter at the gym changed her life. Then they put up a poster that they were starting a new swim team at our club. And I just showed up. All I knew how to do was kind of dog paddle, and I just kind of fluttered around in the water.

But what was fortunate was there was a young woman on deck that day that was the coach. And when I got about halfway across the pool, I turned around to her and I said, I can't do this. I'm embarrassing myself and I'm sorry, I should not have shown up.

And she said, you can do this. I will teach you. Sauer kept showing up, and she went from having only the slightest skill to becoming a decorated competitive swimmer. I wanted to know what she loves about competing. I like the rush. I like the thrill. I like the challenge. I swim every morning. I get up at 4.15 and I'm in the pool by 5.15.

And I'm with a group of incredible people that are so much fun. Those connections kept Sauer coming back to the pool over and over again. Now, not everyone can be a competitive swimmer like DeEtte Sauer, but she gave me a piece of advice that resonates for all of us. Starting something new can be intimidating at any age. So I want to ask, what is your advice to someone who says,

might hear the conversation that you and I are having who maybe they want to swim, maybe they want to start lifting weights, maybe they want to start walking. They want to start a new exercise program or try something new, but they're scared to start. What would you tell them? Scared of what? First of all, you can't let fear stop you from achieving anything. You have to

Use the fear as almost like something to energize you and to invigorate you in order to take the risk. I do the 200 butterfly. I'm scared of it, but I'm not going to let it stop me. It took me a long time to get where I am today, but the whole process has been one of sheer bliss. I mean, it's just been incredible.

Okay, let's recap all of these. Takeaway one, the best type of exercise is the kind that you'll do. So experiment a bit. Find what works for you and your lifestyle. And if it doesn't feel fun or manageable, you don't have to do it. Takeaway two, exercise can create or help strengthen community. Find the people that make you want to keep showing up.

Takeaway three, exercise and strength can help create independence. It isn't just about fitness. It's about living your best, fullest life. And takeaway four, just start. Thanks to Mariel and the team at LifeKit for letting me drop in. That was All Things Considered co-host, Juana Summers.

For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. There's one about how to get into weightlifting and another on how to get moving more in general. You can find those at npr.org slash life kit. And if you love Life Kit and want even more, subscribe to our newsletter at npr.org slash life kit newsletter. Also, we love hearing from you. So if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, email us at life kit at npr.org. This episode of Life Kit was produced by Matt Ozug and Mark Rivers. It was edited by Sarah Handel.

Our visuals editor at LifeKit is Beck Harlan, and our digital editor is Malika Gharib. Megan Cain is our supervising editor, and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tegel, Claire Marie Schneider, Margaret Serino, Sam Yellow Horse Kessler, and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley. I'm Mariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.

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