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So much changes as we age. Yet often we become so focused—obsessed, one could say—on how our physical appearance shifts that we hold ourselves back from understanding other essential ways in which our bodies are adjusting. Perhaps most notably, those mysterious aches and pains that tend to happen once we hit 50 and beyond.
“As we age, muscles may lose strength, endurance and flexibility, and we tend to get a bit shorter as we lose bone density, particularly in our vertebrae,” explains Roger E. Adams, Ph.D, a personal fitness trainer and founder of eatrightfitness. “These changes in structure can make it a challenge just to keep our balance.
And no, you’re not immune to them, no matter how much you choose to deny it. Part of understanding our new relationship with flexibility and balance is changing our lifestyle, exercise routines, and expectations to address these issues. That includes avoiding common workout mistakes when you’re over 50.
“Our recovery rates, muscle rebuilding, and even inflammatory markers are better when we’re younger,” he says. “So instead of doing the same cardio routine, spin class or weightlifting workout, we now need to incorporate exercises that help improve our physical stability and maintain or improve our flexibility.”
However, maintaining your physical activity sets you up for graceful aging in your body and your mind. Equally importantly, it allows you to continue finding satisfaction and confidence in participating in your preferred activities. What you don’t want is to overextend your effort for a workout only to find yourself sore or out of commission for days on end.
Chances are you don’t need to give up anything. You simply need to adjust your relationship with it.
Common Workout Mistakes Over 50
To help prevent injury and setbacks, here are the biggest fitness mistakes that are most common for the 50-and-older crowd and what you can do instead.
1. Working Out for Too Long
You don’t have to spend hours every day practicing yoga or working out in the gym to reap the benefits of exercise. In fact, doing so can be a big fitness mistake. Research, including a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, has found that breaking up exercise throughout the day and engaging in shorter “micro-workouts” can be as effective as longer workouts.
“Breaking them up will also provide the stimulus required to see results without the potential negative issues that then come from longer sessions, especially cardiovascular workouts,” says Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist, certified sports nutritionist, and fitness expert. He suggests that a five-minute strengthening workout in the morning, a 20-minute walk at lunch, and 10-minute practice of stretching, slow movement, or weight-lifting in the evening can add up to a strong routine.
2. Mimicking Something You Saw On TikTok
Exercise-related TikTok videos are everywhere. Even though it can be fun to try to replicate the challenging movements in these videos, Allen Conrad, a doctor of chiropractor and certified strength and conditioning specialist at the Montgomery County Chiropractic Center in North Wales, Pennsylvania, recommends against trying something that’s outside of your typical movement patterns.
“TikTok tendonitis is a real concern for older adults trying to replicate specific jumping and lateral movements that they see online,” says Conrad. “These types of injuries are more common these days with older adults who are starting a workout program on TikTok after not exercising regularly for a while.”
Conrad explains that because your tendons become less elastic and more prone to acute tendonitis as you age, these injuries can linger. He suggests consulting with your doctor before engaging in any new-to-you type of workout.
3. Skipping the Warm-Up
There’s a reason why even the world’s most accomplished athletes dedicate a significant portion of their training to warming up. Conrad notes that it can reduce your risk of injury, which you are more prone to as you age. So can static stretching afterward in the form of yin yoga.
Conrad recommends warming up for at least five minutes, and ideally 10, before exercising. Most yoga teachers include several minutes of easing into class before engaging you in more intense activity.
4. Not Drinking Enough Water Before, During, and After Working Out
Proper hydration is essential when exercising, especially for those older than 50, as our ability to maintain adequate hydration lessens. Certain medications can also affect your hydration levels.
“It’s good to sweat, but you need to replenish fluids,” Conrad says. If you’re exercising and sweating a lot, you need the extra fluids even more than normal to avoid dehydration and cramping of muscles.
But how much? It varies somewhat according to the individual, although Conrad recommends a minimum of eight glasses of water daily, plus at least eight ounces before and after your workout.
5. Thinking You Can Begin Where You Left Off Decades Ago
By all means, pursue whatever you want. But safely and with common sense.
If you’re looking to get back into certain outdoor or indoor adventures that you haven’t touched since your 20s, this could be a recipe for injury, according to Robert Dodds, personal trainer, fitness coach, and founder of NothingBarredFitness.com.
“Mobility, strength and technique will all have faded drastically and injuries happen, particularly when an individual is trying to push themselves to a level they can no longer compete at,” he says. Ease into what you love to do. Even better, consider seeking a trainer to help you create a realistic strategy to take you back to your practice.
