7 Big LIES About Exercise and Aging

The best way to feel and look old really quickly is to stop doing all the things that kept you healthy.

Too often we hit an age that we deem “old” and stop pushing ourselves the way we used to in our training.

Heck I even found an article on WebMD about exercises to avoid after 50 and it said…

“Lifting weights is a great way to build muscle strength, but when you’re over 50 there is no reason to push yourself too hard.”

I’m sorry….NO.

While we can’t change our age, at any time we can make changes to move and feel our best.

And the best way NOT to see results is NOT to challenge yourself.

Use it or lose it.

Getting older doesn’t mean you now should stop pushing yourself to conquer new challenges or step outside your comfort zone.

Getting older actually makes it even more important that you do so that you stay healthy and strong till your final day on this planet!

That’s why in this video I want to refute 7 reasons I often hear people use as excuses not to push themselves outside their comfort zones when it comes to their strength training once they hit whatever age they believe to be “old.”

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[kaymanuel]

My husband and I are 62 and 63 and go to F45, 5 days a week. We are the oldest people at our location, but we are both in great shape, as the workouts force us to do those ' uncomfortable ' things. I really believe everything you say here is absolutely true. Thanks for doing this, as we all need to hear it❤ Obesity has become fashionable and accepted. So sad

[Iamwithspirit]

I started weightlifting again a month before I turned 62. Now I’m 63 and I have more muscle in my arms especially now than I did as a teenager! It is never too late!🎉

[Alan]

My father-in-law is 84 and has consistently exercised throughout his life. I’ve seen how his commitment to challenging himself has paid off with better health, mobility and enjoyment of life as he ages, even though the challenges of aging are still present. We just did a 23 mile bike ride with him last weekend. He keeps me motivated!

[allstrongfitness]

I teach senior fitness and exercise to individuals with disabilities. 90% of my job is being a cheerleader and rewriting the narrative that YOUR BODY IS STRONG and can adapt. Years of doctors and people telling them to be careful and take it easy.. smh. The thing I always tell them, is that your body adapted to keep you alive up to this point. Why can't it adapt and get stronger and healthier? (it can.) This video resonated very much with my coaching approach. Movement optimists unite!

[stevet]

Right on. I am 74 and I go to the gym 5 times a week, pushing myself to failure, or close to it. Sometimes. just for fun, I see a 20 something year old using 50% of the weight I do. When they stop to "play with their phone" for 5 minutes or so, I walk over and ask "Hey can I jump in for a quick set?" Then I throw on more weight and knockout 10 reps more then they did. When I finish, I thank them and walk away.

[kvbo]

Thank you for this video! I'm 55 & virtually no one within my family or friend group does weight resistance training. They bemoan the aging process, yet don't have the willingness to make themselves uncomfortable despite all the evidence of the amazing benefits, especially in strength & mobility.

[Dave-zlky]

I am 73 and have been working out 2-3 times a week for 2+ years. It makes a huge difference. I want to be physically and mentally useful to myself for many years to come. I just did barbell deadlifts this past week and reached a new goal of 125 lbs. I know, not huge but great for me and I felt good doing it.

[ellenhubbard]

I turn 51 in a couple of months and I gotta say, other than menopause (which is a pain), I feel like I’m 30. I lift heavy weights and constantly push myself like I did when I was younger although when I was 30 I ran marathons and wasn’t nearly as strong as I am now. I feel amazing at this age and plan to keep on keepin’ on. Thanks for confirming what I already knew and telling me (as usual) what I didn’t, Cori. You’re the best!

[rolandsc]

Everyone needs to hear this! Great advice. 62 year-old CrossFitter aiming to be as fit as possible and as strong as possible for as long as possible! 🙂

[aviatorguy]

It’s interesting that you said lifting weights is more beneficial than cardio as you age. Cardio is still good for you heart, but resistance training has an extensive amount of benefits. Thanks for the weekly motivation and knowledge.

[emblem]

I think the MOST important component to training as we age is a really thorough WARM-UP. I do an 8 - 10 minute weight-vested squat warm-up. So before my lifts I am all lathered up and joints warm and lubricated.

I also believe the abundance of sugar speeds up the aging process. It inflames joints and causes pain that inhibits people from training hard or lifting heavy. So getting the sugar in check also helps a lot.


I recently encountered soreness that persisted for weeks and instead of blaming age I did some research and learned I may need deficient in omega-3s and magnesium. I started taking fish oil and magnesium and the soreness abated instantly.. Like the next day I felt normal again.

Also the mind plays a huge role in aging. Think Placebo Effect. I hear people calling themselves old in their late 30's early 40's. STOP IT. You think, therefore you are! The best way to combat aging it RESISTANCE. Training, thinking etc.

[gabriellamcvay]

Thanks so much
My beliefs exactly
Bored of people saying your getting older you shouldn’t push
I think we need more
If we don’t use it we will definitely lose it
So a huge thx
I am 60
And love getting stronger

[melodireyes]

This was great! As I watched - I kept nodding - yes, yes, yes. I'm 76 and have been struggling with an injury and training is HARD - but I have been assured by my MD and therapist that it is the only way through. I'm not back to where I was, but I'll get there. Your videos are a big help. Thanks so much.

[leanneunicomb]

Thank you for calling out ageism! It’s fantastic that you have shown rigorous exercises in the video, all doable by men and women of a certain age. Instead we’re told to try chair yoga (please) or the handbag lift (really?) I feel so good after an hour of almost daily exercise, like those that you demonstrated. I know the enormous benefits to bone health, mental health, fall prevention, dementia prevention among numerous others. I’m not taking my knitting bag to sit quietly in the corner waiting to fall into disrepair.

[ImTheCitizenInsane]

"Unless you planned not to use a toilet ever again, you should fix that squat".
Perfect!
I'm turning 45, have been lifting for 3 years, and I love the idea of being strong and stonger.

[petiteTana]

You are a healthy dose of exercise education. I absolutely love your vids. At the tender age of 15, I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. An extremely extremely painful auto immune disease that eats away at the cartilage of the joints. Due to this disease I could not gain weight, I was a size double 0 for years. By the time I was 18 my fingers looked like a 70 year old woman, and still do because of this disease. This disease ages your body rapidly so by the time I was in my 20s I had a body of a 70 year old, I could not bend my joints properly, and to this day I have no mobility in my wrist. At 47 years of age I said ‘F’ it, I started lifting weights. I cannot hold the dumbbells properly because my fingers do not bend all the way around the dumbbell due to joint damage from the disease, but I make it happen. Four years later at the age of 51, I am still lifting weights, and I lift heavy. Is it challenging? Yes, but I make it happen four days a week nonstop. If I can do it, you can do it. No excuses.

[bradleyborlase]

I'm 73, a retired surgeon. 10 years ago I survived septic shock. I woke up while my family was planning my funeral. I started woking out in 1966. I was benching 400 lbs in 1972 while in college. I became a triathlete and marathoner. I was in good shape. This is what saved my life. I lost 40 lbs of muscle in 2013 due to septic shock. I had to learn how to walk, fed myself, I'm sure you get the picture. I had a trainer for 6 years in Boulder CO. He was very good. But he was afraid of my aggressive mind set. I fired him a year ago. I returned to heavy training and this made all the difference. I'm regaining my strength, balance, and ENERGY. You are correct. Develop strength and train hard.

[dandelionfluff_]

I'm always been prone to tendon and ligament issues. As I've aged I've learned that good form is essential. I also increase my loads more gradually than I did when I was younger so I can be sure to keep that good form. Slow by steady is the way I have to go!

[superfit]

RIGHT ON! At 60 year I have aches and pains but I still get out and push HARD... there are machines that make my hip implant pop... I know to avoid that machine and substitute something else. for example the lying leg curl, , , i do the seated instead... Its good to have a goal... Its good to find a trainer to help with proper form... At my age we can do more than push a 5 pound dumbbell for a shoulder press... I agree cut back on chronic cardio to keep the muscle gains... go HIIT on stairs a few times a week instead of miles of running o the treadmill.., what worked when we were 30 does not work now... you can not out train a bad diet.

[ohmycatvideos]

My great grandma was a ballet dancer, and when it’s true she stopped performing on theathers when she was 30 she kept dancing till she was 70 and had to stop, but she power-walk till days before she died