⭑ Heard you need to ‘take it easy’ after 50? ✔ Let's challenge this myth

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Hello,

I trust you are well and active and that you had a great Easter break.

Today's newsletter is another one-subject myth-buster.

How often have you seen "over-50s" fitness plans promoted as if you need something different to before 50? It assumes that over-50s require a completely different, often less intense, “age-specific” exercise plan due solely to their age.

This assumption suggests that aging inherently demands a scaled-back workout regimen—think low-impact, low-effort exercises marketed as “senior fitness” (e.g., chair aerobics or minimal resistance training).

The myth implies that chronological age dictates a one-size-fits-all approach, ignoring individual fitness levels, recovery capacity, and potential for muscle growth. However science proves otherwise, for example a 2019 Sports Medicine study shows over-60s can build muscle just as effectively as younger folks with the right training.

Let's run through why age doesn’t define your fitness potential, and my five evidence-based tips to stay strong, active, and thriving.
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01 The Science of Muscle Health

Muscle mass naturally declines by 3–5% per decade after 30, due to fewer motor units (nerves that activate muscle fibers) and anabolic resistance (muscles responding less to exercise or protein). But here’s the good news: a 2019 systematic review in Sports Medicine found that, with proper training, even untrained adults over 60 can gain muscle and strength comparable to when younger.

Our muscles also:

• Boost glucose metabolism, lowering type 2 diabetes risk.
• Support daily tasks, like climbing stairs or getting up from a chair.
• Preserve our brain health through movement and coordination.

02 Busting the “Over-50s Exercise” Myth

You don’t need a watered-down “senior” workout plan just because you’re over 50.

Before Covid - when I went to a local gym regularly - there were a couple of guys in their 70s deadlifting 2X their bodyweight. They were slim, strong, calm, quiet - they did their business and left. Over decades their bodies had built the strength to carry these loads, which for anyone else their age were reckless.

⇒ A 2017 review in Ageing Research Reviews found fitness level, not age, drives training outcomes. A fit 50-year-old can outpace a sedentary 30-year-old in recovery and performance.

My old deadlifters don’t need a new plan they just need to consciously tweak their current routine.

03 Age Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Easing Up

The over-50s training myth stems from outdated fears about injury or slower recovery. While aging can affect joint health or recovery speed these don’t justify ditching intense workouts.

Instead, adjust your routine based on your experience and you body’s feedback—not an arbitrary age cutoff. For example, use your experience to judge how much progressive resistance training you can handle. One key is to keep the intensity high but optimise technique, recovery, and progression.

That is, (1) doing exercises with proper form to stay safe and effective, (2) resting and eating well to heal after tough workouts, and (3) gradually increasing the challenge to keep getting stronger.

This lets you keep intense workouts smart by focusing on good moves, enough rest, and steady improvement without overdoing it.

04 Five Science-Backed Tips to Build Muscle and Thrive

These tips, grounded in research, will help you maximise muscle health and your healthspan.

1. Lift Weights Regularly​
   Only 18% of men over 65 meet strength training guidelines. Aim for 3 weekly sessions with compound moves like squats or deadlifts. This will build muscle at any age, as long as you do them safely.
   ​What This Means for You: Start with bodyweight squats or light dumbbells. Try 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps. Proper form is crucial see here for deadlifts and here for squats.
2. Eat Enough Protein​
   The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 1.6–2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or 0.73–0.91 grams per pound) daily, such as 120g for a 75kg (165-pound) person.
   ​What This Means for You: Add protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, or lentils to meals. Check with your doctor if you have kidney concerns.
3. Mix Up Your Cardio​
   Short bursts of high-intensity cardio (e.g., 30-second sprints) paired with moderate walks improve aerobic capacity. This boosts metabolic health.
   ​What This Means for You: Walk briskly 3–4 times weekly, adding 1–2 sessions with brief sprints if your are comfortable to run.
4. Prioritise Recovery​
   Sleep, stress management, and nutrition fuel recovery. When we're older we need longer recovery, so listen to your body. That said, "longer" depends on the base you start from, for me it is 6 to 7 hours of regular sleep.
   ​What This Means for You: After strenuous exercise aim for 7–8 hours of sleep and reduce workout intensity if soreness lingers beyond 72 hours. Usually, at our age, you will feel soreness most 48 hours after exercise. If younger or fitter, sooner. Olympic athletes feel it the same day.
5. Stay Flexible and Active​
   Yoga or daily stretching enhances your flexibility ⇒ this is most likely the biggest addition you need to make to your over-50 training - as we rarely stretch enough when we are younger.
   ​What This Means for You: Add 10 minutes of stretching daily.

What “Training Smarter” Really Means:

• Push Your Limits: Use challenging weights or cardio intervals to drive gains, as long as your form stays solid.
• Adjust for You: Tweak volume or rest based on recovery, not age stereotypes.
• Stay Progressive: Gradually increase intensity to build strength without plateaus.

⇒ The more regularly and consistently you exercise the more you will remain in control of the tweaks and adjustments required as your body ages - not a new plan, but an improved plan - meaning a plan which is more fit for purpose.​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods​

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@walteradamson.com

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