What other sport/exercise/keep fit do you do?

Climbing

I also, ski, ride, kayak, but climbing would be the best suggestion for you to try.

Weights, boxing, swimming & circuit/HIIT classes.

Try running. It's time-efficient, not so clarty and needs less kit. Start short and slow (like a C25K) and work up from there. I've been an occassional runner for a few years but only really got into it when I was approaching 60.

As for other stuff, I also swim, walk, paddle do a bit of yoga, weights etc. Mixing it up certainly helps keep things "fresh".

I commute to work on the bike, so that's three guaranteed days, whether I feel like it or not, then out at weekends. Bit of walking at weekends too.

Daily push ups and theraband routine, yoga, and hiking. Oh, and all the sadistic exercises my physio gave me because I'd damaged my knee by doing too much hiking.

Running.
As above, start slow and ease yourself in. But once up to speed you’ll find it’s awesome.

Gym 5 days a week (push/pull/legs/push/pull) plus a 5k run every day..walking when possible - doing the Shropshire Six Summits tomorrow, and HIIT when I feel like I need to get my sweat on.

51? You're still young 🙂

I'll be 51 in September, cycling/mountain biking for the last 13 years or so, some years I do a lot some not so much, depends what I fancy. I do commute on it most days though.

Started weight training a couple of years ago, enjoy the buzz from that.

I've been racing motorbikes for the last eight years (circuit) and I've just dipped my toe into off-road motorcycles/enduro/Motocross this last year too. I don't ever remember feeling quite so beaten up as I do after a day out on the dirt bike 😁

+1 for running as time efficient. You can get a decent piece of exercise in before shower and breakfast. Barely takes any extra time, especially compared to MTB. It also quite a nice way to see more of your local area. I was never a runner and thought it tedious but I started in lockdown to do something and actually quite like it. Usually go for a run whenever we are staying somewhere else as a good way to sightsee.

Also football. Injuries are the big issue as you get older so you need to find the right game. We've got a great session here. Not too hectic, and no heavy tackling. Makes for a good, fun game with less risk.

I started yoga in the winter when I had no interest in cycling. I've been doing 2 or 3 u tube sessions a week and feel really great strength, balance and mobility wise. It's a great companion now that I'm also cycling again for some cardio.

Nowt. Just cycling - on an E-cycle/bike too.

Lost 2 stone in the last 2 years though so ..🤷‍♂️🍰🚴‍♂️

I walk. A lot. With Henry. The nation’s favourite pastime. I estimate Henry walks about sqrt(2) more than me. But this is dependent on whether he has a ball to chase.

I also indoor climb.

Indoor climbing
It's like going to a Gym,but then you get so distracted trying to figure out the routes,you forget it's excercise....well almost 😉

Climbing - more specifically bouldering - outdoors, indoors, training for bouldering, doing rehab after getting injured bouldering.

Warning - can become an obsession

48 yo. Every so often one week of exercising might look like this, but more often one or two (or three) of them are dropped and/or reduced intensity/duration due to circumstance (work/family/minor injury/minor illness):

* 60 miles commute (total over 5 days)
* 1 x 1.5hr bouldering/climbing club/lesson in evening
* 1 x 30 minute leg strength/mobility (no weights)
* 1 x 5-6k lunch time run
* 1 x 1.5hr upper body strength/mobility (basic calisthenics)
* 1 ~ 2 x 30-45 minutes learning basic trials (riding over obstacles on bicycle) at weekend
* 1 x weekend MTB ride
* yoga/stretching whenever

Other? None. I cycle most days.

Weights and inline skating. Oh yeah, I'm also 51, not that it really matters. The guy who runs the skating events is in his 80s.

Why don't you start football again? A gang of fellahs I cycle with play once a week, they're the same age as you. My uncle and another bloke, both in their late 60's play in the same team.

Guess you might want to to do the running for a bit to build the fitness and strength some first.

Climbing mostly. Weekly local indoor bouldering wall and some outdoor trips too. I'm happy on trad, sport, bouldering, dws....it's all good.  In fact with the current warm weather I have a dws itch again. Whether I can scratch that itch given all the usual stuff to get done I don't know... but will try.

Is drinking a sport? If not none.

Whats putting you off on the bike?
Is it the thought of just spinning the pedals or worries of injury etc?

For me in the past its been fencing, thai boxing and then boxing although due to clashes currently not training, I have just started trying tai chi to go for the complete opposite since I am getting old and knackered plus its fun to try something where pure speed and power isnt considered a bonus , kayaking (mostly artificial white water at lee valley) , mountain biking, road biking (during the winter mostly) and climbing. Plus I generally try for at least 5k run a week as a balance.
Also yoga but I figure thats mostly to undo the damage of the others as I get on.

Swimming a couple of hours a week.

I've swum all my life. There's a steep curve to learning at middle age, but once you're reasonably competent it's excellent all round aerobic/anaerobic fitness. It's also great for mental health as being in the water does something special to the mind.

Can I add another vote for running? Even if you’re just sight-seeing you can cover at least twice as much distance as walking.

Starts hard, gets easier quite quickly and despite what doom mongers like to say it doesn’t knacker your joints.

* OK, who at STW decided to break the bit of the site where you enter comments?

Just thought some of you might be able to give me some ideas?

Been up the new trails at Newbold in Leam?

51 and started indoor climbing recently and I can really see my body changing for the better after ten weeks. I cannot recommend it enough

this is after nearly thirty years away from the sport

Occasional swim or gym but my other proper sport is sailing

It used to be dinghies and (other people's) keelboats but now just dinghies. It helps I live near the Solent and some great sailing waters. It satisfies my need for outdoor time, speed, buying stuff and tinkering with things.

Try as I might the sailing also regularly involves some unplanned swimming 😂

Also +1 for running, took it up a few months ago to help with my ruptured achilles. I quite enjoy it. I am quite astonishingly slow but I have now reached the point where my dog has to break into a slow trot occasionally to keep up.

Pilates, gym and swimming with country walks. Would love to run again, but knees say 'No'.

Have recently got into the routine of doing some quasi yoga crap in the morning. Basically a bit of stretching whilst enjoying the sun's rays on my skin.

I'm fortunate that I'm not getting up at 8am for work. If I were, I wouldn't have the time nor inclination to do it. I like my sleep too much.

GF occasionally runs, but my knees do not approve. Get a twinge after a few km and end up limping.

Also, over the last eight months I've tried to make a point of going for a walk most days,that is, days I've not gone for a ride. Barefoot if the ground allows. Recently trekked 15km barefoot. Brilliant.  Admittedly if I were in the UK rather than southern Europe where it's warm then I wouldn't be doing that.

GF occasionally runs, but my knees do not approve. I get a twinge in my left knee after a few km and end up limping.

I don't like admitting it, but I've been riding the gravel bike quite often. Much easier to just jump on the bike and aimlessly cruise about following my nose than a dedicated winch and plummet ride. Also good when I'm somewhere with a severe lack of mountains.

Swimming is my current favourite. I went to the river twice yesterday and will go again today. Love to paddle board but sometimes it's hardly exercise, more a float about in the sunshine. I walk loads too.

A bit of tennis, a few Parkruns and I've just started playing squash. Many of the squash club are in their 50s and even 60s

Tennis, pickleball, walking, walking football and going to have a go at sup

Gym 3 days min a week, plus stuff at home the physio has given me to do as I have a lower back/hip joint issue to fix.

Inline skating for me.  Also drumming.

I've tried doing various different exercises and the only one that lasted was some calisthenics based stuff. But it really doesn't inspire me and I have done any specific exercise for exercise sake in months. Any spare time involves skating/drumming/gaming. Focus for me is enjoyment.

I'm 50 this year, been pretty sedentary since I switched to a job with lots of travel in 2017, then took an office job so I could commute and get hobbies right before Covid stopped all that. Mrs Pondo recently pointed me towards SlimPod, and that black magic (or msybe it's just placebo - who cares, if it works?) has seen me get off my arse to start C25K and do some light weight sessions a couple of times each, this week I started a karate class (ace!) and I swim for half an hour on Sunday mornings too. I try and eat healthily (mixed success - breakfast and lunch I'm good at, evening meals less so...), I don't bother with scales, and if things are creaking too much in one department, I'll happily switch things round or take a rest day (eg, generally only running twice a week, instead of C25K's suggested thrice). Too soon to see big results but physically and mentally, I feel SO much better already.

Swimming. Only sport I've ever been marginally better than bang average at. After i broke my spine in a bike v car I was allowed to swim 3 months post accident. Limped into the pool leaving my spinal brace poolside. Proceed to lap everyone in the pool 😂 probably says more of the fairly low bar for swimming in UK than my ability in all honesty. Sadly can't tumble turn since the accident thanks to metalwork. Keep up reasonably against the more serious swimmers though. Had been building up to do a tri before the prang, but running is just too uncomfortable on my back now.

Swimming and (park) run - though not today - Swimming means I get no back problems and pushing off the wall (60 times plus ) in the pool helps me with running. Did the great north swim yesterday in Windamere - was fantastic weather , org etc - try some open water ? Great Stress reliever .

I’ll happily switch things round or take a rest day (eg, generally only running twice a week, instead of C25K’s suggested thrice

This is a good approach. As a reasonably fit cyclist it's too easy to overdo the running initially, leading to all sorts of injuries.

Tennis. In fact it's taken over from cycling in a big way. Less faff, very cheap (£55 a year lol). A better work out particularly for core.

57 here, just in from a lovely 3k walk round the park and lanes with the dog and shortly off for a swim, gym has an outdoor 25m pool, so hopefully get my standard 2k in before it gets busy in the lanes. Then into a yoga class.   That’s a typical Sat am, otherwise it’s a mix of dog walks, probs one further swim, and a few rides, per week.

it’s too easy to overdo the running initially

100%. This us what I did last year, C25k 3 times a week, plus cycling, walking and sometimes playing cricket 3 times a week. I was just ramping up my running training as I decided it was a 'good' idea to do the Great North Run, and subsequently strained/tore/generally buggered up a muscle in my abdomen and couldn't then run or play cricket. I've not played cricket since August last year, just managed to get back to week 7 of the C25k but only doing 2 runs a week generally.

I've just done my first ever park run and managed 5 miles at the Children's Cancer Run a few weeks ago. Twice a week seems to suit me better, alongside cycling. First cricket match today but only cos the team were struggling to put a team out. I've decided to spend the afternoon propping the boundary fence up 🤣

as well as xc mountain biking I run, old school PT, yoga, hill walking/hiking, singlespeed road riding.

54 this year.

I walk, occasional You Tube yoga and getting back into weights in the gym after 20 years.

Hardly ride my MTB nowvas stuff from the door is proper gravel bike type riding.

Road ride with club 2-3 times a week, funnily enough, got more into it for volunteering to suppport and marshall at events, great way to be involved with no performances anxiety

I’ve not been riding as much as I’d like recently but started using the gym 6 months ago and really enjoying that. 3 strength and conditioning classes a week and one or two sessions on my own. Swim when I have time, and also enjoy running but tend to get a bit excited and over do it, resulting in lots of niggling injuries. I also have bad knees but that’s improving with the gym work. I’ve started running to/from the gym as it’s only about a mile away.

I did spend last weekend riding 7stanes and it reminded me I should spend more time on the bike and/or generally out in the wilds.

(I’m 51)

I'm not that far from the Yorkshire 3 peaks, so go up there mid week and speed march up them, usually rotating them or doing slightly different routes. It sometimes includes a stopwatch for some sort of timed challenge for the purpose of  trying to keep me interested and wanting to go back.

fair weather bike commuter (on the canal, usually driving part way and cycle the last 6 miles)

I still do a bit of climbing/bouldering indoor and out, but don't really consider that exercise.

I do a lot of circuits/bootcamp/HIIT+conditioning stuff. I run a week daily morning workout for a few people over zoom. Do bootcamps 3 times a week, running a couple of times a week + footy. I have also been competing at a few Hyrox fitness races and train once a week specifically for that. So with the cycling I manage to do about 12+ workouts a week. My body is tired and broken a lot of the time, but its addictive!

Blimey, now I feel like a completely lazy slob!

Here you go, some inspiration 😀

GET MOVING!

Walking and indoor rowing, which I do outdoor so only on good days.

I find running just causes me knee issues, I’ll gravitate back to weight training as I find I drop it for a year or so then go back.

I think it’s hard to find a low impact sport like cycling (if you don’t like water)

Road cycling and Zwift. They count as different sports right...?

Force yourself out on the bike and find your favourite type of riding - sweet single-track, tech, steeps whatever.

You'll then remember it's more fun than the alternatives

The trails are running sweet at the moment btw, maybe a little too loose, but hey....

I've always been into running and came from running to MTBing and then road cycling. I'm 41 now and try to make sure that I always keep up both running and cycling in parallel rather than switching between blocks of the two. In  fact, I have a duathlon scheduled for this weekend.

Also, I find that in terms of being able to do events and race people/socialise a little, trail and fell running races are so much easier logistically than cycling events and its cool to just drive to a race with a pair of trainers and a waterproof in the boot and set-off and be done in 2hrs.

I do a bit of bodyweight conditioning at home but don't think that counts and its purely to try and ensure I can keep running and cycling past my 40's.

I do think I would love to try bouldering but have really short hamstrings and poor posture/flexibility and am pushing 42 now, not sure if its too late?

Karate.

Depending on what we do in the session it can be a proper work out. Always a 15 minute warm up. Lots of cardio and core.

As a bonus half an hour beating the shit out of a pad is a good laugh too.

Surprisingly mentally tough at times too.

54 years old. Going for my Dan Grade.

Never too late to start bouldering. Learning good technique  is everything to start with before physical limitations such as poor flexibility will be limiting factors. And you can always work on flexibility at the same time. See if your local wall has an introduction to bouldering session you can go along to.

Lose the gears!  Singlespeed makes you re-assess your riding.

That and yoga keeps me svelte. I would swim in the sea too, but its full of shit!

I do a bit of bodyweight conditioning at home but don’t think that counts and its purely to try and ensure I can keep running and cycling past my 40’s.

Surely it counts if it ensures you can keep doing your other activites? Basically doing anything is better than sitting for long periods every day. Keep moving.

I have been watching The Bioneer on YouTube and he talks about micro workouts that he can fit in to his busy schedule a few times every day. Makes sense to me.

Park Run - trying to break the 30min barrier (it's hard 😑).

Walking the dog.

I want to do some yoga for flexibility (I'm like an iron-bar atm), but don't know where to start or anything about it.

I'm 54 soon.

Running, but never more than 6k.

Indoor Rowing, use Concept2 at work and a WaterRower at home. Can become obsessive.

Kettle bells, much more fun than normal weights.

I quite enjoy running from time to time but find after a few weeks it breaks my shins and knees so I often give up. Problem is that my cardiovascular fitness is far in excess of my running form and structural strength so I run too fast too soon.

@creakingdoor if you are already enjoying Park Run, there may be a Park Yoga popping up in your location, it’s free, outdoors, usually Sunday mornings and great for all levels of interest

I quite enjoy running from time to time but find after a few weeks it breaks my shins and knees so I often give up. Problem is that my cardiovascular fitness is far in excess of my running form and structural strength so I run too fast too soon.

Yep - I think that's the problem for most fit cyclists (see all the "sore knees" comments in this thread). It can certainly be frustrating if you are curtailing your running when still feeling you can run further. It just needs a gentle build-up to distance. I'm currently trying to improve my running technique and that is also introducing a few niggles.

Weights 2 times a week

swimming 1 or 2 times a week

cycling 2 or 3 times a week

In summer the weights are just maintenance workouts so I am not fatigued for the bike riding, in winter that tends to reverse.

I really need to find some time to throw in a little bit of mobility work 2 or 3 times a week, that is something that has been getting progressively worse as the years roll on.

I recommend you get a copy of ER Dr Doug McGuffs “Body By Science”. You can find him on YouTube doing his “big 5” but the book is worth buying.

There’s a lot of science behind his approach of, basically, 12 minute workout once a week. 5 exercises.

When I started the leg press (90 seconds under load per session) I was amazed that 10 weeks later (so that’s 15 minutes time under load total) I doubled my leg press max. Amazing

It’s all about recovery. Big muscles and frequent workouts aren’t bringing fitness, some experts hypothesise that in that case muscle size is largely inflammation

Doug represented the US for BMX in the Olympics. He said he takes 10-14 days after a heavy workout to recover before any race.

The big 5 is very hard when you do it right - knackered for days til you get the hang of it.

Gyrotonic Expansion System is rather good too.
This is my teacher: http://www.lauriebooth.com/gyrotonicr-training/

Oh and Eric Goodman’s Foundation Training Brings much needed posterior chain activation to the party. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=12WFqi7uWHY

I want to do some yoga for flexibility (I’m like an iron-bar atm), but don’t know where to start or anything about it.

Just search for local classes, yoga is so popular there are bound to be classes near you. Hatha yoga is a gentler form. I do it at my local Buddhist centre and there are new people (and not very flexible people!) turning up all the time, so there is no need to feel self-conscious the first time you turn up, ime.

I also go to qigong classes, usually 3 times a week and with three unconnected teachers - so very different styles.

Apart from that I try to do one longish 10+ mile ramble/hike per week or a couple of shorter ones. Cycling is mostly, but not exclusively, road these days, and 1-3 rides per week, usually 50ish miles per ride.

I do want to get back into Park Run though, keep putting it off.

I’ve struggled with bike mojo for the last couple of years, luckily it’s coincided with the kids having a go at my old canoe club which got me back into it and now Mrs Prawny has joined in.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">
It’s satisfying my competitive instincts, without the chance of serious injury of most other sports for adults. I’m getting out on the water 4/5 times per week at the moment, racing locally quite often, although the summer break is coming up soon sad times. </span>

If you’ve got a canoe club locally I’d definitely recommend having a go at marathon racing. If you’re in the London area you’re spoiled for choice.

Not a lot really, I take the dog for a walk probably 5/7 days a week covering 2/3 mile ensuring I keep pace between 3-4mph, purposefully take routes that have hills and steps. The other day or two when I'm stretched for time she just gets taken to the park to chase a ball.

I try and do at least 2x mtb rides a week one pretty intense endurance based doing as much climbing and distance as I can but at a steady average pace of about 5.5-6.5mph, the other a different kind of intense where I just go as fast as I can and kill myself on the climbs over a much shorter distance trying to average 8mph+

For me, to excercise I have to enjoy what I'm doing, the kind of excercise where you kill yourself and only get enjoyment at the end of it never lasts long with me, I have to have fun whilst doing it which is why mtb and dog walking works so well, I do enjoy a hike here and there but after 6 miles or so my hip starts to seize up.

I've thought about running but whenever I've tried it it kills me and I don't get any sense of achievement or fun out of it, I used to like playing Squash years ago but trying to find a group for that has been hard, I come and go with Yoga I tend to more do it when I'm stiff, I used to be big into weight lifting years ago but an inguinal hernia put a stop to that as deadlifts were my favourite thing and the consultant swore me off surgery so I sort of don't see the point anymore for me as I done it more for muscle size increase than toning, also gyms are way more busy now than they were in mid 2000's and it puts me off going.
I have been tempted with golf as a few friends are into it but that's essentially just more walking, however the day after I've been to a driving range I feel like I've been hit by a truck so it's definitely using some lesser used muscle groups.
I used to do field archery which was good fun, but similiar to golf is just walking round the woods excercising a specific muscle group.

I've always fancied trying surfing and I live on the coast near a popular surf spot but I'm still carrying too much weight to not feel embarrassed in a wet suit, so might try that once I've dropped another 4 stone.

Weightlifting (as a catch all term for powerlifting, stronglifts, Olympic lifting, strongman, etc. But not just generic cross training or bodybuilding).

Ticks all the boxes of being as geeky as you like it to be with kit choices, training techniques, or actually learning movements if you go down the Olympic route. You can periodize the training just like cycling (hypertrophy, strength, peaking). It's progressive so you don't feel like you're doing the same thing each week. Time on the bike pays off in the lifting too so there's an incentive not to stop too completely. There's other things to do as supplementary training for it, e.g. you can't do much overhead without having decent thoracic flexibility, whereas most cycling 'flexibility' training is focused on doing the bare minimum to make riding comfortable or undo the worst of the damage.

The downside is I've found that while it's beneficial to cycling, you can't do it as training on it's own. Physiologically I didn't lose any muscle over the pandemic years and either being ill, knackered or too busy working to ride, but the muscles lost all their cardiovascular fitness. So now I hit a brick wall at about 16-17mph on the road with my heart rate at 130-140bpm. The muscle's there, it's not even struggling with lactic acid, it just doesn't have the capillaries to deliver the oxygen and fuel to develop any more power.

The other downside is gyms, you either need to have a good one locally or buy your own kit. I eventually gave up as all the gymgroup/puregym/anytime fitness places are stuck in an 80's cardio business model and oversubscribed for freeweights. There's 20x treadmills, enough that even at peak time you can leave a polite 1-treadmill gap between you and the next person. Yet only 2 squat racks, one lifting platform and one half rack/platform. The gym where I lived whilst working away on the other hand had 7 racks/cages/platforms and 2 treadmills 😁

On the upside I rode a 200k Audax on Saturday, and spent almost the entire way on the front of our group. And barely felt fatigued for it. I just don't have that ability to put in a hard surge on the front, then drop back, recover and wait my turn. All I could do is drop back to a slightly slower group and then sit on the front for the remaining 160km keeping the pace just inside my own limit.

My power "curve" is a joke, it's just a hard L shape. A mediocre FTP, then that surging feeling you get when you overwhelm the turbo's resistance for 30s 🤣, there is no "curve" to it.

Another vote for swimming, but it can be a difficult activity to keep interesting. I swam competitvely with a club as a kid - wasn't oustanding, just failing to make the national squad etc. Restarted with the local club in January after a 23 year gap. The first half-dozen sessions were probably the toughest swimming sessions I've done, I genuinely thought it was a mistake! A few months later and I'm really enjoying it though: being in the club with others - plus having a coach we occasionally pay attention to - is a great motivator. Only managing 2 x 1.5hr sessions a week, or 1 session when the weather's as nice as it's been (biking still trumps it).

It helps that mini-a11y's both swim with the club so I'd be there anyway. Certainly beats sitting on my arse while they swim.

It's quite a list .. I run, play touch rugby, airsoft, snowboard, hike, table tennis & paddleboard.

Have you tried walking football or rugby?

I'm 45 and try to do at least three exercise sessions a week. Managing to get out on the bike a fair bit atm which is ace but also run (5k) as it's quick and easy, go to HIIT/Core/Boot Camp at the gym and have started to have PT sessions for upper body as it's always been a weak point.

Used to think biking kept me fit but when fitness tests started at work I realised I'd not been doing enough so had to vary it as it's too easy not to go for a ride, especially with young kids and not enough time.

69 next month, and I haven’t ridden for a few years, basically I lost all my confidence after a stupid walking-speed off had me on the tarmac with a knee impact that’s resulted in osteoarthritis in two places in my left knee, but I also hit the side of my face on the ground, and only the fact I was wearing my helmet stopped me suffering an even worse head injury. I’ve still got the bikes, and I’m thinking about d3o soft knee protection to regain my confidence.
I haven’t been bothered by lack of fitness, because my job over the last 4-5 years has been pretty physical, lots of walking sometimes 7-8 miles a day, but I’m retired now, so I’ve signed up to something I haven’t done since school, somewhere over 50 years, and that’s archery. There’s a long-standing club in town, and they run beginners classes over three days, a couple of months each year, and I’ve nabbed the last slot for this year.

Looking forward to it, I’ve still got my kit from school, so I’m donating it for kids who’re starting out. Not much running around, but lots of walking backwards and forwards collecting arrows for a few hours a day.

Busiest time of year for me at present, working at least 5 days a week, plus another day catching up on online orders and other jobs. I’ve only been on the bike a handful of times this year but I do try and run a couple of times a week. If the weather is good, then I’ll try and get out in my kayak or maybe a hike into the hills. I was far fitter working 9-5 as exercise was an escape from the drudgery of work.