Staying Fit After 50: What To Do and Where To Go

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On my refrigerator is a quote that says, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” I don’t know who said it, but it’s perfect to me,  because it throws daggers into the heart of an old way of thinking and living. Perhaps due to a spinal cord injury and substantial loss of physical ability at the age of 22, I have a philosophy that is basically “the older I get, the harder I’m going to work to keep what I have.” 

There’s a lot of research out there that documents the benefits of exercise in reducing and even reversing the effects of aging. For example, a 1996 Tufts University study pointed out the value of intensive strength training for seniors. In the study, people into their late 90s trained at the same level of intensity as younger people. “Level of intensity” is defined as doing repetitive lifts at 70 to 80 percent of the maximum amount of weight you can lift. The result? No one got hurt . . . they got stronger.

But for many people who haven’t been active, the challenge is getting started. Fitness experts say the secret is finding something you enjoy doing, and then sticking with it.  For me, it’s bicycling in the summer, and cross country skiing in the winter—anything to get me outdoors. To supplement my endurance activities, I also work out with weights and work on core strength, flexibility, and balance in a fitness facility.