Five tips for keeping strong from fit over-60-somethings
Self-discipline requires resisting momentary temptations to get closer to your long-term goals. While the adage of teaching an old dog new tricks being notoriously difficult prevails, discipline is something that these fit over-60s have had a longer time than most to get their head (and body) around.
“Sure, younger minds may have an abundance of dopamine – the neurotransmitter associated with creating new and rewarding behaviours – but older adults can lean on life experience and a potentially deeper breadth of knowledge from experts on long-term health,” explains Dr Rachael Molitor, a chartered psychologist.
“Self-discipline is the ability to consistently make choices and take actions that align with your future plans. When short-term temptations threaten to misalign you, self-regulation in these instances is important to note, and this is especially important when it comes to forming healthy habits and getting in shape.”
Let our over-60-somethings walk you through the small self-discipline habits they employ to boost their chances of staying stronger, longer.
‘Plan ahead and track your progress’
Celia Duff, 70
“Knowing that strength, mobility and balance decreases with age, I wanted to slow the process and be functionally fit for as long as possible,” Celia explains. “Once lost these elements are difficult to regain so I know it is important to use and maintain them, so I could enjoy time with my family and be independent for as long as possible.”
In the summer of 2022 at the age of 68, Celia decided to start training towards Hyrox fitness races that incorporate running with functional workout stations.
She focussed on structured training in a class with fellow Hyrox-ers, strength training with her personal trainer, and three endurance runs weekly. She also upped her protein and electrolytes to fuel it all, alongside a weekly sports therapy massage.
Planning her training and tracking her progress is just one of the ways Celia pushes herself that little bit further to smash her next record or personal best.
“I create a weekly timetable of all my training sessions to know which days are strength training, which is my long run, and which is interval or hill training,” she begins. “I then chart what I did during the sessions to see my progress and compare stages of training with a similar period in the run up to previous competitions.”
“I keep a record of the maximum weights I can lift for various strength exercises and monitor my health stats on my smartwatch – especially my VO2 max, heart rate recovery and resting heart rate.”
‘Arm yourself with knowledge’
Marissa Padilla, 61
After turning into a desk-based worker in her earlier years, Marissa signed up for Everest Base Camp with her partner in spring 2018 to finally get out of the office.
She decided she needed to up the ante from simply walking and decided to join the personal training organisation Ultimate Performance in Kensington. With a desire to lighten the load she had to carry up the world’s highest mountain, this personal-training, results-driven gym seemed like a sure way to make that happen.
“The 12-week, three-times-weekly programme and macro tracking provided structure and the fitness knowledge for me to build on, alongside upping my step count to as high as 30,000 a day,” she explains.
Marissa found that knowledge fuelled her fitness journey. While removing tempting high-calorie food from her kitchens for most of the week, she was also very clear on her nutritional goals.
“I divide an 18-month period into a bulking phase and a cutting phase so I know when to eat more to get stronger and be in a calorie deficit to cut back and slim down.
“The knowledge that you can control your weight is quite freeing. Most people give up because they think it is about endless dieting and it isn’t.”
‘Find friends that keep you accountable’
Kate Dunbar, 61
Chronic psoriatic arthritis prevented Kate from exercising for two decades of her life. “I had spent weeks in bed unable to move so that my muscles had atrophied,” she said.
That meant that, despite the agony and despair of her illness, once medication managed to get it under control, there was more hard work to do.
Seven years ago, alongside prioritising quality rest and meditation, she joined the Vegan Society and Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and cut animal products and oil from her diet.
She focussed on plant-based whole food and, with the support of her GP practice and monthly blood tests, she slowly came off medication.
She was then able to progress from slow, pin-step walking to gentle swimming and walking more sure-footedly, before finally she decided the time had come to work up a sweat and run.
“While initially tough, slowly running a little more each day was elating. I hadn’t dreamed it was possible – I felt as if I’d been given a new life,” she shares.
And it’s a life she’s built from the ground up, defying the odds to run her first marathon at 60 alongside regular training and cycling everywhere.
When things get tough, however, Kate gets by with a little help from her running-club friends.
“During lockdown, I took to running every day in my Vegan Runners kit. Showing up for something more important than yourself makes it easier to stick to,” she explains. “I also have the most fantastic set of Vegan Runner friends. We learn from each other, encourage and care for each other and celebrate each other’s achievements.
“We help each other stick to our goals. We often run together, swim or do other challenges like mini triathlons, running up the tallest tower in London, parkrun, and generally enjoy life.”
‘Keep setting yourself goals’
Allan Stopher, 81
At 81 years young, Allan Stopher is a keen runner and likes to get out and rack up the miles nearly every day around the Churchill Living property he lives in.
He explains where his fitness journey began: “I started running when I was 38 in 1982, taking part in a local fun run, and from that day on I was hooked.”
While his goals have changed, he’s explained that they’re still there in a different form. “I don’t enter many races anymore – I just do it for fun and to keep myself fit.
“I’m still a dedicated member of the Medway Rebel Runners club which is a good social group,” he adds.
From humble beginnings, Allan ran ultramarathons, 59 marathons, including nine London Marathons, with a best marathon time of two hours 54 minutes, although, he admits, “that was a few years ago”.
Hanging up your running shoes is tempting when you retire but Allan argues that it’s a piece of his routine that keeps him going strong into his eighth decade. “I still love running and having more free time now that I’m retired, it has been easier to find time for running.”
‘Habit stack to help habits stick’
Bryan Waters, 78
After noticing he felt ‘lacklustre’ at the age of 69 in terms of energy levels, productivity, and range of movement, Bryan refused to let the list of things he could do shrink as the years went by.
“I was told to accept it as a normal part of the ageing process, but there was still so much I wanted to do. I had a 10-year plan which involved charity work in Africa,” he confesses.
His aim was to improve muscle mass or strength under the guidance of Sam Quinn, a Nuffield Health personal trainer, who set out a detailed and progressive training plan and upped Byran’s protein intake to help him recover.
“We work together twice a week for an hour session which includes: warm up and mobility exercises and either strength or muscle building weight lifting exercises with cardio at the end.”
While he’s always watched what he ate and lived a healthy lifestyle, he admits he needed to be firm with himself when his motivation wobbled and adopted a multi-level technique of ‘habit stacking’.
It involves ‘stacking’ the new behaviour onto a current behaviour to help you remember to do it with less mental effort.
“Research shows that being consistent with your health behaviours, with a term known as habit stacking can greatly improve one’s chances to create a successful behaviour change for a long term benefit,” Dr Molitor explains.
Just as surely as brushing his teeth, Bryan makes his mobility and stretching exercises a part of his daily routine. “These exercises help me maintain my levels of flexibility and to promote good posture, which I am conscious can decrease as you age,” he explains.
“I enjoy travelling regularly and so when I’m on the road and can’t get to the gym, I stay as active as I can, walking and enjoying other activities such as running, cycling, kayaking, swimming or snorkelling – I don’t want to miss a session.”
