I’m getting too old for this sh*t!
Is it ever too late to start getting fit and active?

“I am too old for this Shit!”
Roger Murtaugh first uttered the line in the original Lethal weapon movie in 1987 and it became a running catch phrase that was used throughout the rest of the sequels and has been used in various forms in many other films. Murtaugh was considering retirement at the ripe old age of 50 (a laughable concept in this day and age). In the scene in question Murtaugh chases through a busy police office to try and detain a man with a gun, only to end up on his back on the floor, his heroic attempt failed. Unbeknownst to him the man he was detaining was his soon to be partner Martin Riggs, played by a youthful Mel Gibson. Murtaugh was played by actor Danny Glover who at the time of the iconic first usage of the phrase was a ripe old age of 41, coincidentally also my age at the time of writing this article (to make you feel even older, Gibson was only 30!). So, it begs the question whether at 41, as Glover was, or at 50, as his character Murtaugh, are you really too old for this shit when it comes to getting started on the road to becoming fit and active?

What are the Costs of not being fit and active?
Before you decide to swan off into retirement at 50 like Roger Murtaugh and see your days away sat in an armchair, it’s worth considering what the costs of living a sedentary lifestyle are as we get older. Firstly, what are the main and obvious signs of leading a sedentary life as we age?

1. Weight gain. Its often accepted that weight gain as we get older is inevitable, with people pointing their finger at a perceived age-related reduced metabolism as the main culprit for an expanding waistline. Research shows that inactive adults will see a reduced metabolic rate and increased fat accumulation.
2. Sarcopenia. “Sarco what??” An impressive sounding word which basically describes the physiological age-related decline in muscle mass and strength. Inactive adults experience 3-8% loss of muscle mass per decade. But what if you’re not bothered by not having 6 pack abs, bulging biceps or a Kardashian butt at 65? Despite what many fitness influencers would have you believe, muscle mass isn’t about all about aesthetics. Loss of muscle mass and strength leads to a loss of physical function, reduced independence, reduced quality of life, is associated with disability and mobility issues and is a prime factor leading to falls in the elderly which can have catastrophic effects. Whilst sarcopenia has many contributing factors, the main cause appears to be with decreased physical activity as we age. There is no known medical prescription, pill, tablet or otherwise that will prevent sarcopenia.
3. Reduction in aerobic fitness. Getting out of breath walking up the stairs or just carrying out any other activity. Reduced aerobic capacity can have a huge impact on day-to-day life, making the most simple of tasks difficult. It is also a force multiplier in that reduced aerobic fitness makes things harder to do, which will see a further reduction in physical activity levels. Aerobic fitness levels have also been shown to have an impact on cognitive function.
4. Impact on cognitive function. Links with increased risk of cognitive diseases such as dementia and associated with numerous mental health related conditions.
5. Higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and many more.
6. Overall increase in all cause mortality. A higher likelihood of dying at an earlier age.

Is it all doom and Gloom?
Despite the above painting a pretty bleak picture, all hope is not lost. A look at the scientific literature can provide much hope for our ageing bodies.

Reduced Metabolism – Metabolism has actually been shown to be pretty stable between the ages of 20-60 with only a 0.7% reduction yearly across that age range. The problem lies in that metabolism is heavily influenced by activity levels and muscle mass. The more active you are the more calories your body will need to burn to maintain those activity levels. The more muscle mass you have the more calories will be needed to maintain that mass. You probably get the picture. People believe (wrongly) that their metabolism naturally slows dramatically with age – 0.7% per year is hardly dramatic. However, it is predominantly due to the fact that they have become gradually more inactive as they have got older. Think back to when you were younger, before you got your driving licence, you probably had to walk or bike everywhere. Before having an office job you spent time running around a playground playing with your mates or spending holidays outside from dawn till dusk. Before you gave up playing football or hockey on a Saturday, at least 3 days a week were spent with some form of exercise by either playing or training for that sport. Even a change in working circumstances can see a promotion away from front line manual labour to a more office bound sedentary job. Have a think back over the past few days and compare your daily activity levels to when you were younger, even by a few years, and its quite likely you will notice a significant decrease. There are a lot of misconceptions around what your Metabolism actually is, along with a lot of misinformation designed to sell products to restore a “broken” metabolism (there is no such thing). My intention is to write further on this subject in the future but for now know that although there is a slight drop in metabolic rate with age, it is much more greatly affected by activity levels and is therefore able to be improved.

Sarcopenia - Above it was noted that muscle mass reduced by 3-8% per decade in inactive adults, sounds worrying right? However, Westcott et al (2012) found that just 10 weeks of resistance training (training with weights not resisting going to the gym!) may increase lean weight (muscle) by up to 1.4kg, increasing metabolism by 7% and reducing fat weight by 1.8kg during that period. On top of this it was also suggested that resistance training may promote bone development showing an increase in bone density of 1-3%. Whilst this will vary greatly from person to person it shows that big changes can be made in a relatively small period of time (imagine the improvements if this became habitual). Increased strength leads to a lower likelihood of falls in older age. Increased bone density means a lower likelihood of broken bones should a fall still happen. As a parent or grand parent the thought of not being able to get on to the ground to play with a child or pick them up for a hug could be the motivation to consider to start lifting a few weights.

Reduced Aerobic Fitness – Mandsager et (2018) found that aerobic fitness is inversely associated with long term mortality. Put more simply higher aerobic fitness leads to a longer lifespan and greater survival rates. Whilst aerobic fitness is quite quick to disappear, it does not take long to return in comparison with losing and regaining muscular strength. This obviously will be very individual but is linked strongly to your previous level of fitness. Research indicates that that returning to your previous level of fitness should be faster than the initial time course it took you to get to that level.

Impact on cognitive function – Colcombe et al (2003) completed a meta-analysis (essentially a review of the existing studies) on the impact of aerobic fitness training on cognitive function. They found that the literature supported the notion that aerobic fitness training had robust benefits for overall cognition and were most beneficial for executive control functions of the brain. That is, it positively impacts higher thinking skills that enable people to organize manage and control their behaviour and is involved in focus attention, remembering instructions and the ability to juggle multiple tasks. Alty et al (2020) noted that exercise in general has emerged as a key intervention in reducing the risk of age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

Impact on disease and overall mortality – Izquirdo et al (2021) in a review of the literature, concluded that the presence of adequate exercise and activity reduces the decline in muscle function, aerobic fitness and its associated ill effects on performing daily activities and maintaining independence into later life. It is also a preventative measure against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. It is seen to improve mobility, mental health and quality of life and importantly leads to an overall reduction in mortality.

So, am I too old or is there still hope?
Probably the most reassuring piece of research completed by Foster-Burns in 1999 found that resistance training was effective in increasing muscle mass and functional mobility in elderly women up to 96 years of age! So, in answer to the above question, unless you have already or are about to receive a birthday card from the king having hit your century, it is definitely not too late!

What should I do to start or get back on track?
Having established that not all hope is lost when your body clock moves beyond your 20’s, the question remains as to what you should be doing to start or maintain your active lifestyle. If you have read any of the previous journal articles on this site you will be aware that there is no one right form of exercise or mandatory type of training and that the key is doing something (anything!), doing it consistently and making it enjoyable (this is going to help with keeping consistent).

You do not need to start hammering yourself into the ground from the get-go with 2 hour long gym sessions, hours of running or insane high intensity classes. These are things you can work up to and use sparingly if you wish, but the reality is that you can become much fitter and healthier in a much more sustainable and accessible way.

In the previous section we said that the research showed the benefits of “adequate” exercise and activity are huge. What is adequate will look different for each person, but it does give the reassurance that it should not take inordinate amounts of time to make long lasting and significant changes.

Just upping daily activity levels can make a huge difference. Walking rather than driving where possible or going for a stroll in a lunch break can all add up. There has been a huge amount of attention placed in recent years on getting 10,000 steps a day, sound advice for people to aim for. However, a meta-analysis by Banach (2023) found that even moving up to as little as 2,500/4,000 steps per day will have been have benefits for those people who are currently sedentary and as little as 4,000 steps per day are needed to significantly reduce all-cause mortality. That’s not to say don’t aim higher but it does show that excessive changes are not needed to see significant improvements. This overall increased activity contributes greatly to your metabolic demands more so than a single hour at the gym, so get moving. This simple increased daily activity, along with an appropriate change in dietary habits, often forms the basis of consistent and sustainable weight loss.

Just getting more movement during the day is likely going to have a positive impact on overall aerobic fitness. Increased step count by walking is definitely a good start and may even be sufficient for many. To see further improvements, incorporating some slightly higher intensities may be of benefit. Please note higher intensity does not necessarily mean ending up in a sweaty heap on the floor but could be as little as getting slightly more out of breath. Working at significantly higher intensities does have benefits but needs to be progressed towards and often will not form the majority of someone’s training (despite what social media may suggest). Higher intensity work does not have to be running if that’s not your thing or is unachievable through injury. Utilising a bike, rowing machine or going for a swim is a great alternative that is not as impactful on the joints as running. It could also be a dance class, weights circuit classes or anything else that helps get that heart rate up, remember try to make it fun.

Strength or resistance training is hugely important. I know not everyone has the goals of getting muscular. Viewing strength training solely as a means to getting big and muscular or for purely aesthetic reasons is missing a huge amount of the benefits that can be gleaned for general health, wellbeing and longevity. Again, we don’t need to head to a gym and absolutely smash ourselves into the ground with a session. Marini et al (2008) conducted a study on 20 men aged 60-80 years and found that including strength training 3 days a week for 18 weeks saw improvements in the dynamic characteristics of the muscle with increased strength. Of real importance here is that the study concluded that to see these results the participants only needed to take part in low to medium intensity sessions, again showing we do not need to take every session to the extreme. Within this study the greatest increases in strength were shown to occur in the lower limbs, which in relation to fall prevention in older age is encouraging news. The study concluded that strength training could be an effective counter measure against the loss of muscle mass but it should be personalised and adapted to the persons age and/or disability. This is where the guidance of a trainer or coach could come into play.

Getting more movement in your day-to-day life, along with some form of strength training and activities that are going to improve your aerobic fitness are going to see the greatest benefits. It is important to remember though that just doing something to get started is the vital part.

Summary
I am currently playing rugby in a veterans team (all aged over 35) where at 41 I am probably considered to be a “young pup.” In a discussion last season with some of our of oldest players (we have a number still playing competitive rugby in their late 50’s and two who are now over 60!), I heard the following phrase: “you don’t stop because you get old, you get old because you stop.” Some wise words from some wise old heads. It doesn’t mean that you have to jump back into full competitive sport, but it is definitely something to consider when you may be thinking that age is a barrier to activity.

You can absolutely get into shape, improve strength and aerobic fitness into your 40’s, 50’s and well beyond, but you do have to start for that to happen. Its never too late (remember the gains made by women up to 96 years young). So pick something, even if that is a dedication to upping your daily step count and start moving the dial towards becoming more active. The research shows the risks of not getting moving as you age, so the real question is probably can you afford not to start.

So perhaps, despite Roger Murtaghs concerns, you are not too old for this shit at all! In actual fact, the best day to start is today, irrespective of your age.

Good Luck

If you feel inspired to get started, or are already on track but need a bit of guidance please feel to get in contact. I am happy to provide help and advice as well as offering paid services as detailed within the site.