“Everyone is healthier and better with vigorous exercise and proper diet/sleep.”
Depends. George Sheehan noted his run times as he aged. As he got older, he had his best race times by running less frequently. As a teen, he could train twice a day. In his 70s, IIRC, he got his best times by running a couple times a week.
Injuries may also sculpt what your exercise program needs to look like. I’ve got friends in their 60s who can bike but not run. My knees prefer running to biking. And I remain convinced that walking 3-4 miles/day is a great exercise even though it is not “vigorous”. Much of the benefit of running with just a fraction of the potential for damage.
“Injuries may also sculpt what your exercise program needs to look like. I’ve got friends in their 60s who can bike but not run. My knees prefer running to biking. And I remain convinced that walking 3-4 miles/day is a great exercise even though it is not “vigorous”. Much of the benefit of running with just a fraction of the potential for damage.”
True
I have a knee that dictates bike, not walking or running.
Here’s what I mean by “vigorous”.
5xweek LISS (low intensity, steady state cardio at 60-65% of max) for 30 mins.
2xweek HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training, cardio should hit 95% of max at least 3 times)
3xweek Weight train a different muscle group to failure (chest/triceps, biceps/back, legs/trunk).
For some folks that’s lame. I know when I was 30 I could do HIIT 5xweek.
Other folks think it’s far too much.
I just call it vigorous.
But weight training is essential.
Cardio only leave an older person with absolutely NO muscle mass and prone to injury picking up milk at the grocery store.