Too old to start cycling @ 70?

[FrenchieBoy]

OK, long story short I am just 3 weeks off 70, 5' 6" tall, 44 waist, 14 stone 10 pounds and have a BMI of 36(ish), basically I have turned into a right fat and very unhealthy old git since stopping shooting a couple of years ago so at last I have decided to do something about it!
First of all I had a chat with a member of The Stalking Directory who knows what he is talking about regarding diet and exercise, and for once I actually listened to someone AND took notice of what they said, and I am very thankful to him for his time and information, so now I have changed my diet and eat more healthily and I snack a lot less (Still a bit of work to do on the snacking) - I have to admit that I still enjoy 2 (500ml) bottles of beer each night, maybe I ought to whittle that down to 1 per night.
Regarding exercise up until recently the only exercise I got was taking the dog for short walks half a dozen times a day which wasn't doing very much towards "burning off any fat".
Now that the Crown Green Bowling season has just started again I bowl for about two and a half hours per day which involved a fair bit of walking and bending and that is helping a bit but the biggest change is that I made was deciding to buy a mountain bike. Now I know what I have said in the past about these "Lycra Clad Clowns" on bikes on the road but this is slightly different (And maybe now I am seeing them in a "slightly" different light). I do my cycling around Hollingworth Lake which has a Footpath/Horse Riding Trail/ Bike Track all the way around it. The distance around the lake is 2.5 miles so I put the bike in the back of the car and drive to Hollingworth and then cycle round the lake twice every day, 5 miles in total! The first couple of days my legs felt like they were on fire and I was knackered after just one circuit however now I am starting to really enjoy it and have got my time down to exactly 15 minutes per circuit, and that's without pushing myself too hard, I'm still trying to get my leg muscles to accept cycling but I'm getting there! I am hoping that in time as my legs and body get used to the exercise and loose a few pounds from my "spare tyre" I will be able to up the two laps to maybe 4 or more each day buy that however is in the future, after all I am still quite a fat and grossly overweight old fart at the moment!
The difference it is making is that I have just weighed myself and in just 4 days I am already down to 14 stone and 5 pounds, not a lot of difference admittedly but that to me is a fair start and I am starting to feel a bit better about myself knowing that I am trying to do something positive, and now I can actually bend down to tie my shoe laces without it feeling like really hard work!
My aim is to get to 14 stone by my 70th birthday in 3 weeks time and carry on from there with the intention of eventually getting down to around 13 stone AND STAYING THERE and just as importantly feeling better about myself!
Some might say that trying to start cycling at 70 is not the best of ideas but I say it is never too late so "On yer bike"!
Do any of you guys have any thoughts or any tips on weight loss and fitness with "Senior Citizens", and before any of you start to think it - NO, I DO NOT AND WILL NOT WEAR LYCRA for fear of looking like a wrinkled Humpty Dumpty?

 

[Woodsmoke]

I loved my mountain bike1 I didn't ever do anything serious on it, but I had direct access to some forestry tracks that let me cycle for miles. My ex' buggered off with it when she left, and I never got around to replacing it. Wish I had though, as it was a seriously-good form of exercise. I say go for it!

And your lycra decision is a good one

 

[Smelly Yeti]

Great way of exercising - hope you reach your goals

 

[T.eddie]

Well done on the results so far!
The only thing i would say is not to give up but also don't over exert, the last thing you want is an injury that puts you on the back foot again.

If your enjoying the cycling keep at it, you can those little bits that go on the back wheel so you can use the bike indoors if you can't get out for whatever reason (not so much a problem in the weather we have now but during the winter it may come in handy)

But as long as your enjoying it that should keep you going, get used to it then set yourself some personal challenges

 

[Malxwal]

Unless otherwise instructed by a medical professional, excercise is always good, both for your physical and mental health. Good on you for going for it !

 

[NigelM]

Never too old to cycle. Fantastic non impact exercise - easy on the joints. A little harder on the arse bet it gets easier.

Get a heart rate monitor. The best way to KNOW how hard you're pushing yourself. Fat burn zone is 120-140 bpm and aim to stay in that zone. If you don't over exert you can only do yourself good.

An hour a day and the weight will fall off if that's your aim.

 

[bobthedug]

OK, long story short I am just 3 weeks off 70, 5' 6" tall, 44 waist, 14 stone 10 pounds and have a BMI of 36(ish), basically I have turned into a right fat and very unhealthy old git since stopping shooting a couple of years ago so at last I have decided to do something about it!
First of all I had a chat with a member of The Stalking Directory who knows what he is talking about regarding diet and exercise, and for once I actually listened to someone AND took notice of what they said, and I am very thankful to him for his time and information, so now I have changed my diet and eat more healthily and I snack a lot less (Still a bit of work to do on the snacking) - I have to admit that I still enjoy 2 (500ml) bottles of beer each night, maybe I ought to whittle that down to 1 per night.
Regarding exercise up until recently the only exercise I got was taking the dog for short walks half a dozen times a day which wasn't doing very much towards "burning off any fat".
Now that the Crown Green Bowling season has just started again I bowl for about two and a half hours per day which involved a fair bit of walking and bending and that is helping a bit but the biggest change is that I made was deciding to buy a mountain bike. Now I know what I have said in the past about these "Lycra Clad Clowns" on bikes on the road but this is slightly different (And maybe now I am seeing them in a "slightly" different light). I do my cycling around Hollingworth Lake which has a Footpath/Horse Riding Trail/ Bike Track all the way around it. The distance around the lake is 2.5 miles so I put the bike in the back of the car and drive to Hollingworth and then cycle round the lake twice every day, 5 miles in total! The first couple of days my legs felt like they were on fire and I was knackered after just one circuit however now I am starting to really enjoy it and have got my time down to exactly 15 minutes per circuit, and that's without pushing myself too hard, I'm still trying to get my leg muscles to accept cycling but I'm getting there! I am hoping that in time as my legs and body get used to the exercise and loose a few pounds from my "spare tyre" I will be able to up the two laps to maybe 4 or more each day buy that however is in the future, after all I am still quite a fat and grossly overweight old fart at the moment!
The difference it is making is that I have just weighed myself and in just 4 days I am already down to 14 stone and 5 pounds, not a lot of difference admittedly but that to me is a fair start and I am starting to feel a bit better about myself knowing that I am trying to do something positive, and now I can actually bend down to tie my shoe laces without it feeling like really hard work!
My aim is to get to 14 stone by my 70th birthday in 3 weeks time and carry on from there with the intention of eventually getting down to around 13 stone AND STAYING THERE and just as importantly feeling better about myself!
Some might say that trying to start cycling at 70 is not the best of ideas but I say it is never too late so "On yer bike"!
Do any of you guys have any thoughts or any tips on weight loss and fitness with "Senior Citizens", and before any of you start to think it - NO, I DO NOT AND WILL NOT WEAR LYCRA for fear of looking like a wrinkled Humpty Dumpty?

I got into cycling again when I was around 50.
I started off on an old mountain bike for the trails around here but borrowed a road bike and loved it. Modern bikes are so light however my first purchase was padded shorts!
Fast forward 10 years and I've a couple of bikes, my kids and wife enjoy it as well.
And I wear the lycra!
This is a top I got for Christmas. Very appropriate for me!

 

[JTO]

Go to Holland & Barrett and get some Musselflex/similar tablets to lubricate your knees and hips if you intend to get your weight off by cycling. I would say you would do better walking briskly the same route. Aim at walking the 2.5 miles in 40 minutes.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Thanks for the positive comments. I am in the process of getting a heart monitor for when I am cycling (I realise that I need to keep an eye on the old ticker as I have already been treated twice in the past for heart attacks) and a pedometer to see exactly how far I walk when I'm bowling!
To JTO - I hear what you are saying but I am really starting to enjoy my cycling, I still do and will continue to do a bit of walking whenever I go to out local nature reserve for some wildlife photography so maybe try to get the best of both worlds!

 

[flatliner]

Never too old mate. Just go at your own pace and build from there.

 

[Stringer]

Unless otherwise instructed by a medical professional, excercise is always good, both for your physical and mental health. Good on you for going for it !

Totally agree, but unless you are capable of very high levels of excercise I have found it to be of little use for weight loss. I speak as an ex marathon runner (stopped by injury) that has struggled with weight gain despite moderate exercise since my running carrer came to an end.

Diet is 100% the key to weight loss. Look into low carb/high fat/keto/carnivore etc on youTube. Dr Ken Berry is a good start. At 1st it seems a bit counter intuitive but it works and I haven't felt as good in years since I drastically reduced carbs (save for a few beers at the weekend).

 

[Fair Hill]

Fair play to you FrenchieBoy, takes a lot of courage and discipline to undertake what you are doing. Don't deprive yourself of the couple of beers as long as you are enjoying them.

 

[Rasputin]

Totally agree, but unless you are capable of very high levels of excercise I have found it to be of little use for weight loss. I speak as an ex marathon runner (stopped by injury) that has struggled with weight gain despite moderate exercise since my running carrer came to an end.

Diet is 100% the key to weight loss. Look into low carb/high fat/keto/carnivore etc on youTube. Dr Ken Berry is a good start. At 1st it seems a bit counter intuitive but it works and I haven't felt as good in years since I drastically reduced carbs (save for a few beers at the weekend).

This ^^^ diet is key to weight loss the old move more eat less adage has been shown to be outdated and inefficient.

Regarding cycling my two cents are that you couldn’t pay me to cycle outdoors anymore. There was a time when I did the commute and weekends but with the idiots on the road and poor quality surfaces not a chance I would go back to it. However I had a bad accident a few years ago and my weight ballooned as a result I found having the bike indoors and cycling for an hour a morning at a steady pace whilst watching g the tv or reading cut the weight off very quickly.

 

[dartmoordog]

I actually don’t think you are overweight FB...........Your just not tall enough.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

I actually don’t think you are overweight FB...........Your just not tall enough.

So maybe a few days being stretched on "The Rack" might help then!

 

[FrenchieBoy]

This ^^^ diet is key to weight loss the old move more eat less adage has been shown to be outdated and inefficient.

Regarding cycling my two cents are that you couldn’t pay me to cycle outdoors anymore. There was a time when I did the commute and weekends but with the idiots on the road and poor quality surfaces not a chance I would go back to it. However I had a bad accident a few years ago and my weight ballooned as a result I found having the bike indoors and cycling for an hour a morning at a steady pace whilst watching g the tv or reading cut the weight off very quickly.

I have to agree with you that there are far too many idiots driving on the roads nowadays which is why I do my cycling around the tracks and "off road", which is why I opted for a mountain Bike rather than a road bike! The only issue I have come against so far are the few people with unruly/undisciplined dogs off the lead which try to run across in front of you when you are near enough level with them!

 

[devon deer stalker]

Good on you taking measures to get fitter.
I don't cycle, but run, our club closed down down due to covid, I prefer to run with company, so I didn't do any running in the past 12 months, result, 19lb weight gain.
But back at it next month.
Don't be driven by time, not a problem when we were younger (I'm soon 61) by over exertion can kill us!
Cheers
Richard

 

[Malxwal]

Totally agree, but unless you are capable of very high levels of excercise I have found it to be of little use for weight loss. I speak as an ex marathon runner (stopped by injury) that has struggled with weight gain despite moderate exercise since my running carrer came to an end.

Diet is 100% the key to weight loss. Look into low carb/high fat/keto/carnivore etc on youTube. Dr Ken Berry is a good start. At 1st it seems a bit counter intuitive but it works and I haven't felt as good in years since I drastically reduced carbs (save for a few beers at the weekend).

There's no doubt it gets harder to shift the fat as you get older. And your experience of reducing carb intake tallies with my own and what many others reckon, your insides just feel happier.
It's a bugger I like nothing better than beer and bread

 

[Feugh]

Never too old to cycle. Fantastic non impact exercise - easy on the joints. A little harder on the arse bet it gets easier.

Get a heart rate monitor. The best way to KNOW how hard you're pushing yourself. Fat burn zone is 120-140 bpm and aim to stay in that zone. If you don't over exert you can only do yourself good.

An hour a day and the weight will fall off if that's your aim.

Sounds like you're doing everything right - diet and exercise are the way. Take care about using heart rate data if you're not 100% sure what you're doing. As a rule of thumb your MAXIMUM heart rate is 220 - your age. Therefore you're absolute maximum (theoretically) is 150bpm, and I wouldn't recommend pushing yourself anywhere close to that. Your fat burning zone is ~60%-70% of your maximum, so a little lower than suggested above. I used to use a HRM religiously but nowadays, now that I'm not a serious athlete, I am more likely to go on how things feel and whether I can keep up a conversation whilst riding (which I should be able to do, but only just).
With respect to lycra, cycling shorts do relieve chafing in your nether regions, and you can wear them under something else so that the rest of the population are not subjected to the sight of you in tight spandex! They're worth considering.
You can't out-train a bad diet, but it sounds like you're getting on top of that already. A few years ago I largely cut out processed carbs (sugary snacks, bread and pasta in particular) and upped my intake of fresh fruit and veg. My insides immediately felt much better for it and my energy levels were greater (and more constant. No post lunch slump).
Good luck with your goals - it's all about feeling good and I'm sure you will.

 

[FrenchieBoy]

Thanks for that Feugh, much appreciated! From what you are saying it would seem that my max heart rate should be around 150 and my fat burning zone would be around 90-105. I think that's correct, but I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong.
The main reason for a HRM is that I have a history of heart "problems" so I need to be a little on my guard there. When I was recovering from my last heart attack I was having Physio at Burnley Hospital and the young lady who was running the physio classes was constantly pulling me up and telling me off for driving myself too hard and sending my heart rate sky high, especially when on an exercise bike so that is something I need to be constantly aware of.