Fifty Plus (50+) - Best riding for general fitness ?

So, for those of us who primarily want to stay in shape, avoid a heart attack, and keep our weight down... What kind of riding is best and is doing stuff like intervals bad/dangerous in any way? Is there danger in driving our heart rates up? Long slower rides better than shorter more intense rides?

An hour a day in zone 3 will do wonders for you. ;)

I think the standard Eddy Merckx quote applies. "Ride lots".

My credo is, that which does not kill you makes you stronger.

I sound like a broken record here, and this is pretty basic, but here are my thoughts.

The best riding is the riding which gets one out riding, and that generally - for most folks - is riding that provides pleasure and fun. IMHO and experience, some folks who ride for "fitness" - etc., don't ride for very long because they have not found the niche that fits who they are in bicycling.

For me, that is getting out regularly on fun trails, seeing and appreciating nature, meeting and chatting with folks. However, for others it is racing, pace lines and competing and challennging themselves, or commuting, or time trials, or cyclo cross or touring. All are good, all will keep you in better shape that sitting in front of the Tube.

I would not last more than one day at bicycling if racing was my activity. I have lasted 12 years at what I enjoy doing as described above. Therefore, what, at age 70, has kept my blood pressure down and my cholesterol way below 200, etc., etc., is the very fact that I bicycle, period - or it could be another activity, such as swimming - which I also do and enjoy. These motivations are likely to change over time, also.

I know that seems simple and doesn't have any charts or graphs. My axiom is - if you don't enjoy it - over a longer period of time - you won't do it. If you won't do it, you don't get the benefits,

Sorry to be so simplistic!!

First off, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. I see that disclaimer posted before every fitness show on TV. No one on the internet can judge you or your ability to perform at any level.

That said, we as human machines can improve throughout our life. The body does adapt to exercise stress though more gradually as we age. But you must understand that the body quickly gets used to a certain effort and if you don't change what you do once in a while that improvement will stall. So, I feel a best approach is to mix it up both in how you ride, how often you ride, the intensity you ride and when you rest. I would also recommend cross training with some weight bearing activity such as hiking and light weight lifting.

Only you can decide how much is too much. We are all capable of much more than we think but there are significant mental hurdles to overcome. Keeping it fun is the secret to long term participation. And remember, exercise is the fountain of youth. Stay thirsty my friend! LOL

I've decided that while "junk miles" may not hurt, but they don't necessarily help. These days I stress "quality over quantity" when I'm training, and I've noticed an improvement. YMMV.

If you live near the mountains, or even hills, ride them. It will make you the strongest rider you can be. You will notice flat rides being so much easier.:50:

Getting my heart rate up keeps me alive. :thumb:

To improve my stamina I push to the point of being able to pedal and still carry on a conversation.

If you want to get fit---Get a mountain bike- ride it offroad up on the hills on the rough ground- in the wind the rain and the snow-----And set yourself a goal for a years time of the hardest ride you can think of---And train hard for it.

2002 and I was just about to give up mountain biking after 12 years and go to the softer option of road riding. I'd had a couple of years of illness and pushing myself to the limit was not there and I was not enjoying it. Kill or Cure time so I set myself a goal of the hardest ride I had ever done in my life. 100 miles offroad in 1 day.That was in November. A full winter of Riding lots on the hills- Down to the Gym twice a week- extra rides in the evenings for 30 miles offroad and the ride was done in June 2003. It was hard but I did it. Couldn't believe it possible so I did it again in 2004/5 and 6.

So set yourself a goal of the hardest ride you can find for next year- And train for it. Not sugessting offroad- as not everyone enjoys that- but make certain that for you it will be a hard ride.

So my suggestion is as someone said-Quality miles--But the more of them you can do- The fitter you will become. But don't forget the Smiles either--Enjoy the riding- any riding

I've been using a heart monitor and have lost about 60lbs. I ride for fun but I do work at keeping my heart rate in a reasonably high place, aerobic but at the higher end. I'm 59 and a few months ago I entered a fun race, doing a 15 mile leg as part of a team. I pushed pretty hard and at the end of my section I had a small stroke. Lost some vision in one eye. Just lucky it wasn't worse. Now I'm encouraged by my doc to continue riding aerobically but I've been advised to not work so hard as to raise my heart rate near its' max. My max hr is something near 172 and now I keep my riding rate at a comfortable 146 for the most part. I find a HR monitor very useful to both encourage me to push a bit more when I start to daydream and to tone it down when I'm feeling tough and I push past 155. Time in the saddle is good anyway you do it, but making it good aerobic time is important to gaining fitness...and aerobic time doesn't have to be stressful at all.

So, for those of us who primarily want to stay in shape, avoid a heart attack, and keep our weight down... What kind of riding is best and is doing stuff like intervals bad/dangerous in any way? Is there danger in driving our heart rates up? Long slower rides better than shorter more intense rides?
　
Serious questions. Too serious to rely on forum snippets. Two suggested books are linked below.
　
The first book is from the popular literature and is excellent. Easy to read and provides over-all guidelines. It also provides a strong basis for the benefits of exercise.

It takes more than the bike. Weights are critical.

The second book is a science text book in beginning physiology. Not so readable, but the data curves (real data and not surveys) clearly show the benefits and the risks of strenuous physical activity. Risks are expressed as risk of death from all causes (vs sedentary) and risk of death while exercising compared to being at rest for different levels of fitness.

I used Google to get some definitions where I wanted more depth as I have no background in the subject matter. However, important to know information is understandable with out having to know much of the jargon.

I have spent some $250.00 on exercise/nutrition/health physiology books over the last three years. This was my first and is the simplest to read with meaningful real data rather than just opinion/theory.

The used books are better values.
　
Al
　
http://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Year-Strong-Beyond/dp/076114773X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283195295&sr=8-1 (mhtml:50B51C04-945D-42B7-B41C-6289B19CFA3Cmid://00000389/!x-usc:http://www.amazon.com/Younger-Next-Year-Strong-Beyond/dp/076114773X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283195295&sr=8-1)
　
http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Activity-Health-Claude-Bouchard/dp/0736050922/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283195412&sr=1-1 (mhtml:50B51C04-945D-42B7-B41C-6289B19CFA3Cmid://00000389/!x-usc:http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Activity-Health-Claude-Bouchard/dp/0736050922/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283195412&sr=1-1)

Individual physiology is so unique that it would be rather difficult to determine what is "best". What works for one may not work for another. In addition, staying in shape is a somewhat relative term. What I think being in shape is might be laughed at by some of the more hard core racers on this forum. I tend to think that Denver has hit an important point. If you like it, you're more likely to do it. If you are serious, a coach or trainer to help establish goals might be worth the time and expense.

Make your riding a part of your lifestyle.

In my case, I'm still working dammit - library cataloguer, does that ring someone's bell on here? Anyways, I commute by bike. I live 10 km from work, which isn't long enough, so I increased the ride to 18 km. I've recently pushed it out to 30 km. Mind you, I had a cheat in that my son was driving the car to school, catching the bus home and I only had to ride to his school to get the car, a nice 6 km ride at the end of the day. He's now got his own car (ahh, the joys of teenage freedom) so I'm going to have to ride home as well, but that's cool because it fits in with another step up in my riding program.

So, just by having the bike as part of my lifestyle, I get a pretty fair bit of riding done ... and if ever I'm too tired/lazy to ride to work, I just take one of the shorter routes or **gasp** the car. It also means that on weekends, I can ride for pleasure rather than having to 'do training'.

The long ride? Part of it is along the beach front, which is a nice reward for the extra distance. The fact that I feel better at work helps too.

The trick is to work the ride into your normal lifestyle. It's like diet - dieting doesn't work because you won't stick to it but if you eat an overall healthy diet ...

Richard

Whatever is convenient to you so you can ride more. I have a nice loop that leaves from my garage, loops around a couple of nearby neighborhoods, with some decent short hills. One lap is 15 miles, two laps are 30, etc. The more convenient the ride, the more you will ride.

+1 Allows you to build it into your routine.

I think the standard Eddy Merckx quote applies. "Ride lots".

And look out for cars.

I started cycling back in April because its the only exercise I've found that I can do. I have Lupus. If I walk very far my feet start swelling. If I use my hands very much they start swelling. Last winter I was on a Lupus forum and everyone was recomending exercise for autoimmune diseases. I explained my situation and one fellow told me to get a bicycle, the bike would not cause swelling of the hands and feet. April it finally warmed up so I purchased my first bicycle since my childhood. That fellow was right, no swelling. I've cycled over 1400 miles since April and I'm loving it. I've lost weight and my colesterol level has dropped. Still have the Lupus and I still get sick but life is a lot better. I met another rider on the local bike trail last week in the same situation I'm in. He has Lupus and rides. Tomorrow we are loading our bikes up and driving up to Virginia to ride part of the New River Trail. I'm grateful I discovered cycling. Its greatly improved the quality of my life.

^^^^Ooh, you'll like that trail. Very, very nice ride.

The old shot tower is a must stop and explore.

BTW did you know the New River is one of the oldest rivers, geologically speaking, in the world? Notice how far down in the granite your are as you ride along.

^^^^Ooh, you'll like that trail. Very, very nice ride.

The old shot tower is a must stop and explore.

BTW did you know the New River is one of the oldest rivers, geologically speaking, in the world? Notice how far down in the granite your are as you ride along. We are definitely going to check out the Shot Tower, I love history. I've also read the New River is the only river in the world that flows north.

We are definitely going to check out the Shot Tower, I love history. I've also read the New River is the only river in the world that flows north.
Rivers That Flow North
(actually downhill) in a northerly direction
http://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gif
THE FACTS: Unless the land it totally flat, rivers of water run downhill. The vast percentage of rivers on the planet flow in a southerly direction because the source (usually in the mountains) is to the north of the mouth.
http://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gifhttp://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gif If the source of a river is at a higher elevation than the mouth, that river will run from the source to the mouth. However, if that (higher) source is to the south of the mouth, that river will then flow to the north (downhill).
http://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gifhttp://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gif Below is a partial list of rivers (length listed when known) that do just that. We haven't listed rivers that run to the northwest, or rivers that don't meet the exact requirements.
http://www.worldatlas.com/text/dotclear.gif
Athabasca Alberta, Canada, 765 miles
Bann Northern Ireland
Bighorn Wyoming and Montana, USA, 336 miles
Cauca Colombia, 597 miles
Deschutes Oregon, USA, 250 miles
Eel Northern California, USA, 78 miles
Erne Ireland and Northern Ireland, 60 miles
Essequibo Guyana, 600 miles
Genesee New York, USA, 144 miles
Jordan Utah, USA, 45 miles
Lena Russian Federation, 2735 miles
Little Bighorn, Wyoming and Montana, USA, 80 miles
Magdalena Colombia, 1062 miles
Mojave Southern California, USA, 100 miles
Monongahela Eastern USA, 128 miles
New Virginia and West Virginia, USA, 255 miles
Niagara Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, 39 miles.
Nile Africa, 4150 miles
Ob Russian Federation, 2289 miles
Oswego New York, USA, 24 miles
Otter Creek Vermont, USA, 75 miles
Pend Oreille Washington, USA, 62 miles
Red Minnesota, North Dakota, USA (into Canada), 318 miles
Richelieu Quebec, Canada, 208 miles
Saginaw Michigan, USA, 20 miles.
Saint Johns Florida, USA, 275 miles
San Pedro Mexico (into Arizona), 142 miles
Shennandoah Virginia and West Virginia, USA, 55 miles
Wilamette Oregon, USA, 188 miles
Wallkill New Jersey, USA, length unknown
Yenisey Russian Federation, 2548 miles
Youghiogheny Eastern USA, 151 miles

you might want to pick up a computer if you haven't yet...get one with cadence....cannot stress that enough. It is the single thing that keeps my pace where i want to be, especially when i get dog tired and lazy, and start to slack off.
exercise efficiently, your knees and joints will thank you in 20 years

We are definitely going to check out the Shot Tower, I love history. I've also read the New River is the only river in the world that flows north.

Well it has some unique properties but it's not alone in flowing north. There's that other really old river, the Nile.

Here's a link to the Wiki. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_%28Kanawha_River%29)

Edit: I see DF noted this also.

Well it has some unique properties but it's not alone in flowing north. There's that other really old river, the Nile.

Here's a link to the Wiki. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_%28Kanawha_River%29)

Edit: I see DF noted this also.

I'm pretty fast! :)

So you want to be fit do you? And you want to use bicycling to achieve and maintain the fitness?

First off bicycling by itself won't give overall fitness. It will give fitness to certain body function groupls while essentially ignoring others. So, you must include some gym time for exercise and weight lifting. Getting the services of a knowledgable trainer who doesn't have different standards for old people vs. young people is very helpful.

Any exercise is good. More is better. Harder and longer is better yet. The more modern science knows the more it comes back to the rules of my youth: >As long as you can breathe and talk you are ok. >Every once in a while push it to the point you can't breathe and talk at the same time. >Most of the probem is in the mind, not the body so find some way to strengthen the weak one of the pair.

Those three rules combined with a spectrum of exercises will get you a long way in fitness.

There is a current fad that is counter productive; to keep you exercise heart rate down to some percentage of maximum. Or, to be afraid of exceeding some specified heart rate. Think about it. To go fast or strong or long your muscles need nourishment. That nourishment is food and oxygen. When they are straining they need lots of food and oxygen. To keep your heart rate down deprives them of what they need for maximum performance. So, don't worry about heart rate except to work to increase its' maximum rate and to, like any other machine, not run the heart at maximum all the time.

Following these general rules over the past couple years I've taken off 25 pounds(20 almost immediately two years ago), increased my maximum heart rate 20bpm and my longest ride from a struggling 10 miles to 65 miles with the limit being my sore butt, not the rest of my body. I have also developed enough strength to climb hills that before were more like walls than hills. I'm not unique. Many have gone this route. But it all started with a desire and enough sense to follow the time tested rules rather than some fad.

By the way: Diet is as important as exercise. High protein, low fat, lots of fruit and veggies. Rest is the third leg of the stool: I can tell the difference between general malaise and muscle fatigue. If it is muscle fatigue I rest some more. If in my mind I kick myself in the butt and off I go, the harder the better.

This has worked for generations and it works today.

This has worked for generations and it works today.

It's worked since before the evolution of **** Sapiens. Strenuous activity has gone from the work place for only about the last 50 to 100 years for the majority of the US population. It's still there in much of the third world.

Muscular, aerobically fit is the human default/designed-for condition by historical standards. Now we have to exercise during our recreational time to achieve that. That's the big change.

Al

I'm thinking about the lead character in the movie "Heaven Can Wait."

He's an ex athlete who is "brought to glory" by a heavenly clerical mistake. So he's given another chance at life by taking the body of an individual that was in less than ideal physical condition.

He cross trains. This includes cycling.

I have gone in and out of shape so many times I'm practically a physical yoyo. When I get sick of being a slug I start watching my caloric intake. This doesn't mean I quit eating. I try to match my intake to my outgo. I start slowly and keep ramping it up. I start to focus on the activity that is most accessible for aerobic exercise. Sometimes in my life this is not riding a bike. It has been running or swimming. I think I would love, and I think the proper term is telemark skiing, cross country skiing but the American SE seems to be my natural habitat.

Start slow. Mix it up. Watch what you eat. Have fun.

So, for those of us who primarily want to stay in shape, avoid a heart attack, and keep our weight down... What kind of riding is best and is doing stuff like intervals bad/dangerous in any way? Is there danger in driving our heart rates up? Long slower rides better than shorter more intense rides?

The best kind of riding is the kind that involves pedaling. Intervals are dangerous if they cause you to roll out in front of a car, if you do them without warming up first, or if you do too much for your present state of health.

Driving your heart rate up is the whole secret of fitness training.

Mix the two -- short intense rides do as much good as the longer slower ones, just in a different way.

Just make sure, since you're 50+, that your doc knows what you're doing, so he/she can make sure you're ready for it.

...
Just make sure, since you're 50+, that your doc knows what you're doing, so he/she can make sure you're ready for it.

It is good practice at any age to start exercise gradually. I think the youngest infarction type heart attack I personaly know of happened to a 26 year old. Arrythmia type heart attacks have happened to people even younger.

But, don't put too much faith in your body mechanic to pick up any latent problems. It is a lot like taking your car to the mechanic to see if it is working OK. The mechanic can do a look over, put the tester on it to see if there are any malfunction codes and give an opinion. But, that doesn't guarantee the car won't break down the next day. In the same way the doc can look you over, do some tests to see if anything is out of limits(not even as precise as the automotive testing) and render an opinion. No guarantees about tomorrow.

Much better to pay attention to your own body and not ignore any symptoms that occur.