Best sports for minimizing bone impact and other factors....

[recycled sixtie]

I would appreciate info from anybody about optimal activities for aging bodies?
Is cycling the best all round fitness activity? Walking?

I see more older cyclists than runners. Any info would be appreciated.

[masraum]

Yoga.

Swimming.

[stevej37]

Cycling is easy on the joints imo.
I am 6 weeks out from surgery..a rod inserted from hip to knee. Cycling is easier for me than walking at this time. The muscles are weaker in that leg for cycling, but walking makes the leg sore from the jarring.

[rwest]

Cycling on a properly set up bike should have minimal negative impact on your joints. Cycling might be easy on your body when done right, but accidents can be severe because of speed and distance to ground.

Walking is pretty easy on your body, although my experience walking a dog 5 miles a day instead of biking is that walking is almost worthless as an exercise unless you really push it.

Swimming probably is going to be the best for minimizing chances for injury and getting a good workout.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by masraum

Yoga.

Swimming.

+++

I took a YMCA class, Aquathenics, when I was involved with USTA tennis tournaments.
Amazing how much I would sweat in 5 ft. of water.
.
Also, walking, tennis, picklelball.

[id10t]

As mentioned, yoga and swimming. I'll add in Tai Chi

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

+++

I took a YMCA class, Aquathenics, when I was involved with USTA tennis tournaments.
Amazing how much I would sweat in 5 ft. of water.
.
Also, walking, tennis, picklelball.

Yeah, probably any exercise that involves water should be very low impact, but the water also provides resistance so increases the work you've got to do.

I would think that Tennis would be as bad or worse than running because of all of the quick changes of direction back and forth across the court, but I may be way off since I've never really played.

[island911]

Run stairs. (up; elevator down)

[Don Ro]

Years ago, during my USTA days, I would vigorously walk the hills behind Stanford U. (Palo Alto, CA).
On the steep hills I'd walk them backwards for building my thighs, especially the vastus medialis obliques. Walk backwards up, frontwards down, and then back up...several times.
.
Also, I'd run the bleachers at San Jose State U. stadium. But I stopped that after I began to walk the Stanford U. hills.
Walking the hills for a few months I noticed my tennis shorts becoming tight around my thighs.

[Nickshu]

Cycling is great but I have two buddies both permanently disabled from bicycling accidents. One mountain bike vs rock the other road bike vs car. I guess nothing is completely safe.

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[Cajundaddy]

Cycling, walking, swimming, yoga, and tai chi are all very low impact sports that allow us old dudes to keep fit without inducing a bunch of pain and injury. A good fit with the bike, proper shoes, and ramping up our activity gradually are also important pieces of the fitness puzzle.

My current choice at 61 yrs is walking and I need boots fitted with orthotics to keep everything lined up and prevent foot pain. I would like to add swimming but don't have a convenient pool nearby right now that I could use several time a week.

[Rodsrsr]

Walking is an exercise if your 80 plus years of age....

[jyl]

Check out recumbent bikes as well as standard bikes.

I am not a recumbent lover, but we do have one and I've logged some miles on it. Pros: no saddle issues, easy to get a good fit, crash into things with your legs not your head. Cons: less visibility and maneuverability in traffic, takes time to learn to ride, harder to transport.

[jcommin]

I'm 66. I recently signed up for a yoga class. I really like it. I'm stretching body parts that I thought I could never stretch. I also bike - it is low impact on my body.

[fanaudical]

+1 for recumbents - I've been riding one for 20+ years. (I'm still a "young guy" - started riding 'bents following a bad bike wreck.)

There are recumbent models out there with the limitations you mention, but there are also models that are visible and maneuverable in traffic. I'd look at a Lightning Phantom or P-38 or a Rans Rocket as a starting point if you intent to be riding in traffic. If you have access to trails and are mostly traffic-free, then something like a Greenspeed trike starts to make sense. Shorter-wheelbase recumbents can be transported on regular bike racks.

That said, a bike will focus on mostly lower-body and cardio if you push it. I agree that swimming is still one of the best all-around toning and low-impact exercises.

If you don't like water, have you considered bouldering or rock-climbing? Not a lot of cardio (unless things go wrong) but reasonable at building strength and agility. Indoor climbing gyms provide many different "work-out paths" and usually lots of help.

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by Rodsrsr

Walking is an exercise if your 80 plus years of age....

Haha, hardly. It is form of exercise you can do any day in nearly all weather anywhere in the world. If you choose a boring walk, that's on you.

[sc_rufctr]

The safest is a stationary bike in your living room.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Cycling- low impact until you crash. Then it's high impact.

So don't crash.

[Esel Mann]

Being an active person I am surrounded by people of all age groups from young to old who are very active as well. For seniors I'm observing first hand (in numbers) the following activities (in no particular order):

- Sex. Ok perhaps I haven't 'seen' this one, but I certainly heard it in the hotel room next door!
- Running: road, track, treadmill
- Walking: on/off road, hiking, speed
- Cycling: outdoor, stationary
- Swimming
- Body pump
- Weights
- Pickleball
- Tennis
- Kayaking/sculling/paddleboarding
- Yoga

As you can see that is no short list, and I again I see seniors doing any of the above in numbers. As such, I cannot see how there is a 'best' or 'optimal' overall. It totally depends upon the individual.

[carambola]

so what i'm getting from this is you join an eastern unicycle water polo marathon team and you are good to go