Fitness is a huge concern for women over 50 and many of us take it very seriously. Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to stay healthy and look younger. No beauty device can replace it. But finding the best program to meet our aging and changing bodies is not always easy. In my opinion, exercise should be fun and not torture.
Going to the gym isn’t always convenient and can be expensive. A 20-year-old trainer may ask you to do exercises that could cause you to get hurt. That’s why knowing where to find online exercise programs specifically designed for older women is helpful. A well-balanced fitness routine will focus on core strength, balance, and flexibility because we become prone to falls or other disabling injuries as we age.
Fitness over 50 is not just about losing and maintaining weight. It is the least important thing about it. Being fit is more about feeling good in your body and mind, enjoying overall health, and reducing stress.
Embrace this mantra. . .
The more I move, the longer I can move.
Once you stop moving, it’s harder to move later in life. There are ninety-year old’s still picking olives and staying active all over the world. They are constantly active, walk everywhere, garden, do laundry, care for animals, or do other physical activities. Most have never seen the inside of a gym.
Adopt an overall fitness body regime
My favorite exercise is walking because it’s excellent for cardio and heart health. It also gets me out into nature which is great for stress reduction. However, you do not have to complete 10,000 steps to receive results. Just make it a habit to walk throughout the day
Combine walking with balance and flexibility movements such as Yoga and Tai Chi. Yoga integrates movement with mindfulness and breath. It nurtures physical and mental health. It helps those with joint stiffness, reduced flexibility, and weaker muscles. This makes it easier to reach objects and to maintain balance while moving. Chair yoga has become popular, especially for seniors with mobility issues.
Tai Chi offers a blend of graceful movements and mindfulness. It combines physical activity with mental calm. Its slow, deliberate movements improve balance, coordination, and muscle strength. Both Tai Chi and yoga practices reduce the risks of falls in seniors. They also alleviate stress and promote relaxation.
It’s also important to incorporate lightweight strength training exercises to maintain bone density which weakens as we age. Lightweight training reduces muscle loss and improves mobility and balance.
Seniors are staying active and even running marathons but you must find something right for you. You can do all sorts of exercises in the comfort of your home without leaving home or spending money. Chair exercises, for example, are a great way to stay active, especially if you have limited mobility or prefer low-impact workouts.
To make it easy for you, I have curated a list of online exercise programs that cover all the basics and preferences for older women’s fitness. Please click on the links and have fun trying them out.
The best online exercise programs for women over 50
These fitness programs are appropriate and safe for active women over 50. If you want to get rid of middle-aged spread, flabby arms, and feel better all over what do you have to lose?
1. Silver Sneakers
If you are eligible for Medicare (at 65) in the U.S., you can join a Silver Sneakers program. It is included in most Medicare Advantage Programs. I signed on with my health plan and was given a free fitness tracker. (with options for other free goodies) and a free gym membership at my local fitness center. Silver Sneakers is also available online for your convenience. If you are mobility challenged there are chair exercises you can participate in.
2. Debra Atkinson
Debra Atkinson is the founder of the website Flipping 50. She’s been featured on numerous media outlets like The Huffington Post, Prevention, and Living Better 50, to name a few. Her YouTube TV channel Flipping 50 TV offers a variety of exercise videos for women over 50.
Her main focus is strength training and she will show you how to perform exercises in a way that’s safe and effective. She likes to work with a combination of light to heavy weights because each has a particular set of benefits. Do you have an issue with belly fat? Debra’s a fabulous resource to get rid of it forever.
3. Zumba Fitness App
Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance workout that is fun for all ages. It’s my favorite way to exercise because I love to dance and LOVE Latin rhythm. The Zumba fitness app allows you to find a class that will work for any level. If you want to have fun while you exercise, I highly recommend it. The app offers on-demand classes and helps you find local Zumba classes near you.
4. Lori Michiel Fitness Inc
Lori Michiel has designed a series of online exercises for seniors to help you stretch, improve your range of motion, strengthen your muscles, and reduce pain. She’s a Brooklyn-born woman over 60 who lives in Los Angeles and works with seniors. Her individual and group exercise routines address those who may be dealing with Parkinson’s, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
Subscribe to her YouTube Channel here.
5. Be Healthy Enough
Amy Van Liew posts online exercises for seniors on her website Be Healthy Enough. She will help you get moving even as the aches and pains of age creep in. Numerous exercise options and over 130 workout videos can be accessed on her site.
Sign up for her next challenge by signing up for her FREE Fit Over 50 – Beginner 4 Week Program. It’s an easy-to-follow program with daily beginner workouts for a whole month; Strength Training, Core Work, Stretching, Low Impact Warm-Up. All are laid out in a 4-week plan.
6. Nia On Demand Movement Classes
Nia on Demand combines dance, Tai Chi, martial arts, and more but you don’t have to be perfect at it as long as you move. As a woman over 60, I found it relaxing but also invigorating. It is almost spiritual in a sense. There is a large selection of classes that are different lengths and styles. I enjoyed its Quick Nia classes that are 20 -30 minutes which is just right for my aging body.
7. Ballet-Based Movement
Did you ever dream about becoming a ballet dancer when you were young? Susan Jacobson teaches simple online ballet-based movement exercises using her 70-ish mother as an example that can be done at home. It’s made for beginners so your fitness level doesn’t matter and no ballet experience is needed. Her mother told me, in an interview, that the movement exercises helped her physically and mentally improve her fitness levels.
8. Fabulous 50s
The Fabulous 50s YouTube channel with Schellea Fowler has become a favorite of mine and my roommates. We do a 15-30-minute segment with her almost every day.
In addition to her fitness videos, her channel focuses on lifestyle and healthy living. Her fun and effective workouts incorporate strength training, balance, fat-burning, and more. Most have you walking for 30 seconds and then doing a standing exercise. This repeats throughout the video so there is no choreography to learn, which my non-dance-oriented roommates love. The time goes fast, her voice is soothing and is pleasant to listen to, which isn’t always the case on YouTube.
Here is an example of one of the 30-minute workouts with her we’ve been doing.
9. Body Groove
If you enjoy free-form dancing, you will love Body Groove. It’s designed for all ages and you can do it at your own pace. Misty Tripoli leads the class and there are no rules. You can rock out or move in whatever way fits your mood and fitness level. She also includes stretching and flexibility exercises. I always have a blast doing her workouts.
10. TheOptimal.me – Functional Movement exercises
TheOptimal.me is an extensive online collection of Integrated Movement Routines that will help you move more freely with less pain. It was founded by Liz Grantham who is in her 50s and feeling great today, but six years ago she was not.
Her journey to wellness led her to functional movement and Integrated Movement Routines (IMRs) with functional movement expert, Jannie Claassen. Bringing on board chronic pain management physiotherapist, Simone Levy, Liz brought Jannie’s routines online and created TheOptimal.me so that others could benefit from IMRs.
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11. Healthwise Exercise TV
Healthwise Exercise TV, founded by Suzanne Andrews, is an online 40 + fitness channel that gives you access to many exercise modalities. It costs $19.99 monthly and has programs for functional fitness, circuit training, walking, strength training, and yoga. Its exercise programs work perfectly for seniors who have specific conditions like osteoporosis, stress, sleep disorders, painful joints, COPD, and more.
The series has been touted as one of the best exercise programs on PBS TV. You can also order her programs on DVDs.
Check out the Healthwise Exercise TV website here.
12. TherHab Fitness at Home
Patrice Hazan has a doctorate in Physical Therapy from Des Moines University and a Master’s degree in Gerontology from Roosevelt University. She is a board-certified geriatric clinical specialist and a member of the Academy of Geriatrics with the American Physical Therapy Association.
Her company, TherHab Fitness at Home offers live active aging classes online including aerobics, strength training, balance, core, yoga, and tai chi. You must sign up for an assessment by a physical therapist who will evaluate you and make recommendations based on your needs. Classes are available live online or via their video library.
To learn more about the program, click here.
13. YouTube
Sometimes I like to browse through YouTube to find exercise videos that are fun to do. If you search for “exercises for women over 50” you will find a wide variety. It’s a crapshoot, though. Some are good and some are downright awful but it’s a good way to add variety to your fitness routine. It all depends on what you like.
Other online fitness resources for women over 50
Over 50 Fitness DVDs on Amazon
Do you feel motivated to get in shape? I know I do. What are your favorite online exercise programs? Please leave a comment below.
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