It feels good to exercise. No matter what form of fitness you’re into, every time you do it, you know that you’re benefiting your heart, brain and mental health. If you go to the gym, you might get inspiration for what exercise moves to do by watching what the people around you are doing. While this may seem like a good idea, it can actually be dangerous. You have no idea if the person you’re mimicking is knowledgeable about how to exercise safely and even if the move they’re doing is safe for them, it may not be safe for you.
In fact, there’s one super popular exercise move a physical therapist says she sees people over 50 doing regularly that she says is actually harmful.
Related: The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You're Over 60 and Want To Stay Healthy
The Stretching Exercise People Over 50 Should Avoid, According to a Physical Therapist
Physical therapist and health coach Dr. Shawn Weiss, DPT , says one popular exercise move she often sees people doing but doesn’t recommend to anyone—especially people 50 and older—is neck rolls. “I am not a fan of neck rolls or neck circles for anyone,” she warns. Dr. Weiss explains that neck rolls can increase the risk of a spinal injury by forcing the cervical spine to move outside of the normal limits of joint motion.
While neck circles can increase the risk of a cervical spine injury for anyone, people 50 and older are particularly at risk because bones become weaker with age, making them more prone to injury. Neck muscles also get weaker with age. Scientific research shows that neck strength decreases by between 35% and 45% between the ages of 20 and 60 years.
Additionally, Dr. Weiss says that neck rolls can also pose a risk of compression on the arteries. The movement of rolling the neck compresses both the jugular vein and carotid arteries (located on each side of the neck), which can negatively impact blood pressure and could lead to nerve damage. “Those with arthritic conditions in the spine should definitely avoid this popular warm-up stretch,” Dr. Weiss says.
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How to Exercise Safely After 50
Regarding exercising safely after 50, Dr. Weiss has two main pieces of advice: do it regularly and ensure you have proper form. “It’s important for those over 50 to move their body daily,” she says. “Move it or lose it rings true.”
She recommends talking to your doctor before starting an exercise regime if you have an underlying health condition. If you’re not sure what form of exercise to start with, Dr. Weiss recommends walking. “ Walking is the best form of exercise for maintaining bone density, improving cardiovascular endurance and improving muscle strength. It also relieves stress, improves sleep and reduces depression and anxiety,” she says.
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Lindy Royer, NCPT, a physical therapist, pain expert, Pilates teacher and Balanced Body educator, also recommends daily exercise. She says that one common exercise mistake people 50 and older make is not exercising during the week and then overdoing it on the weekends. “Those over 50 need to stop engaging in ‘weekend warrior’ behaviors. Just because you were able to do something well in your 20s or 30s, don’t assume you can jump in and perform at the same level in your 50s without training,” she says.
If you haven’t exercised in a while (or ever), Royer recommends starting slowly and working up to more strenuous exercises gradually. “At first, you may need to take a day in between workouts to recover, but over time you’ll build up more tolerance and can increase the number of days you work out per week, or increase the length of time you work out,” she says.
Royer adds that it can also be helpful to work with a trainer to learn how to exercise safely. If you’re older than 50, she recommends seeking out a trainer who is specifically trained to work with your age group.
“Although we lose strength, mobility, coordination and balance as we get older, it’s been proven definitively through countless research studies that we can dramatically reduce these consequences through exercise. With training, we can build muscle mass, improve mobility and balance and restore function,” Royer says.
The benefits of exercising regularly are clear, but it’s important to make sure you’re exercising in a way that protects your body from injury—and that means no more neck rolls! That way, you can stay active for many years to come.
Next up, see the four workouts that a 54-year-old who is in the best shape of her life swears by.
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