Alphabet Soup of Fitness Advice -by Trish O’Neill
I’m pretty sure choosing exercise as an aging adult is harder than choosing a college major.
Everyone has an opinion
Walk 10,000 steps.
Lift weights.
Try Pilates.
Actually, reformer Pilates.
Swimming is better for your joints.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America.
Tai Chi improves balance.
After a while the advice starts to sound less like guidance and more like alphabet soup.
So I decided to step back and ask a different question.
Why Does it Matter?
My biggest concern about getting older isn’t wrinkles or gray hair. It’s losing strength and mobility. Because once mobility starts to decline, a lot of other health problems tend to follow. And the numbers are a little sobering:
About 40% of Americans over age 75 are completely inactive.
Only 16.8% of adults ages 65–74 meet both aerobic and strength guidelines recommended by the CDC.
By age 85, that number drops to just 6.2%.
Those statistics got my attention. I decided I didn’t want to drift quietly into the large majority who fall short of those guidelines. I wanted a realistic plan for staying fit as I get older. So I started asking people what they actually do for exercise.
The Alphabet Soup Problem
Here’s where the confusion began.
Friends, neighbors, doctors, and fellow retirees all had suggestions. Good ones too. But they were all different. Before long my list looked something like this:
10,000 steps
Pilates
Reformer Pilates
Strength training
Water aerobics
Swimming laps
Pickleball
Tennis
Hiking
Yoga
Stretching
Functional training
Personal trainers
Running
Cycling
E-biking
Dancing
Tai Chi
Silver Sneakers
At some point the advice started to feel less like guidance and more like alphabet soup.
The real challenge wasn’t finding options. It was figuring out which ones would actually work for me.
A Strategy
When I start to feel overwhelmed by choices, I fall back on a strategy that worked for me many times during my career. Instead of trying to pick the “best” solution, I start by asking a few simple questions.
So I asked myself three.
1. What activities have I actually enjoyed before?
That turned out to be easier than I expected. Things I’ve liked included:
Exercising around other people
Walking and hiking outdoors
Pilates
Swimming pools and water aerobics
Yoga
Tai Chi
Jogging
Horseback riding
Road biking
Scuba diving
2. What are barriers to success?
Some barriers turned out to be surprisingly practical.
Outdoor activities like walking and hiking depend on the weather. I’m not a fan of extreme heat or cold, and icy sidewalks make me nervous about falling.
Gyms are another conundrum. I’ve enjoyed classes in the past, but they can feel intimidating. Everyone seems to know what they’re doing. And I’m still not entirely sure what older women are supposed to wear there.
Water aerobics looks fun and welcoming, if only it didn’t involve navigating locker rooms.
And pickleball or tennis? With my eyesight changing as I get older, those might be more frustrating than enjoyable.
Still, the question helped me clarify what might actually work.
3. Would I fit in with the people doing these activities?
This may sound like an odd question, but it matters more than we sometimes admit.
The people around us often determine whether something feels comfortable or awkward. From what I’ve observed:
Gyms tend to attract older adults who are serious about staying fit (I want to be one of these people).
Hiking groups include all kinds of people and are easy to join.
Pilates classes are often filled with people who care about strength and form (I want to be one of these people too).
Tai Chi practitioners seem universally pleasant.
It began to look like finding the right community might matter just as much as choosing the activity itself.
The Takeaway
Before you start searching for the perfect exercise program, pause for a moment.
Think about what you actually enjoy and what kind of people you enjoy being with.
Ignore the alphabet soup of advice and remember that you are the only person qualified to choose your fitness path.
My Solution
My journey eventually led me to the gym and Pilates reformer classes.
The beginning was awkward and a little embarrassing, but I picked it up quickly, made progress, and now I genuinely enjoy showing up. I’ve even made a few new friends in the classes.
I also rotate between incline walking on the treadmill and weight training. Sometimes I use a trainer. More often I recruit a friend or family member to join me.
And I bought a doggy stroller for my aging dog, so now you’ll see us out on the sidewalks getting in my 10,000 steps a day.
These days, if someone asks how I stay fit as I get older, I find myself sounding just like everyone else.
“Girl! You HAVE to try Pilates reformer classes… and weight training… and doggy strollers!”
Apparently, I’m contributing to the alphabet soup too.
After a career in nursing as a neonatal intensive care nurse, nurse educator, and later a nurse executive, author, and consultant, I founded The Cooking Studio Fort Collins. Built from the savings of my first retirement, The Cooking Studio grew over a decade and was sold in 2025.
After the sale, I took a gap year following the challenges of running a small business through the pandemic and then navigating the process of selling it.
Today my time is spent woodworking, studying art, chairing our neighborhood HOA Tree Committee, and enjoying friends, family, pets, and the quiet pleasures of my golden years.
