What happens to your future health when you stop exercising in your 50s

Exercise is often promoted as a way to lose weight or look better in a tank top, but it’s no secret that regular physical activity is an important tool for staying healthy. 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week can lift your mood, increase your energy and improve your sleep. If strength training is part of your workout, you can also help strengthen your muscles, which can boost your metabolism and reduce your risk of injury.

When you’re in your 50s, exercise can help you feel better years later. If you’re inactive, you can start losing up to 5% of your muscle mass as early as your 30s, and this process accelerates every decade. If you stop exercising in midlife, you’re more likely to develop sarcopenia, a significant loss of muscle mass and strength in your 70s. according to a 2022 Articles In Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, people who don’t exercise have a 40% increased risk of dementia and a 75% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Staying active during midlife can also improve your immune system and reduce your risk of dying early.

Your immune system kicks in to fight infections and heal your body, but it begins to decline as you age, called immunosenescence. one 2020 Articles Nutrition studies have found that older adults who exercise regularly have better immune responses, which can reduce inflammation and infection risk. People who engage in regular aerobic exercise have fewer aging T cells, a type of white blood cell, which means their immune systems are healthier. Consistent exercise throughout life can prevent T cell aging. Regular exercise can also improve your vaccination response and help your body fight off viruses like the flu.

Because exercise improves your immune system, you’re more likely to live longer, according to a study Learning in 2015 In JAMA Internal Medicine. The study tracked more than 200,000 people aged 45 to 75 to see how often and how intensely they exercised. Even a small amount of exercise (up to 149 minutes per week) can reduce the risk of all-cause death by 34%. The more exercise the better. Compared with people who never exercised, people who exercised for 150 to 299 minutes per week had a 47% lower risk of premature death.

Even if you’ve never seen the inside of a gym, you can start exercising 50+ times to improve your health over the years. one 2024 Articles PLoS One surveyed more than 11,000 older women on their activity levels and physical health. Women who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) per week for at least 15 years had better physical quality of life than those who never exercised. Notably, women who began exercising in their 50s had similar measures of health-related quality of life.

Hitting the recommended 150 minutes doesn’t necessarily mean signing up for a marathon or joining a gym. Anyone can put on a pair of walking shoes and take a brisk 30-minute walk around your neighborhood (provided the neighborhood is safe). Once you get into the habit of exercising five days a week, you can swap some of those days out for some circuit training. Start with 30 seconds of jumping jacks, followed by 30 seconds of bodyweight squats (or box squats). Continue with another cardio exercise, such as high knees or jump rope, and try 30 seconds of kneeling push-ups. Design your own workout program at home by mixing in cardio and bodyweight exercises.