Tony Daley (BSc Hons, MSc)

• Professional Fitness Consultant
• Former Head of Sport Science Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
• FA Physical Performance Level 3 Award
• Level 1 ISAK Accredited
• Former 1st Team Fitness Coach For Sheffield United FC
• Former winger/striker for England National Team, Aston Villa FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC

From the days I had the honor of playing professional football for Aston Villa, Wolves & England to my current career as a qualified fitness professional, and a 52-year-old grandfather, my passion for working out and eating healthy has been the main consistency throughout my life.

I suppose once upon a time you were a very active individual, but as the demands of work, kids and life crept in during your 30s and 40s, fitness was put on the back burner. Just one in four people over the age of 50 exercises. This takes a toll on health, weight, and independence. However, your body is resilient and will adapt to the challenges you put on it. It’s never too late to regain what you’ve lost. You may not run at the same pace or lift the same size weights you did as when you were 20, but you can get your body back into impressive shape at 50. Use this time, when your kids are more independent and you’re more secure in your career, to spend some time working on you.

If you don’t exercise, you’re guaranteed to lose muscle mass, become more inflexible as muscles and connective tissues tighten, and you are also of greater risk of osteoporosis. Men start to experience lower levels of testosterone while women are usually in some stage of menopause. These hormonal changes affect how quickly muscle grows and where fat accumulates. It takes
longer to build muscle at age 50, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. You may notice that fat accumulates more easily, but you can mitigate that gain with dedicated exercise and smart dietary choices.

One of the biggest barriers to returning to fitness is your mind. Getting yourself back into shape requires some humility as you remember where you were and realise how far you let yourself go. You’ll probably have to start slowly and moderately and build back up over time. The good news is that your ego will recover once you see your body start bouncing back.

Getting a lean body at 50 is a matter of discipline. No different than getting lean at any other age, it requires a great diet, regimented exercise and quality rest. Whether you exercise for your health, to be in great shape or you want to have a lean athletic look, you must first evaluate your body and determine its needs. A priority will be to shift that extra fat. Your target should be under 20% body fat for males, and females under 30%.