The world changed before the pandemic and will continue to do so. One thing that won’t change is just how well the over 50s are doing when it comes to their overall wellbeing. The over 50s have been prioritising their health, fitness and leisure time and are prepping themselves for the long haul. And marathon running proves a big point.

In mid-2019, gym chain David Lloyd decided that this demographic was so important that they enthusiastically informed the world about their plans to have at least one personal trainer over the age of 55 employed in each of their clubs.

The move was a proactive response to ukactive’s Reimagining Ageing report (source), published in 2018, and was a smart business move to cater for an over 50s member base which grew ten per cent in the previous year alone and already made up nearly 20 per cent of their total membership.

We’re living longer -not just because of improved healthcare, working and living conditions but now it’s becoming clear that those entering or in midlife are more active but, more importantly, they intend to stay active for as long as possible and enjoy the extra time they have as the years go on.

 

Undeniable statistics

By 2030, the number of people in the UK aged 60 years or over is predicted to increase to 20 million, compared to the figure of around 15 million in 2019. And by 2040, it has been modelled that nearly one in four people (24.2 per cent) will be aged 65 or over; one in seven of us will be aged over 75.

The over 50s are already the largest single 5-year group (50 to 54 incl) of all groups and combined with the 55-59 age-group, they now make up the largest 10-year group of all. Not only that, they are growing faster than any other age group (source).

 

Trailblazers

Leaving aside that the midlifers are now fitter, they are setting new standards of fitness never seen before. For instance – it’s this group that has led the running revolution. At the younger end of this group (i.e. those born in the early 70s), the over 40s, are not just active, they’re super fit.

Strava research from April 2019 revealed that over 40s were faster than 20-somethings at marathon running (the average runner in the 40 to 49 age group finished the 2014 London Marathon in three hours, 43 minutes and 14 seconds, compared to the 20 to 29 time of three hours, 44 minutes and 47 seconds).

Statistics from organisations such as the Triathlon Industry Association continue to show that today’s middle-aged make up the largest proportion of recreational athletes (in 2018 this was an average age of 45 with an average salary of £48,700) with no sign of slowing down (source).

What this emphatically shows is that age is not really a chronological event.

 

How old is old?

Back in 2015, researchers the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, Austria, argued that old age should be measured not by age, but by how long people have left to live, prompting the Telegraph headline, ‘Old age starts at 74’. According to this report, the time when middle age ends and old age starts is dependent on how many years you have left to live, and from 74 this would be 15 more years based on average lifespan statistics.

In 2016, Sport England acknowledged this diversity and stated that the £10million of National Lottery money gifted across England covered a broad range of ages with different needs. They invested in 20 projects from football to dance groups just for 60 to 85-year-olds with the common and shared goal being to reduce the number of inactive older adults.

Research by Silverfit and supported by Josephine Perry, a leading sports psychologist and journalist, surveyed almost 6,000 active older people. Pilates and yoga, bowls, dancing, walking, golf and martial arts were the activities the 55 plus age group were looking to try the most (source).

According to a study by insurance provider RIAS carried out in 2015, the over 50s spend £1.5 billion a year on exercise and healthy eating. Research by Havas Meaningful Brands (an analysis of the relationship between 79,000 silver surfers and 1,500 brands, across 33 markets and 15 industries over an eight-year period) found that ‘being at their best physically is one of their top three life priorities, while 58 per cent have a genuine interest in wristband fitness technology.’

It is almost inconceivable just 20 years ago that 49-year-olds would, on average, be beating 29-year-olds at marathon running – and this fact alone tells us all that midlife is something to look forward to, not dread as the media would have you believe. As the old saying goes – life is what you make it.