Too old to start exercising? A doctor who began running at 50

In a short animated video on the Drauzio Varella YouTube channel (March 2018), the Brazilian physician Drauzio Varella walks through the weekly activity guideline and closes with a personal note. In that video, after suggesting more walking, cycling or the gym, Varella says:

"corra, como eu, que aliás comecei a correr aos 50 anos de idade. Antes tarde do que nunca."

(Our translation: "run, like me; I actually started running at 50. Better late than never.")

Drauzio Varella, YouTube, 2018

The myth it answers

"I'm too old to start" is one of the quieter reasons people never begin. It rarely gets said out loud, and it hardens with every birthday. Varella's line is one person's story, not a study, but it comes from a doctor with millions of followers in Brazil, and it says plainly that the start doesn't have to come early.

Fifty isn't old, and the same logic holds at sixty or seventy. What changes with age is mostly how you begin.

One note on the video itself. It describes the guideline as thirty minutes, five times a week. You don't need that pattern to start: UK guidance says even one or two sessions a week count (UK Chief Medical Officers, 2019).

What the research says

The clearest evidence on age is about strength. Writing in The Conversation, two Deakin University researchers sum up clinical trials showing that adults of every age, even very frail people over 75, gain muscle and strength with regular resistance work at least twice a week, with changes visible in as little as eight weeks. Their conclusion: it's never too late to make a start (Scott and Daly, 2023).

For how to begin, US guidance has a short rule for anyone who has been inactive: "start low and go slow". Begin with lighter activity and increase how often and how long gradually, because the risk of injury grows with the gap between your usual level and a new one (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). After 65, the NHS adds something for strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, such as tai chi, dancing or carrying the shopping (NHS, 2024).

Advice on checking first differs. The NHS suggests speaking to your GP if you haven't exercised for a while; WHO and US guidance say that for light to moderate activity, like brisk walking, that's generally not needed. Check first if you get chest pain, pressure or dizziness when you're active, have a heart condition or another long-term condition, or a doctor has told you to limit your activity. If checking would put your mind at rest, do.

How this fits the Build an exercise routine program

The 1h Protocol to Build an Exercise Routine is for adults of any age, and it starts with a quick check: depending on your answers, the parts of your plan that involve activity wait until you've had a word with a doctor. The paid chapter "What counts" sets your sessions at talking pace, and if you're over sixty-five it adds strength and balance and answers the "too old" myth directly. Your first step starts small on purpose. Four one-tap check-ins follow by email on days 1, 7, 14 and 30, if you're signed in. The first chapter is free.

Source: Drauzio Varella, 150 minutos de exercícios por semana, 29 Mar 2018, at 1:29 Research: UK Chief Medical Officers, 2019 · Scott and Daly, 2023 · US Department of Health and Human Services, 2018 · NHS, 2024