Fitness
6 Fitness Influencers Over 50 Who Deserve a Follow
This story is part of This Is 50+—an in-depth look at guys who are thriving later in life, with tips and tricks on how all of us can future-proof our bodies.
TAKE A SCROLL through your social media feed, and you’ll find no shortage of fitness content. The stars of those exercise routine and form videos are probably a lot of ripe 20-and-30-year-olds, though, in the prime of their physique.
Scroll a little further, and you’ll find another impressive group of fitness influencers over 50 who are keeping up with (and often surpassing) those 30-year-olds. Sure, it’s cool to watch them do wall sits while holding 100 pounds, juggle enormous kettlebells, and even rep out lock jaw push ups with 70 pound (you really have to see this one to believe it). But, best of all, they’re utilizing their platforms to teach others how to do the same—at any age.
Regardless of how old you are, what kind of exercise you enjoy, or where you are in your fitness journey, there’s so much to learn from these inspiring influencers. Here are five of our favorites, along with their advice for performing at your best after 5o.
Colin Daring
COLIN DARING’S JOURNEY began with a simple bench in the basement of his childhood home, where his father taught him how to train. Often, they would go to a local park and do calisthenics, like pull ups—something the 53-year-old senjoys doing to this day.
After traveling to different countries and seeing their traditional forms of training, he started becoming interested in “odd objects,” as he calls them. He began training with a variety of equipment including kettlebells, Atlas stones, sandbags, and mace clubs. Now, he takes to social media to post videos about the use and benefits of these different styles of training (and some more traditional training tips, too).
Daring is aptly named—much of his content includes heavy kettlebell juggles that are not for the faint of heart. Bells weighing upwards of 70 pounds flying behind the back, under the leg, and over the shoulder—all magically sequenced together in a way you have to see to believe. He teaches kettlebell workshops at a few gyms in Brooklyn, and offers online training. Even in his 50s, “training is now embedded in my lifestyle,” he says. He’s only looking to get stronger, too—he sets short term and long term goals for himself that help him stay consistent and motivated.
HIS ADVICE: Find movement you enjoy that keeps you physically and mentally engaged. “Watching TV on the treadmill doesn’t really count,” he says. “Think tennis, volleyball, basketball. Exercises that have the mind and the body engaged at the same time.”
Bill Maeda
HAWAII-NATIVE BILL Maeda, 55, has been a trainer since 1987. Recovering from addiction, and being diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, training was the only job he was able to hold for many years, he says. “I could hide from the world in my small gym near Waikiki, and fixate on one client at a time.”
In 2012, he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. He underwent surgery and chemotherapy that left him “physically plundered and deeply depressed,” he says. That carried all the way through 2019, when his mother passed away, and into 2020, when lockdown began. During quarantine, he randomly decided to take a video of how many push ups he could do in 10 minutes, and posted it to YouTube. He didn’t think twice about it—until “an avalanche” of notifications began to light up his screen.
“Somehow that video took off, and the comments that came in changed my life,” Maeda says. “People from everywhere were saying the kindest and most encouraging things that I had ever heard. Their kindness and support taught me to stop feeling sorry for myself and redirect that energy into serving, teaching, and at the very least entertaining any who grace me with a few moments of their time to watch my videos.”
After that, he dedicated himself to filming his daily workouts. That was more than 4 years ago. Since then, 2 million people have followed him to watch his impressive lifts and less traditional strength feats (that lock-jaw push up we talked about earlier? Yeah, that was him).
HIS ADVICE: Start easy. Like, really easy. “The goal is to get in the habit of training every single day,” and continuing to do so, he says. “The only way to do this is by making the workouts very short and very easy.”
He suggests starting with just 5 minutes on the clock. Pick a handful of exercises you can do and are comfortable with. Work through ranges of motion that are doable. “This is exactly where you want to be. You should also feel certain that they can do the exact same thing tomorrow…and the next day and the next day,” he says.
When you are ready to dedicate more time, add a minute, and then another—slowly build to where you want to be. The short time frame will help build the habit, which is more important than the exercise itself. “That’s what they mean by easy does it.”
Bryan Krahn, C.S.C.S.
BRYAN KRAHN C.S.C.S. HAS been studying, practicing, and writing about exercise science and training for almost 20 years. In fact, he’s written lots of content for Men’s Health, including our muscle-building guide for men over 40.
Krahn, 50, dubs himself a “semi-serious physique-athlete,” meaning he builds and maintains a aesthetic frame, but does not compete in body building competitions. While you might find a picture or two of his impressive six-pack on his Instagram, you’ll find that most of his content is information based. He uses “a base of scientifically supported industry practices but also a litany of techniques that have been shown to work in the real world,” to fuel his training programs and his content.
HIS ADVICE: “Train like you want to show up again tomorrow,” he says. “After 50, longevity and preventing injury becomes the new ‘optimum.’” To do that, he suggests three things. First, never work through pain—find an alternative if any exercise bothers you.
Second, don’t be afraid to use safer alternatives to high-risk lifts. For example: “A barbell overhead press is a great lift if you have the technique and shoulder mechanics for it. But using dumbbells with a neutral grip is easier on the shoulder and just as effective.”
Third, aim for higher reps with lighter weight on most exercises. You’ll still get the muscle building benefit without sacrificing safety. You can find even more of his tips for building muscle after 50 here.
Paul Sklar
PAUL SKLAR, C.S.C.S. IS a Division 1 athlete turned fitness expert. He was a distance runner during his time at Wake Forest University, where he earned his bachelors degree in Exercise and Sports Science. He began competing in duathlons, where he was ranked second nationally, and 25th in the world.
The 52-year-old been a professional trainer since 1993, working with novices and professional athletes alike. He’s taken his expertise to Instagram—where he posts his workouts, mobility exercises, and recovery routines.
HIS ADVICE: “If you want to get lean (and have a strong foundation), make sure you never miss leg day. You get better bang for your buck with a well-rounded program.”
Brad Schoenfeld
SOCIAL MEDIA IS full of misinformation. If you want to make sure you’re getting foolproof, science-backed fitness info, look for no further follow than 61-year-old Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S..
Schoenfeld is a professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Recreation at Lehman College in NYC, and a leading researcher on muscle building and fat loss. He’s also competed as a drug-free body builder for most of his life. A self-coined “fitness myth-buster,” his page is a one-stop shop for real tips and tricks for body composition.
HIS ADVICE: “The aging process tends to impair recovery; you simply cannot recuperate as well at 50 vs when you were 20. Thus, it’s important to be cognizant of how your body responds to training and manage exercise volume and frequency accordingly,” he says.
Cameron Shayne
CAMERON SHAYNE’S INSTAGRAM feed looks a bit different from that of your traditional male fitness influencer. Instead of hulking around big weights, you’ll find the 52-year-old crawling on the floor, demonstrating impressive feats of mobility, and taking down guys half his age in Jiu-Jitsu fights.
In the 90s, Shayne established himself as one of the pioneering voices and teachers of contemporary yoga, martial arts and the movement culture in Los Angeles. In 2001, he designed Budokon Mixed Movement Arts by combining the combat arts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts together with yoga, crawling patterns, mobility, calisthenics, and cognitive studies into a single black belt system. Now, he trains some of the best professional UFC, ADCC, and Bellator fighters in the world. Now, he takes his teachings to social media, where he’s gained quite a following.
HIS ADVICE: “Athletic longevity depends greatly on joint mobility. Focus on the 3 essential qualities of joint health: mobility, flexibility and strength,” he says.
This is just the beginning. See what else guys at 50+ are thinking, doing, and crushing here.
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It’s important to have goals in mind as you set out on your fitness journey, whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle or train for a race.skynesher/Supplied
January is notoriously the busiest time of year at the gym. A survey from Ipsos reported that a third of Canadians made exercise-based resolutions for the new year, with many folks working out for the first time or returning to fitness after some time away. If you’re new to exercise, the gym can feel like an intimidating place. But it doesn’t need to be. Below we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you get started.
Have a plan going in
For success at the gym, it’s crucial to have a plan. Before you start, it’s important to identify your goals. Are you looking to get stronger? Training for a race or competition? Do you want to improve body composition? While almost any consistent exercise is going to improve your overall health, specific results require specific training.
Following a workout program can help you stay committed – here’s how to write your own
Those completely new to working out may want to invest in a few sessions with a personal trainer. A reputable trainer will be able to put together a plan based on your preferences and skill level, while walking you through the proper form for each exercise. If cost is an issue, many gyms offer a free intro training session as a sign-up perk. There are also hundreds of different workout programs you can find online and video tutorials outlining proper form.
If you’re intimidated to exercise on your own, a fitness class allows you to follow along with an instructor while getting some quick pointers on how to properly perform the workout. Many gyms offer discounted or free classes to first-time visitors.
Trying to do too much, too fast will burn you out, leave you injured or both
When you’re motivated by a new year’s resolution, it’s tempting to pencil in long gym sessions multiple times a week. But that kind of regime is rarely sustainable. If you’d like to make exercising a habit beyond January – and you’ll need to for any kind of lasting results – it’s best to think about what you can do in the long term.
“You can either do an hour of weightlifting a few days a week, and actually do it, or you have these imaginary 10-hour training sessions you’ll never actually have time for,” said Dan John, strength coach and author. “I try to focus on [programs that are] doable, repeatable and reasonable.”
Want to focus on healthy aging in 2026? Here are 10 nutrition tips to start the new year
Similarly, trying to immediately push beyond your physical limitations is a great way to get injured. For weightlifting, it’s important to consider proper warm-ups, active mobility exercises and learning the right techniques before trying to lift anything too heavy. For cardio, Canada Running Series offers a Couch to 5K plan that eases newcomers into jogging by starting small and gradually increasing the length/difficulty of each run.
Follow basic gym etiquette
The gym is a shared public space. Everyone there is trying to get in a good workout. That’s harder to do when people are having phone conversations, listening to videos without using headphones and refusing to wipe down their equipment after use.
In March, fitness trainer Paul Landini wrote an article explaining some unofficial rules to follow when going to the gym, including being mindful of other people’s space and making sure you’re not monopolizing equipment during busy hours.
Try to find what you like about the gym
Changes in body composition, strength and overall health take time. They also need upkeep over the long term. Building a consistent fitness habit is something that will help with all those goals. One of the best ways to do that is finding something at the gym you genuinely enjoy doing. That can be working out with a friend to add a social aspect to exercise and accountability to show up. It can entail learning a new fitness-adjacent skill such as boxing or training for a competition like Hyrox. It can be rooted in the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting stronger. Whatever the reason, finding the joy in exercise is going to be key if you want to move beyond short-term motivation.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Finding time to work out as a mom with young kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when you’re new to an area and don’t know where to start. However, a new fitness option strolled into Sioux Falls today. iStroll offers moms the chance to work out and meet other moms all while their kids can play or even join alongside them.
iStroll is a national organization that has more than 35 locations in the country but this is the first time one opened in South Dakota. It’s a full body workout that incorporates dumbbells, body weight, and jogging strollers when the weather’s nice.
“I found iStroll in Oklahoma and fell in love,” said Kelsi Supek who started the affiliate in Sioux Falls. “We made friends. It became our entire social network. The kids loved it and then we moved to Arizona during COVID. And all the moms were stuck at home. They were inside with our kids and lonely, honestly. And we were like, why can’t we start an iStroll and be out at the parks with the kids every day? And it took off.”
When Supek moved to Sioux Falls, she was encouraged by her family to start an affiliate and own it herself.
“Gym daycares did not work out for my children,” said Supek. “I would get 10 minutes into a class and then I’d have that person trying to knock outside the yoga studio going, Can I have Kelsey and her kids screaming in daycare? And it just didn’t work for us. So at iStroll they could be with me or I could be breastfeeding the baby as I was teaching in class.”
Classes are planned to continue each Wednesday and Friday at We Rock the Spectrum and First Presbyterian Church. For a full schedule for January and February, you can look at their Facebook. The first class is also free and memberships are for the whole family.
“Letting the kids see you work out is, it’s similar to homeschooling where like, you know, how are they going to love working out if they don’t see you working out,” said Kelly Jardeleza, a stay-at-home mom of three kids. “Whereas at other gyms they put them in a room and they don’t get to watch you. And how are you going to inspire them if they’re not watching you do it?”
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.
To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.
To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?
Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.
Share your experience
You can post your question to the panel using this form.
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