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I am a 42 yr old male. About a month ago I finished a running program that has me now well adapted to running 3 times a week for half an hour (the famous C25K, non-commercial and freely available at www.nhs.uk). I have done no other exercise in the last year.

My body seems to be craving more physical exercise and I have started mixing different activities that (hopefully) don't overlap: swimming (above 700 m in each session) and callisthenics (twice a week, a simple pull/push routine called "New Blood").

I am afraid of injuring my heart or something. Is it bad to exercise almost everyday at my age? This has been my last week:

Day 1: I swam 750 metres

Day 2: Calisthenics (Push)

Day 3: Again 750 metres

Day 4: Rest

Day 5 30 minutes run

Day 6: Calisthenics (Pull)

Day 7: Swimming 750 m again

The sudden increase in exercise has me sleeping well, with good appetite and very good humor (yep, endorphins release or something). But I don't know if I am risking a heart attack or something.

Note: I had a cardiologist check about a year ago and everything was fine.

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  • As you know, we can't give medical advice here, so the safety of your routine is something only your medical professional should assess. That said, it looks pretty good to me. At 42 I can't imagine really having to worry about it. As long as you're able to recover between workouts and you aren't feeling over-stressed, get at it! Once it gets too easy, ramp it up. Throw a squat day or two in. – Daniel Oct 9 '14 at 19:11
  • Thanks for your comment. The squat is included the pull day. – Eduardo Oct 9 '14 at 20:06
  • Looks fine to me. – Roger Nov 19 '18 at 15:16
  • I'm 52, and this would be a light week for me. As long as you don't go from 0 to 60, there should be no problem with adding some training. Just make it gradual. – JohnP♦ Dec 19 '18 at 15:46
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So without being a medical professional there is a finite amount any of us can tell you about how much is safe. The best advice I've ever heard while training is to listen to your body. How do your extremities feel? If you were to stop would you be able to recover and get your heart rate down in a reasonable amount of time? You can try getting a hear rate watch and the general rule for where your heart rate should be is based on the heart rate zones also when you're jogging the rule is to be able to have a casual conversation during longer runs. As always though consult your doctor first.

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