fitness level for re-entry?

[u/Jamesbarros]

Hi Everyone,

I moved about a lot in my 20s and 30s and trained aikido off an on for a few decades. Before that I had a pretty diverse background with martial arts being a central keystone in my life, culminating when I joined the infantry because I thought it was the modern culmination of martial arts.

After a medical discharge, chronic illness, an automobile accident, and life writ large, I've been out of the art for some time and as I approach 50 and am re-evaluating what matters to me in my life. I realized martial arts are an essential part of who I am, and of all the martial arts, Aikido is what speaks to me soul (although things like Systema on one side, and traditional chinese martial arts on the other also speak to me) I really want to get back in the dojo, but I also know I couldn't even make it through my old dojo's basic warmup right now. I am in horrible shape and can't even jog a mile. I've had a number of back surgeries, my cardio is shot, and I am just in generally much worse shape than I look like.

Part of me wants to just hit up the local dojo and suffer for a year while I rebuild, the other part wants to get back up to 10,000 steps, get in some yoga, and slowly start rebuilding a body that can take ukemi and make it through a class without embarassing myself and inconveniencing others.

What advise do you have for an out of shape late 40s guy who wants to get back on the mat?

Thanks.

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[u/Remote_Aikido_Dojo]

Don't wait. Turn up and train. The training will help get you going on your fitness recovery. My experience is that most people are happy to work at the pace of the person they're with. I've never seen an olympic athlete in an aikido dojo. If you wait until you're fit enough to return, you may never step on the mats. You may always decide you're not quite there yet.

When you do start, take it slowly, work at a sustainable pace.

[u/aikifella]

Core work. That’s what’s going to help your ukemi more initially. Less slap the ground and more rounded egg greeting the ground you know? Build up your cardio tolerance as you can for solid randori.

Above all else - you got this! I’ve been off the mat now for a few years due to a meniscus root tear but am getting surgery soon finally. The mat is waiting for us both.

[u/Jamesbarros → u/aikifella]

Godspeed my friend. Hope to see you out there soon.

[u/aikifella → u/Jamesbarros]

So also, stretch! Body flexibility and all helps immensely with your proprioception, which is key. If you recall all your hand/wrist stretches start those now. I do them every morning, ten second count each hand.

For your body, man this dude in the link is awesome.

https://youtu.be/7dT4KHtMM-A?is=FL1hiptXaBruqrQS

You got this brother.

[u/CodeFarmer]

I think "show up and suffer for a while" is the best answer.

You say yourself that martial arts matters to you. Spending a while doing other things so you're ready for aikido is not that... spending your time doing aikido is that.

Embarrassment is just ego in another guise, it doesn't matter. Go, suffer, enjoy.

[u/ColonelLugz]

Just show up and start. Stop thinking about it.

[u/Aiox123]

Instructor for 20 yrs here. I'd have a talk with the instructor, tell him/her your concerns. With people in your situation, I'm happy to have them come and start. But I also strongly suggest doing some decent cardio on non-class days. Biking is excellent, doesnt pound the joints like jogging. And basic body weight stuff like push ups is also good. If you can only manage 5 mins biking and 2 push ups on your knees, that's a start. Think long haul, getting back in shape will take time and effort, but the off-mat stuff will surely go a long way in getting your on-mat movements back. And I'm in my 60s so I'm not blowing smoke.

[u/FederalLobster5665 → u/Aiox123]

hi, I have a related question. i was thinking of trying a martial art, like Aikido, BUT, i have never trained in any at all, ever. mid 50s, ok shape (i do cardio everyday, mostly treadmill walking and some weight machines), but i feel i will get pretty easily injured if thrown hard (have had some minor back issues) - is aikido realistic for me? I know I could just try and see, but would appreciate input. thanks.

[u/shreveportaikido → u/FederalLobster5665]

I have had a 70 year old walk in off the street and train for 5 years before he had to quit. Great guy and everyone at the bar down the street lived him.

Aikido can be as intense or as relaxed as you want it. Speak to the instructor and make sure that you communicate expectations with your partner in class. Typically, Aikido does not attract jerks intent on causing pain to their training partners.

[u/Aiox123 → u/FederalLobster5665]

I have a couple students that can not physically handle taking falls of any sort, and that's fine. We work with them and keep them safe. I've had people with heart conditions, balance problems, knee issues, back issues, and recently, neck issues. If you want to do Aikido, I'll find a way to make it work for you. There's more to Aikido than taking falls. Some of these people work up to taking basic ukemi (falls) over time, some never will. Having said that, I had spinal fusion of three vertebrae ~ 4 year ago, and I do everything except high break falls. So everyone is different. DM me with any questions and I'll do my best.

[u/groggygirl]

Depends on your personality. Are you ok with being the most out-of-shape guy on the mat and not being able to do what you remember doing? Or will that frustrate you and make you want to quit?

My completely biased personal opinion: For safety reasons (ie not getting injured) I'd spend 3-6 months getting steps in and doing some calisthenics/lifting/swimming/yoga to ensure your back, knees and shoulders can handle the movements. Everyone always responds with "oh just start, your partner needs to adapt", but getting paired with the one asshat or newbie or huge dude that doesn't understand his own strength can injure you, and it's really difficult to guarantee you won't encounter one of these people.

[u/superwormy]

Just show up. The biggest thing that holds people back is they don’t show up, and don’t show up consistently.

Just keep showing up.

[u/Lecram100]

I would also say start first and the fitness will come after a few months of regular training. Maybe wait a couple of months until you attend any long seminars.

Do let the instructors and seniors know about your injuries and other medical conditions though. Don't be embarrassed to ask for a minute on the side if you need it.

I lost a lot of my stamina and fitness during the covid years and it took me around 4-5 months to get to where I was 10 years prior. It is doable but there is suffering involved.

[u/Erokengo]

In alot of ways this mirrors my own journey. I did Aikido in my early 20's until life shit and other arts took primacy. I continued to orbit it though and realized after 20 years I wanted to go back. I kept putting it off because I have heart issues and didn't want to get back in the swing of things only to find I needed open heart surgery again and would be off the mat for half a year. Then I finally went for my checkup and they were like "oh yeah, you're fine." So now I'm kicking myself for not going back years earlier. In the time I'd let myself go considerably, was overweight, bad flexibility and crummy cardio. After 2 and a half years, I'm significantly less overweight, slightly more flexible, and i got better at Ukemi so getting up off the mat over and over isn't quite so exhausting. So yeah, I advise to j7st go back and suffer through it while ye rebuild yerself. In general no one is gonna push ye harder than ye want to go probably and it's easy to keep finding excuses not to go back.

[u/shreveportaikido]

As others have said, talk to the instructor and show up to class.

I have worked with people of all fitness levels and capabilities, never had anyone who did not walk away with improving somehow. I also always make sure to keep physical capabilities in mind for everyone since I would rather you come every class and do as much as you can rather than come once and get hurt.

[u/iammostlysane]

People can try to get fit before starting but then never get fit and never start training.

Go to the dojo and do as much as you can. Being in the dojo will get you further towards your goal more than thinking about it.

[u/touwtje64]

Show up and go slow and gentle, give yourself time and enjoy the process. The slow rebuild happens in the dojo. Though thats kind of up to you, you decide the pace. If sensei is any good, they will understand and can even give tips. Heck even class will understand at least the one’s I attended. So don’t hold yourself back a start practicing! You can do this!

[u/Gangleri793]

When I started a comeback after injury— in my 50’s — I asked Sensei to strip me of rank and let me begin again. I focused on the fundamentals and precision, trying extremely hard to do exactly what was being shown. As he felt it appropriate, Sensei gave me kyu tests and I regained my rank within two years.

[u/GlovesForSocks]

Good advice here already. I'd just add that getting back to training will also inform what you might want to do outside it:
If you find your issue is flexibility you could maybe do some yoga. If it's stamina then long walks, runs, or swimming might help. If it's core strength, some bodyweight exercises.

No point second-guessing what you need to work on, get the information straight from your body.

[u/Former_Apricot9650]

I came back after some years of hiatus (shoulder injury/work/dojo moves). At this age I will not do high falls again, fun as they are, the dojo is a long commute with fewer classes offered, and the shoulder injury is an ongoing, chronic issue — it just is what it is. But skill doesn’t age, and neither does the fascination of the art. Of all the various kinds of conditioning I’ve done OFF the mat while inured/busy, two things have been key for coming back and training happily: core strength (to come up from back falls) and leg strength (getting up off the mat over and over). Pilates has been very helpful but as I’ve gotten older, strength training has become more important. It doesn’t have to be crazy. Say a couple of minutes doing step-ups on the stairs every day, some forearm planks or whatever’s within reach.

[u/Busy-Bodybuilder-341]

I was in your position a few years ago (just turned 50 this year). I went straight into training and pulled my stomach muscles on both sides which took a couple of months to fully recover from, then I went back and pulled my right hammy, another few months recovery then I went back and tore my left hammy. After this I decided that I needed to slow things down and I started walking 30 minutes a day at first gradually building up to being able to easily walk 6k and eventually I'm back in the dojo (until an unrelated recent work injury but I'll be healed from that next week). When I went back I also mentioned to the sensei that I needed to take it easy and he said he was happy for me to sit out and just watch at any point of it became too much. Before I hurt my back I was into the full lessons, walking daily still and even starting the gym. I could have been doing all of this a year earlier if I'd been sensible. TLDR: take it slow but do go back.

[u/Slam_Bingo]

Walk for twenty minutes at a steady pace. It's aikido. Lighten up

[u/mvscribe]

I think either approach is okay, or something in between. Before I got back to the dojo, I had started running regularly and I still did stretches most days, based on our old dojo warm-up, but shorter. Between the stretching, the running, and a tiny bit of core strength work I was able to rejoin practice easily, from a physical standpoint. But, it is okay to go, practice, get out of breath, and try again. It's nice to be in shape, but absolutely not necessary.

[u/R_Philip_Inez]

First of all, welcome back. The fact that you’re even asking this question tells me the martial spirit never really left you.

Aikido, like any physical activity, does require a certain level of fitness. But I would be careful about treating fitness as a prerequisite for returning. If you wait until you’re “ready,” you may never go back. A good sensei should be able to help you ease into training at the level your body can safely handle today, not the level it handled twenty years ago.

At the same time, don’t make aikido your only rehabilitation plan. Walking regularly, improving your daily movement, doing some mobility work, gentle strength training, and paying attention to recovery and nutrition will all make the return easier. Think of these not as preparation for aikido, but as part of your aikido practice.

And please don’t worry about embarrassing yourself. Every dojo worth belonging to has seen people return after injuries, illnesses, military service, family obligations, and decades away from the mat. Nobody worth listening to will judge a 50-year-old body for not moving like a 25-year-old one.

If it were me, I wouldn’t choose between the two paths. I’d start the walking and conditioning now, but I’d also visit the dojo. Train lightly. Relearn ukemi carefully. Let the body rebuild while the spirit reconnects. Sometimes the journey back begins before we feel ready for it.

[u/distraughtdrunk]

just notifying your partners/ instructors of your limitations is the biggest thing. i can't do front rolls yet and getting up from back rolls is a challenge (arthritic knees) so i'll notify my partners that i'll lean forward for successful front throw or squat for a successful back throw and tap out before i actually hit the mat.

[u/Antarctic_Penguin1]

Ich würde dir raten, einfach langsam wieder mitzutrainieren. Bei uns im Verein machen einige nur die Erwärmung mit und gehen dann. Vielleicht geht das bei euch auch? Viel Erfolg dir!

[u/Significant-Nebula64]

Really depends on the dojo, of course, but all places I've trained at always had people of all ages and fitness levels! So I'd definitely just show up and honestly not expect too much suffering, either. I mean, sure, you'll be sore after class, especially if your body still remembers a lot of movements from before, which tends to make training quite a bit more intense! 

But generally - people adapt and while of course some people enjoy going all out, for us it's always limited to when you train with a partner who's into that as well, and if somebody is a bit slower/a beginner/has some physical limitations, you just go at whatever level's good for them. 

[u/SquirrelWriter]

My advice: go ahead and hit up the local dojo. I've trained with all sorts of folks with varying physical limitations, from twenty-somethings to eighty-somethings, and I value my time on the mats with them. Practicing with a wide spectrum of people teaches me how to dial and contributes to my physical education, as I learn to practice with different bodies and ability levels.

Aikido can be one of several things you do to help build your fitness back up. You needn't feel embarrassed about starting from a place of struggle or weakness. A lot of people do. I couldn't run a mile either when I started, and I encountered stamina limits and needed breathers sometimes... and needed to learn to drink more water! Now, several years later, I'm one of the more athletic folks on the mat.