Former medical advice patients to ease down after age 40. Just chill out. They thought that “fitness beyond 40” was a waste of time since the heart couldn’t take much strain after age 40.
Obviously, progress has been made, and many fantastic individuals deserve credit for this. Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece, his wife, are an inspiring example of how to maintain an active lifestyle into old age. It was also shown by Randy Couture, Dara Torres, and George Foreman. Those who prefer to remain physically active into old age have a plethora of options to choose from, since many sports now include age categories to level the playing field.
We must, however, be truthful with ourselves. Unless you spent your 20s as a couch potato, you won’t be better at 40 than you were at 20. Obviously, it can’t happen. When biology is no longer on your side, it may be frustrating to try to achieve a full recovery.
It doesn’t follow that you must give up everything. I have completed a 1000km week of cycling, three half Ironmans, and one full Ironman since turning forty over eight years ago, including SEALFIT’s rigorous Kokoro course. I’m going to explain how I accomplished all of this while keeping my regular job and without getting hurt.
Fitness After 40 Starts With Remembering You’re Over 40
You won’t believe how easy the first step is, however. The first thing you need to do is give yourself a break. You are obviously not twenty years old. No matter how strong you were as a child, you are not Superman now.
Today is the day to start being practical about your training and resting. Don’t go all out at the gym if you’ve had a rough day at the office or didn’t get much sleep last night because you were anxious about your son’s exam today. Today is a good day to get things done, but not go crazy. You may put the pedal to the metal afterwards.
How to Go About Your Strength Training
If I’m going to the gym, I do a stretching block first, then I do weight training. For my workouts, I like to combine two activities that complement one other. The front squat and the pull-up, the front squat and the Romanian deadlift, the press and the pull-up, and the deadlift and the press are all excellent instances.
As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to complete three to five sets of three to five repetitions for each exercise. About twenty minutes will be spent here in total. I disagree with the many folks who claim you need much more strength training. If your capacity to recover from fatigue is limited, you may discover that doing less yields the same or even better outcome.
Put your foot down and test your mettle once a week when you’re feeling strong. Today’s the day to push yourself to new limits or complete some more tasks. But don’t rely on a calendar; make your decision based on how you’re feeling that day.
The day after that must be the least demanding of the week. To maximise rest and recuperation after exercise, it’s best to undertake additional stretching and reduce the number of sets by a third. If you’ve just finished working harder than you ever have before, the last thing you need is more work; what you need is relaxation. Always end your workout with some light stretching to alleviate any tension in the muscles you just exercised.
Our goal is for each customer to do three strength training sessions each week. You should arrange them on nonconsecutive days, such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. However, the obstacles that come with being in your forties and beyond include frequently more responsibilities at work and with raising children. If you have to squeeze in two days of exercise at the gym in a row, that’s OK; just stagger the intensity such that one day is much less strenuous than the other.
Don’t Forget Your Cardio
The same principle applies to our fitness routines; we’d want to alternate between simpler and more challenging exercises. If you want to stay fit and trim for the rest of your life, walking is the foundation. However, you can’t expect to magically become physically fit only by walking.
The popular fitness press often casts a negative light on running. However, running is one of the most simple and rewarding physical pursuits. I’m not advocating daily marathons, but even running a modest distance several times a week may do wonders for your fitness and health, not to mention your waistline.
If you can’t run due of knee pain, try something else like swimming, cycling, rowing, or cross-country skiing. However, exit the building. Strength training at the gym is fine, but cardio exercise is best done outdoors. I promise you, many pleasant experiences await you outdoors. Take some time to soak up the sun and enjoy some fresh air.
Fitness After 40 Means You’re in This for the Long Term
You will be in fantastic condition by the end of the year if you follow this plan of doing three days of strength training followed by three days of fitness activity. However, you should make exercise a regular part of your routine since it is the key to your long-term health and fitness.
