Fit by 40!

megjsmith29

My name is Megan.I have been a lifelong fitness enthusiast, but as I approach 40 I realize that I have fallen off the wagon a bit.I'm looking to get in great shape by my 40th birthday in June , and I am hoping to connect with other people of the same mentality.

nossmf

Welcome, Megan! Don't listen to the ideas of "everything ends after 40" or related nonsense. I'm 46, and thanks to my workout logs I have proof that I'm stronger now than I have ever been in my life, so it most certainly can be done. Just be ready to put in the work, put in the time, and figure out a really great recovery plan since our bodies do take a little more TLC than when we were younger, lol. (Mine involves weekly hot tub soaks and intentionally getting more sleep than I used to.)

"Great shape" in 3 months may be a stretch, but "better shape" is perfectly achievable.

pridesabtch

40-42 were my fittest years ever. I started MFP at 38, my name was actually Not40yet, lol. It took time and dedication to logging and to my workouts. I had some health issues that threw me for a loop and I'm back now at 50, and certain I can get back in shape if I just relearn some old habits. Easier said than done, but certainly possible. Good Luck!

xbowhunter

55 here and the only issues I am having now are normal joint issues. But I refuse to let the pains stop me from moving!

mtaratoot

xbowhunter wrote: »

55 here and the only issues I am having now are normal joint issues. But I refuse to let the pains stop me from moving!

Keeping moving is the best way to be able to keep moving. One of the founders of one of my canoe & kayak clubs is mid-90s. He paddled class 4 until late 80s. Someone asked him at his 90th birthday party paddle about advice for being fit later in life, and he said simply, "Keep moving."

josh250to180

Fellow "approaching 40" person here, though I still got a couple years to go! My 38th year is the "realization" year though. I remember when I was 27, and could do and eat whatever I wanted. As long as I was active enough, It didn't matter if I ate salad or a whole pizza. I'd lose weight. Now, the "active enough" side is the challenge, and I still make poor food choices.

Now, the joints are sure taking a hit from my obesity. I've ballooned to my greatest weight, and I still haven't out-aged my waistline. My heart says I can go out there and run spartan races and stuff...but reality is like, "whoa, there pardner...we gotta run a few checks first."

Life is falling into place, and its time to get on the proverbial road to good health.

Can I add yall? Would be nice to collaborate with others in my age group that are/is/was/were where I am.

TxDesertFox

I'll be 42 at the end of this year. Started my fitness journey in my early 30s. It's about consistency and adapting, cause girl....as you get older it gets harder because your body kind of does whatever the hell it wants. lol My biggest motivator has been my aunt. She's in her 60s and still does triathlons.

AnnPT77

I didn't even start getting athletically active routinely until my late 40s/early 50s.

I hate that our culture seems to have stupid-low expectations about what aging people can do. It's even worse when someone internalizes those ideas, thinks they're powerless to improve. Research studies have shown people in their 80s and 90s able to gain muscle mass with the right stimulus.

Y'all young folks in your 40s (or thereabouts) have lots of upside potential. The one thing I'd say about exercise and aging, is that I find it's even more important now (at 68) to have a smart plan, including planning in rest and recovery. (I'm echoing nossmf here, I think. .)

I can pretty much do anything I did when younger (and sometimes more!), as long as not limited by some prior injury or something like that. But I need to be smarter about training planning, including recovery. I'm not prescribing any particular way of doing that, just saying I'm not as resilient as I was at 20. I don't bounce back from overdoing like I did back then, and it's easier to be injured, then while healing I de-train faster than I used to. Planning a good training/recovery routine avoids stepping into that swamp. (It would've been a smarter, more productive route for younger me, too. )

A lot of people seem to arrive at MFP thinking they need to go pedal to the metal 7 days a week with intense workouts. That's counterproductive at any age. Elite athletes don't train that way; why would us regular duffers do that?

Best wishes!

Mombodrecomp

I'm turning 39 in a few months, and I feel this completely!
I had an injury a week ago and decided I needed to lose some weight, and build some muscle 💪 Making it my goal to make some excellent progress by the time I hit 40 ♥️

pandoragreen21

Hey there! I’m also hitting 40 this year! While I love lifting for aesthetics, it’s mostly for longevity and health. The idea of not being self sufficient as I age is just not an option if I can help it. Feel free to add me!