Fit at 40...how do I keep it that way?
balfey
Posts: 12 Member
I'm a life long exerciser and love training. Prob 5 timeS plus per week. My exercises of choose are martial arts (kickboxing), running, circuits, Hiit, and weights. At 40 years old, I'm I'm pretty good shape and I want to stay that way. The effort I put in pays off, but I feel like I'm just going to have to continue to up the exercise and be more careful about what I eat as I get older.
What tips does anyone have about maintaining weight and good fitness? Ps. My diet is good sometimes and rubbish other times.
Any help or advice gratefully received!
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Replies
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I think maintaining means exactly that, maintain what you have. You just need to find a balance that works for you long term. Continually increasing length and intensity can't happen forever. It will lead to injury and burnout. Keep doing what you like, stay fit and happy. I think this includes diet as well. Balance your "healthy" with your "rubbish" ...maybe 80/20%2
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That's right, but the effort to maintain as you get older, changes, so what do you need to do to maintain? It's it just the fact of continue to train but know that your metabolism changes as you get older?0
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At 46, and in decent but not by any means Olympic shape, here is what works for me: My diet is a combination of whatever I want when I want and performance based. So rather than watching the macros closely, I stay in tune with what my body is needing. Overindulgence in sweets or overeating rarely happens but if I want to eat a banana split, I will enjoy every last bit. No regrets.. Every calorie either counts as pleasure or to enhance the performance of the next workout or to recover form a previous workout.
As for the workouts, I do something every single day but of course work different muscle groups, rotate cardio, walking, and yoga. The goal is to always be progressing somewhere and never be stagnant, even with minor injuries here and there. Are there days where I disappoint myself? Sure. But it all averages out. The long term patterns are what is important.
Getting quality sleep, drinking enough water, spending time with those I love, and having fun and laughter are also regular parts of my routine.
Hope that helps and welcome to the 40s.
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It sounds like you're trying to predict what will happen in the future. Live more in the present and find what works for you, tweaking as needed when you see that a change is needed.7
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Dealing with injuries can be a challenge as it takes longer to recover.1
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I'm 42 and the only real change I've noticed (so far) is that I don't bounce back from injury like I used to, so I have to be a little more cautious. The rest doesn't seem too much different.3
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I'm 47 now & im in the best shape of my life. Consistency is key. I workout regularly, walk more & try to eat well but also enjoy life and get as much rest as I can
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I'm not a lifelong very-active person, but I'm going to answer anyway, because I'm kind of old (60). I've been pretty active since my mid-40s, after breast cancer treatment. A few thoughts:
- A little advance planning & thought is good, but you can't predict what's going to happen. Sure, dial in some better habits now. But beyond that you got good advice, IMO, from @DancingMoosie: Be mindful as you move through the years, and tweak as needed. Everyone's body is different, and there's no crystal ball.
- I have less stamina/resilience than I once did, recover more slowly, and de-train a little faster if I slack off. None of these changes is dramatic (so far), but they can conspire in various ways.
- If I overdo severely, it takes longer to recover, and it can be tempting to take a break. (Sometimes extra rest is the answer; sometimes it isn't.)
- If I injure myself (or need surgery!), it takes longer to recover, and if I have to back off workouts during recovery, the detraining "costs" more.
- If I overdo after a break, trying to expedite re-training, it can backfire by slowing down recovery.
- Older people need a little more protein than younger people, spread through the day. If you're on the higher end of protein already, you may be fine.
- Since you're a woman, especially, get enough calcium and vitamin D. This is purely personal prejudice, but I suggest getting them from food & sunshine as much as possible, supplements only as a backstop.
- IMO, good habits related to stretching (and foam rolling & related self-massage techniques) become more important with age. Stretching every day seems to have a big payoff for me (not that I always do it
). When I stretch, what I do is a set of things that I've gathered over time that help with my specific body issues. Besides the routine maintenance side of this, the knowledge helps me "self repair" more minor problems, besides. - If you're not doing them already, consider adding activities that keep your sense of balance tuned up.
- Three words: Good sleep hygiene. Many of us have increasing sleep problems with age (hello, menopause!). Having bad sleep habits only makes this worse. I'm a poster child.
I don't know what your mental image of the aging process is, but I can say with fair certainty that a lot of 10-20+ year younger women I meet in group fitness classes & the like, have alarmist and kind of wacky ideas about it.
Unless one has some serious life problem (major illness, accident, etc.), IMO aging is not that dramatic. I can do what I've done. I can increase what I do (maybe a bit more gradually than I once would've). I can gain strength, learn new physical skills (maybe a bit more slowly in some cases). But no dramatic changes. I'm pretty much seeing the same thing in friends 10 years and more older than I am, and in some cases 20 years older.
Three things have seemed to precipitate huge negative changes for people in my circle of friends/acquaintances: Major activity decreases, major nutritional stupidity, and major illness/accident. You can control the first two pretty easily, and you can't predict the last one at all.
YMMV.13 -
You are overthinking it. Keep your consistency, be mindful of recovery & injury, and just keep doing what you are doing. I'm 42 and getting better and stronger every month and have been for the last 4-5 years since I picked back up consistently. People that use age as an excuse are just looking for an excuse to use.1
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Thanks for the advice! I'm am pretty mindful and do listen to my body mostly, but being a bit of a goal type person, I like to think into the future. Consistency and a regular mix of training is really important to me because I get bored easily. At 40 I'm in the best shape since before kids. annpt77, your feedback is really helpful thanks x getting ahead of potential changes is my way of managing. X0
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I am fit at 48. I still have to up or change my exercise and watch my diet.. It really is a lifelong commitment for me. I am Peri-menopausal, but the diet and exercise has made immense improvements in that area (my side effects or symptoms are almost nill)
I scale back when needed if I over do it, recovery takes a bit longer. I am in better shape now than when I was running in college. I lift weights 5 days a week.
Balance is key.3 -
It's not that complicated if you have been doing it your whole life like you say.
Activity slong with some kind of structured progressive lifting program is a good idea.
Diet isn't that important if you know your body and when to slow down. I watch my calorie intake three to four months of the year and eat anywhere up 6000-8000 calories a day the other nine months. Lots of ice cream all year cut or bulk. If you are active, you will burn be a calorie burning furnace.
Basically use common sense on injuries, food, drinking and getting older doesn't necessarily mean things are going down hill. Sounds like you already know most of this, but good luck!0 -
That's right, but the effort to maintain as you get older, changes, so what do you need to do to maintain? It's it just the fact of continue to train but know that your metabolism changes as you get older?
Your metabolism changes very little. As an example an active male at 40 needs 2800 calories a day. An active male age 75 needs 2600. (female 2200 and 2000 respectively).
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-2/1 -
46 year old guy here. I've been exercising since I was a teenager and don't notice any giant changes.
On the other hand, I'm more disciplined and consistent than I was when younger, so that's probably helping.
Plenty of times, in my twenties and thirties I'd just stop lifting weights for a few weeks or whatever, for no particular reason. And my running was intermittent. Also, I wouldn't track calories or macros diligently. All those things are ingrained habits now so I'm not wasting time ramping back up from inactivity.
Anyways, so I'd just suggest trying to figure out sustainable ways of doing the best things and then be sure you do them, 'cuz momentum is serious business.
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That's right, but the effort to maintain as you get older, changes, so what do you need to do to maintain? It's it just the fact of continue to train but know that your metabolism changes as you get older?
Most of those metabolic changes are due to what you do, or don't do, rather than purely age related.
I got my fitness and strength back in my fifties. No magic, nothing special, just trained hard and progressively (cardio and strength work). Really the only age related difference for me is the need to progress at a somewhat sensible rate ("sensible for me" probably more accurate) rather than try to go from zero to hero. A lot of that is the management of old injures though. I can still tolerate a very high volume of training but have to be more mindful of recovery needs. My mental outlook to exercise is still the same as ever, always challenging myself and very goal oriented.
At 40 you should concentrate on what you can do rather than worry about aging!
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I'll also add that my husband is in his early 60s, and he has been right there with me during all the cycling we've been doing. We do it together. It does appear that we both need to train a little bit more than we might have done some years ago ... back in the day, we might have been able to hop on the bicycle and do the long distances without much prep. But that's OK, training is half the fun. 0
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I didn't take up running until I was 40 although have vaguely been trying to become fitter since my sister was diagnosed with MS about 8 years ago. I'm grateful for my health and the physical capabilities I have and I owe it to my body to maintain it that way.
I am way way fitter than I was ever, probably since about the age of 12. And I am a work in progress. I run, I lift weights and I dance. Studies have shown that dance is one of the best things to do to keep both mind and body active so I see no reason to stop learning and trying new things whilst I'm physically capable of doing them. I might get hit by a bus tomorrow!!1 -
I'm 41, I try and keep it mixed up with hand weights, 2kg hand, running, walking and now carrying weights in a backpack. I feel strong.0
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I'll be 43 in January and I look better than ever and am stronger than ever. The only thing I've changed up as I've gotten older is I spend a good 10-15 minutes on mobility work before I even touch a weight and I sleep well and I eat well so I recover from workouts well which enables me to lift weights 4-5 days/week (which is what I love!) . Diet wise, I'm blessed (for now anyway!) with a great metabolism so I can eat a lot but I always track my calories and macros daily.
So in short - stay agile, fuel well, sleep well, and workout hard. Most importantly-be consistent with what you do.1 -
Leadfoot_Lewis wrote: »I'll be 43 in January and I look better than ever and am stronger than ever. The only thing I've changed up as I've gotten older is I spend a good 10-15 minutes on mobility work before I even touch a weight and I sleep well and I eat well so I recover from workouts well which enables me to lift weights 4-5 days/week (which is what I love!) . Diet wise, I'm blessed (for now anyway!) with a great metabolism so I can eat a lot but I always track my calories and macros daily.
So in short - stay agile, fuel well, sleep well, and workout hard. Most importantly-be consistent with what you do.
Big thumbs up to the mobility work. Doubly so if you have a typical job where you sit on your *kitten* all day. I'm 60 and had a number of issues due to this, I've been attacking this for the last 10 years and getting better, but would have been nicer to do earlier.
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That's right, but the effort to maintain as you get older, changes, so what do you need to do to maintain? It's it just the fact of continue to train but know that your metabolism changes as you get older?
As a fit and healthy menopausal 53 yo woman I don't believe this true if by effort you mean physical effort. If you continue doing what you are doing you should remain quite fit. The problem with getting older is that lifestyles tend to change and people become more sedentary. We get tired and lazy as we have more free time.
I think it just takes more mental effort. But fitness is still possible and it's still done in the same way. I don't put any more physical effort into now than I did 20 years ago, but some days it does feel like it. I do think about it a little more now.1 -
"Fit at 40...how do I keep it that way?"
You just don't stop. You keep on keeping on. You do what you have been doing. It's a whole lot easier to keep going on than to try to start again. This is from someone who started again, after a short 40 year lay off, restarting a young age of 59. Once you make up your mind to get it done, you just get it done. If you are already fit, again, just keep on keeping on. You know what it takes, just do it.2 -
I'm a life long exerciser and love training. Prob 5 timeS plus per week. My exercises of choose are martial arts (kickboxing), running, circuits, Hiit, and weights. At 40 years old, I'm I'm pretty good shape and I want to stay that way. The effort I put in pays off, but I feel like I'm just going to have to continue to up the exercise and be more careful about what I eat as I get older.
What tips does anyone have about maintaining weight and good fitness? Ps. My diet is good sometimes and rubbish other times.
Any help or advice gratefully received!
Just keep on doing what you're doing.
It's no different at age 55 than age 40. I do build in more recovery time now than 15 years ago, but I'm still lifting weights, cycling, walking just as I was when I was age 40. You've already made it a part of your lifestyle at age 40. The only advice I would give is to continue making it a part of your lifestyle as you age.
The rules of CICO are no different for me at age 55 than they were when I was age 40. So in terms of lifestyle - yes, you simply continue with your exercise routines that you like, and manage your daily nutritional needs.0 -
I'm 59 and over the past year and a half or so, I have gone from being obese and at an extremely poor fitness level, to increasing my fitness level to the fair/good range and losing over 55 lbs.
I think metabolism changes by activity/fitness level and not by age. People may think that because as people get older they tend to become less active.
If you go on the CDC website, they have a good layout that people can follow for this...
cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html
I more than double up on the 150 minutes per week of exercise until I reach a good fitness level, then I only need to do the recommended 150 minutes per week to maintain it.
When I first started, I logged my food because I was in such poor shape, I couldn't even exercise for 30 minutes straight. Once I was able to get a training effect I progressed pretty quickly, and now I can go for a couple hours, and don't even log my food any more.
It sounds like you are in very good shape now, so it should be easy to maintain that for life.0 -
I'm a life long exerciser and love training. Prob 5 timeS plus per week. My exercises of choose are martial arts (kickboxing), running, circuits, Hiit, and weights. At 40 years old, I'm I'm pretty good shape and I want to stay that way. The effort I put in pays off, but I feel like I'm just going to have to continue to up the exercise and be more careful about what I eat as I get older.
What tips does anyone have about maintaining weight and good fitness? Ps. My diet is good sometimes and rubbish other times.
Any help or advice gratefully received!
Though you didn't describe yourself as an endurance athlete, since you are a runner you might enjoy reading Joe Friel's book "Fast After 50 - How to race strong for the rest of your life". Friel spends quite a few pages describing the physical effects of aging on performance by runners, cyclists, triathletes, etc., and what can be done to delay the degradation in athletic performance as we age. He talks about the benefits of resistance training and the need to continue with high intensity training if we want to maintain performance as we grow older. Friel also discusses the need for longer recovery as we age, and how some athletes have moved to 9 day training blocks (as opposed to a 7 day week) as a way to do 3 High Intensity workouts/block with 2 recovery days in between the High Intensity stuff.
The book is well written and easy to read. Beyond the specific athletic performance advice, he also makes some common sense points about quality of life as we age, such as the effects of diet on our health. No huge surprises there, but the general message is that we can improve performance and quality of life as we age by managing our diets and maintaining a highly active lifestyle.
Its great that you're thinking about this now. Best of Luck.
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That's right, but the effort to maintain as you get older, changes, so what do you need to do to maintain? It's it just the fact of continue to train but know that your metabolism changes as you get older?
If you're active and remain active, changes to your metabolic rate aren't particularly significant. Where there tends to be more issue is with inactive individuals who lose more muscle mass as they age...
I'm 42 and the only significant thing I've noticed is that it takes me seemingly much longer to recover from an injury.0 -
Dealing with injuries can be a challenge as it takes longer to recover.
Yeah I've found that to be the biggest problem. At 43, my muscles, motivation, and stamina remain as high as they ever were - but my joints and connective tissue seem to be showing some definite signs of increasing fragility. Takes some getting used to.
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