Lowering exercise intensity with age, what has worked for you?
jaroby
Posts: 152 Member
For starters, please bear with me as it will probably take more than one shot to figure out exactly what it is I have a question about, but here’s the first attempt:
I’m interested in reducing the intensity of my exercise without compromising the mood boost I get from a nice, hard workout.
I can deal with having to reduce my calories in order to maintain my weight loss goals, but I will have a harder time not getting that “endorphin kick” (assuming science backs that up and that’s really why I feel so great after a sweaty workout).
I’m curious about other people’s experiences with this.
Have you done it?
What did you switch from/to?
Might I ask why you made the switch?
Does anyone have ideas of what I can start switching out or outright changing in my schedule? And I realize that it’s a hard question for others answer for my specific situation without knowing what I’m doing in the first place and why I would want to reduce. So, here’s some of that info in case it’s helpful for generating ideas?
I’m 32, I’ve had 3 kids, I’ve been a home exerciser for years since that’s what’s works best for my husbands work schedule/kids wake up times etc. I think I want to start lowering the intensity because our current life stage demands that workouts be done before the kids are up and my body just doesn’t love that anymore. I’ve been making low impact modifications on cardio days for a while now but I think, based on how I feel, more changes need to be made.
Maybe this is helpful info too? Idk, I always feel sort of bad asking for help on the interwebs because of the lack of context for those kind enough to offer the help. I’ll try to provide a little context without typing a novel.
I used to be a runner but switched to strength training with dumbbells (3x) + body weight cardio exercises(2x) years ago. I fell in love with lifting and although I only have dumbbells (3-40lbs) we do hope to buy a bar and plates at some point but it might be a bit as the demand for them is high right now so the prices aren’t within our affordable range.
I wonder if I start reducing my 2x a week cardio down to pure low impact (I’ve been making modifications as needed but I’m considering just throwing them out entirely and going for a brisk walk in the early am on these days) if that will be “enough”? (For help with mood) maybe I’ll just have to try it out for a bit and see if my body adapts haha
I’m interested in reducing the intensity of my exercise without compromising the mood boost I get from a nice, hard workout.
I can deal with having to reduce my calories in order to maintain my weight loss goals, but I will have a harder time not getting that “endorphin kick” (assuming science backs that up and that’s really why I feel so great after a sweaty workout).
I’m curious about other people’s experiences with this.
Have you done it?
What did you switch from/to?
Might I ask why you made the switch?
Does anyone have ideas of what I can start switching out or outright changing in my schedule? And I realize that it’s a hard question for others answer for my specific situation without knowing what I’m doing in the first place and why I would want to reduce. So, here’s some of that info in case it’s helpful for generating ideas?
I’m 32, I’ve had 3 kids, I’ve been a home exerciser for years since that’s what’s works best for my husbands work schedule/kids wake up times etc. I think I want to start lowering the intensity because our current life stage demands that workouts be done before the kids are up and my body just doesn’t love that anymore. I’ve been making low impact modifications on cardio days for a while now but I think, based on how I feel, more changes need to be made.
Maybe this is helpful info too? Idk, I always feel sort of bad asking for help on the interwebs because of the lack of context for those kind enough to offer the help. I’ll try to provide a little context without typing a novel.
I used to be a runner but switched to strength training with dumbbells (3x) + body weight cardio exercises(2x) years ago. I fell in love with lifting and although I only have dumbbells (3-40lbs) we do hope to buy a bar and plates at some point but it might be a bit as the demand for them is high right now so the prices aren’t within our affordable range.
I wonder if I start reducing my 2x a week cardio down to pure low impact (I’ve been making modifications as needed but I’m considering just throwing them out entirely and going for a brisk walk in the early am on these days) if that will be “enough”? (For help with mood) maybe I’ll just have to try it out for a bit and see if my body adapts haha
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Replies
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I think everybody is going to be different. For me, at 63, I need about an hour of fairly strenuous exercise in order to see an impact on my mood. A short walk doesn't do it at all; I need a good run or a real hike or an hour on the bike in order to stave off the blues. I notice the difference on rest days or ones where my cross-training is less strenuous, which is why I run 5+ days a week.4
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@jaroby, I understand! I’m 47 and have three kids myself. Granted, they are all older now (16,18,21) where I don’t need to run my schedule around them but I had to reduce my intensity due to old age! My body just can’t do the 50 miles a week running I was doing ten years ago. I’m now on 25 miles a week and MOST of that is walking briskly up hills! It seriously bums me out that I can’t go any farther than that without knees, back, and hip issues. I make a point of five days a week and on non exercise days where my calorie allotment is lower, I’ll try to be stricter about what I eat. I’m not nearly as thin as I used to be (150 now as opposed to 140 then) but I don’t think 140 would be worth the damage I would do to get there! My body has to last me a really long time still (lord willing) !
I think the fact you are even concerned with fitting in your fitness with having kids and a family to manage, shows you are disciplined enough to meet the challenge! Don’t beat yourself up about intensity or “ doing enough.” Just do SOMETHING that gets your heart rate up for thirty minutes a day and you will get endorphins plus the motivation to stick to the diet portion, calorie control.
On the “ mood” subject in regards to cardio , I don’t find weight training ( this is just my humble opinion) to be as effective in that area, and it doesn’t torch the calories like a run! It doesn’t get my heart pumping like a brisk walk or a run either. So if you’re going for mood lifting then cardio should be a priority. If you like the weights more then keep doing that. I’m not trying to steer you into more cardio, I’m just saying that is what I prefer and it keeps my head clear! 😘5 -
i'm 63, and i am adding intensity to my workouts as i go - more weight, less rest between for lifting, more time or more resistance for biking. i love that endorphin kick, but i'm on a time budget, so i add intensity rather than time to my workouts when i can.
btw, even at my fittest years ago, vigorous walking made me feel great - i did it 5 to 6 days per week, and not only was i at my leanest at that time, but my leg muscles were very nicely built. walking helps a lot. if you have hills near you or you can do some stairs in the middle, that's always a plus.6 -
At just 32 I think you are making a huge mistake in linking exercise intensity to your age, your circumstances yes - but not your age!
Change your exercise as it doesn't fit your current life and family commitments for sure but it's not your age that should be driving this. Those commitments will change as your children grow up. 30's and 40's can be tough decades as your own priorities can get relegated behind family and career needs. My exercise volume was cramped and sporadic in those years as it simply couldn't be the priority.
In my 50's I finally got more "me time" and a lot of that was dedicated to exercise and rebuilding/improving my fitness including exercising at maximum intensity in the correct dosage.
There's a massive difference in health, signs of aging and performance between people who continue to exercise with at least some higher intensity long into their later years compared to their peers who think age means you have to stick to low or moderate intensity.
Have you done it?
Yes I had to give up my main sport in my 30's as I didn't have the time and the money needed to be spent elsewhere.
What did you switch from/to?
Motorcycle racing to squash and weight training (both could be condensed into short timeslots to fit in a busy schedule and both pretty high intensity. Plenty of ROI for little time.).
Might I ask why you made the switch?
Family, career, lack of time, huge mortgage, rebuilding leg strength and speed after a major injury.10 -
At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).10 -
I think your line of thinking is reasonable.
I do feel resistance training 3x per week is a bare minimum to keep driving progress for a longer time.
Maybe add a day(s) so you can complete the dosage for the week.
Yes you can cut higher intensity cardio down but generally I would add a bit more time at LISS . Really depends on intensity and how long you plan on average per week.
Of course all with proper load management.1 -
Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?9
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As mentioned above; everyone is different but in my opinion, it’s best practice to do the following as minimum (if you have no health or mobility issues that limit exercise).
1. Walk as much as you can.
2. Strength train at least 2 plus times per week.
3. Yoga etc.
4. Two plus 30 minutes cardio sessions per week.2 -
At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!1 -
Thank you all so much for your encouragement and replies in helping me figure this out!! I’ll be back on to reply more, I got excited about all the responses but don’t have the time to reply all at once even though I’ve got questions and clarifications 0
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@jaroby , I’m a former homeschooling mom too! The last one is 16 so she doesn’t “ need me “ anymore in terms of schooling, taking jr. College classes. I remember those days and I’m just like you in terms of feeling the intensity in my joints and back, which is why I cut way back on intensity. Just as an update though, I actually prefer my body at this 150 ( more muscular ) state than at the 140 state where I was super lean. I think you can accomplish your goals of staying very fit while chilling out on how hard you push! Keep up the awesome work,mom!!!1
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At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
WIth the symptoms you report, have you taken a good, really hard, detailed look at your nutrition? Your health markers (blood tests, etc.)? (Re-)considered timing of various types of workouts from a recovery standpoint?
The symptoms you report don't really seem like an age thing, to me (and not just because I'm literally twice your age, at 64). The symptoms you report seem more like what I experience when:
* my nutrition isn't ideally on point (right down to the micros),
* my thyroid hormone dosage needs adjustment,
* I'm not doing sleep or recovery well,
* my hydration (maybe even electrolytes in context of hydration) isn't ideal,
* my cumulative (all-source, physical and psychological) stress level is getting too high,
* I'm letting a little too much alcohol into my life (not talking fall-down drunk, but just that drink or two, a little more often than my body wants it to be, given whatever all else is going on in my life),
* I'm not doing the self-massage, conditioning, stretching, etc., that's best for me,
* . . . or some combination of these and similar things.
I don't find I'm struggling much more with intensity per se as I age (so far), or even with volume (if I work my way up to the intensity or volume in a sensible way, after any hiatus).
What I do find - and this may just be me, I dunno - is that I age, I'm less resilient to screwing up things on the list above, including combinations of them: That getting myself out on thin ice is much riskier, and has worse consequences, because I don't bounce back like I did when I was age 20.
Since you report time of day as a variable, I'm wondering whether sleep schedule, or nutrient timing, may figure in this, in some way, more specifically, too. Me, I'm not a morning person, so realistically AM workouts are going to go less well for me, generally. But, from experience, I know I can make that effect *substantially* worse if I reach that morning workout by getting up earlier while still going to bed late, trying to work out fasted (works for some, doom for me), etc.
I hope you're able to figure out what the issue is, or find workouts that achieve what you're looking for in your current context. But I'm with the other older people who've replied: Doesn't sound like age, to me.9 -
Sure, modify cardio To low impact and reduce the length. If you’ve been doing an hour, try doing 50 minutes. On strength training, reduce load Or reps by 5-10%. Or give yourself an additional rest day each week, perhaps with walking if yoga.
I agree with other thoughts that at 32 You don’t Need to decrease exercise due to “age”. At 65 I’m trying to increase my exercise intensity and duration.2 -
@jaroby , I’m a former homeschooling mom too! The last one is 16 so she doesn’t “ need me “ anymore in terms of schooling, taking jr. College classes. I remember those days and I’m just like you in terms of feeling the intensity in my joints and back, which is why I cut way back on intensity. Just as an update though, I actually prefer my body at this 150 ( more muscular ) state than at the 140 state where I was super lean. I think you can accomplish your goals of staying very fit while chilling out on how hard you push! Keep up the awesome work,mom!!!
For real, thank you SO much for the encouragement!! I love seeing confirmation that there really will be a time when the kids need me less (directly) and I can mix my routine to better suit where I’m at. And yeah, my weight goals are super flexible at this point. I’m going for getting rid of obvious excess body fat and then we’ll see from there how much more I try for but my guess is I’ll be thrilled to be there and will enjoy pushing myself to get stronger right from where I’m at.1 -
At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
WIth the symptoms you report, have you taken a good, really hard, detailed look at your nutrition? Your health markers (blood tests, etc.)? (Re-)considered timing of various types of workouts from a recovery standpoint?
The symptoms you report don't really seem like an age thing, to me (and not just because I'm literally twice your age, at 64). The symptoms you report seem more like what I experience when:
* my nutrition isn't ideally on point (right down to the micros),
* my thyroid hormone dosage needs adjustment,
* I'm not doing sleep or recovery well,
* my hydration (maybe even electrolytes in context of hydration) isn't ideal,
* my cumulative (all-source, physical and psychological) stress level is getting too high,
* I'm letting a little too much alcohol into my life (not talking fall-down drunk, but just that drink or two, a little more often than my body wants it to be, given whatever all else is going on in my life),
* I'm not doing the self-massage, conditioning, stretching, etc., that's best for me,
* . . . or some combination of these and similar things.
I don't find I'm struggling much more with intensity per se as I age (so far), or even with volume (if I work my way up to the intensity or volume in a sensible way, after any hiatus).
What I do find - and this may just be me, I dunno - is that I age, I'm less resilient to screwing up things on the list above, including combinations of them: That getting myself out on thin ice is much riskier, and has worse consequences, because I don't bounce back like I did when I was age 20.
Since you report time of day as a variable, I'm wondering whether sleep schedule, or nutrient timing, may figure in this, in some way, more specifically, too. Me, I'm not a morning person, so realistically AM workouts are going to go less well for me, generally. But, from experience, I know I can make that effect *substantially* worse if I reach that morning workout by getting up earlier while still going to bed late, trying to work out fasted (works for some, doom for me), etc.
I hope you're able to figure out what the issue is, or find workouts that achieve what you're looking for in your current context. But I'm with the other older people who've replied: Doesn't sound like age, to me.
2 things.
1. That list is a humble *reality check* for me. yikes!
2. I am SO thankful you took the time to bring up those variables. Because my form hadn’t changed, my time exercising hadn’t changed (30-50mins), + I was feeling as described above...I couldn’t figure out the possible reasons why so I just landed on age as the possible differentiating factor. Hallelujah! I am so thrilled that age is likely not the culprit!!
About that list...I’ll need to play with nutrient timing and even macro amounts. I’ll confess to making effort at hitting protein goals but lately I consider it a win to just hit calorie goals. It’s always my *hope* to be detailed about such things but sometimes I have to set my ideals aside and focus on what I can accomplish (we all need to do that a bit sometimes, yeah? ) but to have that in the back of my mind that nutrition timing and specifics could be affecting this recovery/intensity level is awesome. I consider myself to be fairly self aware but I feel like it would have taken me a bit longer than normal to make this specific connection. I also really like how you clarified the way you’ve noticed age playing a role in you being less resilient to screwing things up on the list. YES. I mean, clearly I need to play around with these factors to truly “prove” the case but that just seems so stinkin’ logical. I was sort of right that age was playing a role (many things May have to be well in line for me to feel my best and I as I get older I may notice it more if I’m off), I was wrong about the way age was impacting things but to drat the correlation that I could be becoming more sensitive to thing like this not being optimal is just...it’s what I needed to “hear.”
-I have been staying up way too late. Busted!!! Totally, 100% I can guarantee that it’s playing a role here even though I clearly didn’t make that connection.
-I’ve been slacking on conditioning/stretching compared to a few months prior.
-I’ve also been slacking on drinking the amount of water daily that helps me feel my best.
-With the school year starting up you bet my stress levels have risen from the more relaxed days of summer + we’re in process of figuring out some decently important life decisions right now (husbands job needs to change, want to buy a farm...
)
-I noticed a few years ago that even the occasional glass of wine or whisky old fashioned would disrupt my sleep so I’m with you on paying attention to that! I’ve got to really want it or be on vacation in order to decide to drink even a glass or two.
Goodness.
Thank you. Truly, I can work with this concept and it gives me a lot of hope.4 -
At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
WIth the symptoms you report, have you taken a good, really hard, detailed look at your nutrition? Your health markers (blood tests, etc.)? (Re-)considered timing of various types of workouts from a recovery standpoint?
The symptoms you report don't really seem like an age thing, to me (and not just because I'm literally twice your age, at 64). The symptoms you report seem more like what I experience when:
* my nutrition isn't ideally on point (right down to the micros),
* my thyroid hormone dosage needs adjustment,
* I'm not doing sleep or recovery well,
* my hydration (maybe even electrolytes in context of hydration) isn't ideal,
* my cumulative (all-source, physical and psychological) stress level is getting too high,
* I'm letting a little too much alcohol into my life (not talking fall-down drunk, but just that drink or two, a little more often than my body wants it to be, given whatever all else is going on in my life),
* I'm not doing the self-massage, conditioning, stretching, etc., that's best for me,
* . . . or some combination of these and similar things.
I don't find I'm struggling much more with intensity per se as I age (so far), or even with volume (if I work my way up to the intensity or volume in a sensible way, after any hiatus).
What I do find - and this may just be me, I dunno - is that I age, I'm less resilient to screwing up things on the list above, including combinations of them: That getting myself out on thin ice is much riskier, and has worse consequences, because I don't bounce back like I did when I was age 20.
Since you report time of day as a variable, I'm wondering whether sleep schedule, or nutrient timing, may figure in this, in some way, more specifically, too. Me, I'm not a morning person, so realistically AM workouts are going to go less well for me, generally. But, from experience, I know I can make that effect *substantially* worse if I reach that morning workout by getting up earlier while still going to bed late, trying to work out fasted (works for some, doom for me), etc.
I hope you're able to figure out what the issue is, or find workouts that achieve what you're looking for in your current context. But I'm with the other older people who've replied: Doesn't sound like age, to me.
2 things.
1. That list is a humble *reality check* for me. yikes!
2. I am SO thankful you took the time to bring up those variables. Because my form hadn’t changed, my time exercising hadn’t changed (30-50mins), + I was feeling as described above...I couldn’t figure out the possible reasons why so I just landed on age as the possible differentiating factor. Hallelujah! I am so thrilled that age is likely not the culprit!!
About that list...I’ll need to play with nutrient timing and even macro amounts. I’ll confess to making effort at hitting protein goals but lately I consider it a win to just hit calorie goals. It’s always my *hope* to be detailed about such things but sometimes I have to set my ideals aside and focus on what I can accomplish (we all need to do that a bit sometimes, yeah? ) but to have that in the back of my mind that nutrition timing and specifics could be affecting this recovery/intensity level is awesome. I consider myself to be fairly self aware but I feel like it would have taken me a bit longer than normal to make this specific connection. I also really like how you clarified the way you’ve noticed age playing a role in you being less resilient to screwing things up on the list. YES. I mean, clearly I need to play around with these factors to truly “prove” the case but that just seems so stinkin’ logical. I was sort of right that age was playing a role (many things May have to be well in line for me to feel my best and I as I get older I may notice it more if I’m off), I was wrong about the way age was impacting things but to drat the correlation that I could be becoming more sensitive to thing like this not being optimal is just...it’s what I needed to “hear.”
-I have been staying up way too late. Busted!!! Totally, 100% I can guarantee that it’s playing a role here even though I clearly didn’t make that connection.
-I’ve been slacking on conditioning/stretching compared to a few months prior.
-I’ve also been slacking on drinking the amount of water daily that helps me feel my best.
-With the school year starting up you bet my stress levels have risen from the more relaxed days of summer + we’re in process of figuring out some decently important life decisions right now (husbands job needs to change, want to buy a farm...)
-I noticed a few years ago that even the occasional glass of wine or whisky old fashioned would disrupt my sleep so I’m with you on paying attention to that! I’ve got to really want it or be on vacation in order to decide to drink even a glass or two.
Goodness.
Thank you. Truly, I can work with this concept and it gives me a lot of hope.
I'm glad it resonates with you: Hope it helps you toward a solution. If I had to guess, I'd guess the shortened sleep as a major good target to improve, if you can. But it's just a guess.
One thing, after mulling this over: Don't assume your resilience is gone forever, "because age", especially at 32, either. Resilience is also a thing we can build, or deplete, too, IMO. A healthy lifestyle is a cumulative kind of thing, with lots of processes (good or bad) that we can speed up, slow down, reverse, reinforce . . . depending on choices we make.
If there's some aspect in your current 32-year-old life where you're taking hits in the form of reduced activity, maybe weight gain, things on the list in my PP, maybe other similar things, you can be reducing your resilience. Working to improve more of those factors, more of the time, can potentially slowly build it back up again.
It's still my considered opinion, looking at myself, that I've lost resilience as I've aged. It pampers my ego to think that some part of that was unavoidable, "because age". For sure, I made choices along the way that didn't put maintaining resilience or physical health at a high priority (and some of those choices were positives for my overall life balance and happiness, BTW - there are always tradeoffs). But I've also gone through periods where my resilience and health both improved by reorienting my habits, even as I got older. I'm quite confident that that's in the realm of possibility, too, even if there truly is some statistically probability of somewhat decreased resilience as an aspect of aging.
Age is not disability, in and of itself. It makes some effects more probable, in a statistical sense. Our choices along the way have major impact, nonetheless.
6 -
At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
Considering the back pain, that might be from your form. Not exactly sure what exercises you do, but rounding your back during a deadlift for example can result in serious back injury.
I don’t know that the intensity is necessarily what is causing your issues. If time constraints are causing you to slow down fine, but saying at 32 that the exercise is too intense because of back pain sounds like you are doing something incorrectly, not that exercising itself combined with age is the issue.3 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
Considering the back pain, that might be from your form. Not exactly sure what exercises you do, but rounding your back during a deadlift for example can result in serious back injury.
I don’t know that the intensity is necessarily what is causing your issues. If time constraints are causing you to slow down fine, but saying at 32 that the exercise is too intense because of back pain sounds like you are doing something incorrectly, not that exercising itself combined with age is the issue.
Thanks for this I know that form can sometimes be an issue, but I’ve taken several measures to make sure that this isn’t the case for this specific back problem. I have a mirror for real time reference, I’ve gradually worked my way up from body weight to weighted moves and many of these moves were taught to me in a coached environment back in highschool plus I’ve had 2 personal trainer friends review my form. I grew up with both of my parents lifting down in our basement so although I’m not an expert by any means, I also know I’m not a novice and have had a few professionals review for confirmation.
One of the friends I’ve mentioned who has reviewed my form will sometimes refer her clients to a posture restoration therapist in the area because of her personal experience with this type of pt plus the results she’s seen in clients. After talking through the specifics of the issue I’m having we both agree that it seems to stem from lifting with things out of alignment (even with externally visible proper form). When I stretch and help my hips and supporting muscles be properly aligned (not always a given even if do the stretches) I don’t have this specific back issue that I mentioned seeking pt for.
I appreciate the comment though!! Again, it’s so hard to provide all the context necessary when asking for advice like this so I totally don’t blame you for bringing it up!!1 -
You said it's been a few months of this. Hello lockdown! Whether or not you are feeling directly stressed due to the pandemic situation I would bet my bottom dollar it is adding to your stress levels. And one of the points AnnPT77 made is the cumulative effect of all source stressors. She's also identified other potential causes (most, if not all, of which are also stressors).
At 32 it is inconceivable that it's an age thing and my worry is that if you start thinking along those lines now, what the heck are you going to do when you're in your fifties/sixties and beyond and have fewer family responsibilities, freeing up all that lovely time to exercise? I discovered exercise in my late forties and have never looked back.
In terms of the high, I used to find that I got the best high from a sweaty workout at high intensity. I guess I still do, but I also used to find that I got no discernible high from a slower, gentler cardio session, or from a slow, grinding weights session. That has changed for me as I have set myself certain tough (for me) goals and then made slow progress towards them. In my case that's being able to do push ups with good form (nearly there now) and pull ups. Earlier it was being able to do a body weight Turkish Get Up. These have taken me months/years of work but the focus has enabled me to derive a high from making some obvious progress and even if a session does not go well I can look back at how far I've come and derive pleasure from that. Cardio-wise I've been working up the stamina to manage 12 full rounds on the heavy bag, which I can now do.
Once you've addressed the other issues maybe thinking of some goals to work at may get you in the right head space to enjoy the times when you do something less strenuous?1 -
To be clear, there are 2 basic exercise workout parameters you can play with: volume and intensity. Volume is made up of two dimensions, frequency (how many workouts/week) and duration (how long each workout is. Intensity is how hard you are working. Often times, when you have a young family there are competing priorities for your time and so you need to cut back on workout volume. Interestingly enough as you age, of the two, Intensity becomes increasingly important in terms of maintaining fitness. Studies have shown that older athletes just doing long slow fitness, while important for building endurance, does not do much for overall fitness, as measured by your body's ability to use oxygen when producing high levels of power. The takeaway is that you can keep plenty fit through appropriate use of HIIT workouts, interval training, weight training with higher load without having to put long workout hours in. Not to say that low intensity or longer workouts don't have a place (i.e. for aerobic benefits and mind clearing), but if you need to cut back volume make sure you keep a couple of higher Intensity workouts in your program. Chronologically, you are way young, I'm twice your age - 32 is prime endurance age - so you have a ways to go before you need to think about building in additional recovery (that's a 50+ year old conversation). Regardless, workouts like HIIT do require some recovery so 2-3x/week is as much as you want to redline in that way.4
-
I'll be 56 in around 6 weeks and I deal with this stuff a lot. But I always do as much intensity as my body will handle. Some years, it's great, others not so great.
My back, like yours, has been challenging for around a year and a half. So I thought I could just keep powering through the same stuff and it hasn't worked out.
I'm relooking now at all I do. Instead of 6 days a week of 1 hour cardio along with light weight sessions 2 or 3X a week, I'm doing much less cardio and more strengthening/stretching for the back. Much more planks, core work, spending more time stretching, superman yoga poses. I hate yoga but I'm even doing some more yoga.
I think if you're unmotivated and feel injured, it's tough. Sometimes it's not about just backing down but reevaluating what you're doing and if it's right for you.
I ran for five years and got up to doing 7/8 mile hard trail runs. But I'd stay inflamed for up to 3 hours after my runs on pavement/asphalt. Then I took up indoor rowing and biking and felt much better. I actually upped my intensity while getting rid of the inflammation. Adjustments can get you back on track.1 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »At what age does this forced lowering start? I'm 51 and still trying (and doing) newer and harder things.
Your body slows down but you don't have to (assuming your circumstances allow of course - family is first always).Why do you want to reduce the intensity at 32? Like previous posters, I understand time constraints with three kids but when I first looked at your post I thought you must be much older. I'm 63, female and a runner. I haven't really thought about reducing the intensity although the intensity may be reduced somewhat without my actually noticing it. I run about 40 miles a week. Is it intensity or time spent exercising that you actually want to change?
Ha! I thought that my post title might cause people to consider me older than 32, and I didn’t know if I could change it without starting an entirely new thread.
So, I like to push myself *hard* while working out and I didn’t want to write a novel when explaining my dilemma, but lately I just feel achy all over after a higher intensity cardio workout, it’s a different soreness than doms. My joins feel achy and my back feels off. It’s been a few months of this, I’m certain I’m not pregnant, and when I reduce the intensity and focus on low impact exercises I don’t have the all over achy pain after a hard workout. Lifting weights doesn’t produce the achy feeling.
The above situation coupled with a specific low back tightness/pain which I’m currently seeking physical therapy for to help me identify the “why” and “how to fix” has made me consider that my current routine might not be sustainable for as long as I had hoped. I truly had hoped to just keep going and pushing myself hard for years to come!
When I need to change things up like this it’s really helpful for me to learn about others experiences and gather ideas to see what can be adapted to my situation, so I decided to make a post and I can see I need to clarify so thanks for bearing with me
The other aspect of this is that when I’m able to workout later in the day I don’t have as many problems, but I’m a homeschool mom so for the foreseeable future I need to make things work in the early am or run a pretty high risk of a workout not happening. There will come a time when the kids are older that I can be more flexible with my desired routine, but for now this is what I’ve got
Thank you so much for your replies!
Considering the back pain, that might be from your form. Not exactly sure what exercises you do, but rounding your back during a deadlift for example can result in serious back injury.
I don’t know that the intensity is necessarily what is causing your issues. If time constraints are causing you to slow down fine, but saying at 32 that the exercise is too intense because of back pain sounds like you are doing something incorrectly, not that exercising itself combined with age is the issue.
Thanks for this I know that form can sometimes be an issue, but I’ve taken several measures to make sure that this isn’t the case for this specific back problem. I have a mirror for real time reference, I’ve gradually worked my way up from body weight to weighted moves and many of these moves were taught to me in a coached environment back in highschool plus I’ve had 2 personal trainer friends review my form. I grew up with both of my parents lifting down in our basement so although I’m not an expert by any means, I also know I’m not a novice and have had a few professionals review for confirmation.
One of the friends I’ve mentioned who has reviewed my form will sometimes refer her clients to a posture restoration therapist in the area because of her personal experience with this type of pt plus the results she’s seen in clients. After talking through the specifics of the issue I’m having we both agree that it seems to stem from lifting with things out of alignment (even with externally visible proper form). When I stretch and help my hips and supporting muscles be properly aligned (not always a given even if do the stretches) I don’t have this specific back issue that I mentioned seeking pt for.
I appreciate the comment though!! Again, it’s so hard to provide all the context necessary when asking for advice like this so I totally don’t blame you for bringing it up!!
I thought of it because my husband corrected my form on deadlifts to keep me from getting hurt.
Also, my back hurts in general from a really terrible mattress, but a new one is coming soon!!!
As previous posters have said also, stress plays a role as do changes in sleep etc.
Fix the other things mentioned and you should have no need to reduce the intensity of your workouts. 😊2 -
I'm 42 and am training harder than I have in a long time, minus my time in the Military.1
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I'm 70 and in excellent health and physical condition.
However, I have various injuries that I sustained while doing "too much" when I was younger, which include: a broken rt clavicle and rt ankle (motorcycling); a 3 torn kft knee ligaments and a torn rt rotator cuff (skiing); a torn lft rotator cuff; and, rt elbow medial collateral and rt sacroilac joint ligament damage (lifting).
So, I just don't do "too much" any more.
I stopped skiing and motorcycling (by choice about 10 & 5 yrs ago, respectively); do not attempt to lift max wts anymore (only about 70% of max); and only do "low & slow" intensity C2 rowing, Crossfit type exercises and short/long distance hiking that still requires some "effort" but not so much that it risks injury or exhaustion.2 -
After racing bicycles in my early 30s, I moved into audax/randonneuring ... long, long distance cycling.1
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My mom recently reduced cardio due to her age. She's 82.
7 -
I know I wasn’t able to specifically respond to each reply in this thread, but I read them all and am so grateful for all the input!
I wanted to give an update because as it was noted, age was likely not the cause of me feeling like I needed to lessen the intensity of my exercise.
It turns out getting enough sleep, getting back to drinking the amount of water that helps me feel good, and taking more time to stretch and work on mobility have just about taken care of the “all over achy/slow recovery” problem.
Yippee!!!!!
On another note, I had the appointment with the Posture Restoration Therapist today. I could cry tears of JOY. Turns out I’ve been walking around with my back a bit arched, my ribs bowed up towards the front, and my left hip more prominently forward than the right. I’ve also got an anterior pelvic tilt (which is silly because it’s something I’m aware of and have tried to fix
) I tend to place more weight on the balls of my feet rather than my heels and trying to squat with my hips all internally wonky like that + carrying myself through the day like this has been the cause of my low back pain.
So, the goal is to reset the way I hold myself unconsciously throughout the day. Posture Restoration Therapy.
Even after one single visit complete with instructions on how to hold myself correctly the lower back pain is significantly reduced and I can’t help but think “How on EARTH have I been carrying myself around like this day after day!?”
So if this has ever been a thing you’ve considered, I *highly* recommend it!5 -
I feel that Consistency is the most important thing. Doing “something” is almost always better than doing “nothing”. It’s better for me both mentally and physically.3
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I know I wasn’t able to specifically respond to each reply in this thread, but I read them all and am so grateful for all the input!
I wanted to give an update because as it was noted, age was likely not the cause of me feeling like I needed to lessen the intensity of my exercise.
It turns out getting enough sleep, getting back to drinking the amount of water that helps me feel good, and taking more time to stretch and work on mobility have just about taken care of the “all over achy/slow recovery” problem.
Yippee!!!!!
On another note, I had the appointment with the Posture Restoration Therapist today. I could cry tears of JOY. Turns out I’ve been walking around with my back a bit arched, my ribs bowed up towards the front, and my left hip more prominently forward than the right. I’ve also got an anterior pelvic tilt (which is silly because it’s something I’m aware of and have tried to fix ) I tend to place more weight on the balls of my feet rather than my heels and trying to squat with my hips all internally wonky like that + carrying myself through the day like this has been the cause of my low back pain.
So, the goal is to reset the way I hold myself unconsciously throughout the day. Posture Restoration Therapy.
Even after one single visit complete with instructions on how to hold myself correctly the lower back pain is significantly reduced and I can’t help but think “How on EARTH have I been carrying myself around like this day after day!?”
So if this has ever been a thing you’ve considered, I *highly* recommend it!
Good show. Really excellent: So happy for you!1
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