Fit by 40!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!