Fitness is a journey, we've all heard that. The reason you've heard that is because it's true. Where you are in your journey largely determines what workouts are appropriate for us. There are many factors that influence this but today we'll talk about how we should alter our training lifestyle once we hit age 40 and beyond.
More Rest Days - We are generally going to need more recovery time as we age. The two primary factors that affect our ability to recover are sleep and nutrition. If one or both of these are not ideal you will need to air on the side of caution even more and plan to give yourself more time to bounce back, especially after higher intensity workouts.
Decrease Volume - It may be necessary to adjust our overall volume over the course of a week of training and/or the amount of volume in individual workouts. We can do a few different ways, especially when it pertains to weightlifting. Instead of doing 4 sets of 12 reps, you could do 3 sets of 8 reps. You can use heavier weight but this decreases the overall volume by 50%. To decrease volume over the entire week incorporate more rest days, active recovery days, or lower intensity days. Some examples of the latter two would be a warm up and 30 minutes of mobility/stretching or 20-30 minutes of moderate cardio such as rowing or bike.
Incorporate more variety - This has been a game changer for me personally in the last 12 months. I've been doing CrossFit for 13 years. With young children and my work schedule, I don't always get an appropriate amount of sleep. In my early 40's, I began to notice it was more difficult to get over really long workouts and train the following day. Our gym has an alternate training program that is more focused towards body composition and incorporates a lot of dumbbell work. I began doing this about a year ago and in the last 3 or 4 months I've added it even more. What I have found is that I can work out 5 days per week as long as 2 or 3 of my training sessions are these types of workouts. I still get to do CrossFit, which I love the most, but don't have to take as many rest days and I actually feel and look better and have been able to add muscle. Another example: If you're a runner but find it's harder to do every day, try adding a few days of weight training in between run days.
Walking - Do not underestimate the power of just moving around more. Walking is a fantastic way to burn more calories and keep your body in better condition. This is especially true if you have a sedentary job that requires you to sit most of the day. This does not mean you have to block off and hour of your time to get it in. Ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes at lunch, and ten minutes before or after dinner gets you to 30 minutes. Too busy with kids and life? I regularly walk at my kids soccer practice and this past weekend my wife and I did 3 miles during a wrestling tournament. Be intentional and just do it.
Nutrition/Sleep/Stress Management - Proper nutrition and sleep are the foundation of health. I could write pages about each of these (and I will). Just know that these three are 80% of the solution to feeling your best. There is no magic pill to fix these, just being intentional and consistent will move the needle. Minimize junk food and prioritize protein. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than you do now. Take time to care for yourself. This, by the way, is not a selfish act. In fact, it's selfless. When you are at your best, you have more to offer your kids, spouse, co-workers, and friends.
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