FIT FROM 30 AND BEYOND
You may have flew through your 20’s playing sports, going to gym, nights out and back playing, training the next day without thinking too much about it, a little bit invincible.
Then you hit your 30’s, maybe your recovery isn’t quite what it was, hangovers lasting a little bit longer, other priorities take over, family, work etc. So you have less time.
Does this mean that having a decent level of fitness and strength are behind you, never to be regained ?
Thankfully I can tell you that’s far from the truth, with the right training protocols and knowledge and not too much time, you can still have those strength and fitness levels.
Consistency is key.
Why did I pick 30 ? Well basically I had to pick a number and 30 is probably an average age for people stopping playing sports, settling down with families etc, maybe starting to feel the odd wee ache and pain.
The age you are doesn’t really matter, because we can’t do anything about that. The main thing is to START NOW. Whether you’re 30, 45, 55 or 75. Just start. It’s much easier to keep up than try to catch up later.
Your older self will be very glad you started now.
To help you with this, I’ve compiled a list of of 7 top tips that you should be doing to maintain a decent level of fitness and improve your general life.
- STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training is vital, as well as, obviously, helping to maintain muscle mass, it can help build bone density, provide relief from joint pain and improve posture. The older you is also less likely to have falls, be stiff and sore, struggle with daily life, it also keeps your brain function higher.
- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
If there are certain exercises, heavy squats for example that cause you pain doing or suffer for days after, stop doing them, maybe try going lighter for more reps, you can still gain/maintain strength levels this way, but without the pain. (if you’re not sure whats causing the pain, go get it checked out by a professional) If you can’t train 2 days in a row, don’t !
Find a weekly plan that suits your time limits and recovery threshold, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, full weekend off is an example.
- EXERCISES YOU SHOULD BE DOING
Squats – one of the best strength and functional exercises, just think how often you naturally squat every day. This exercise will not only increase leg strength, but improve, core strength, mobility in ankles, knees and hips.
Deadlifts – again one of the best exercise for all round body strength and movement skills. Change them up too, Use a barbell, kettlebells, Dumbbells etc
Single Leg Movements – such as kettlebell single leg deadlifts, as well as strength and movement, these will increase propreoception skills
- CARDIO
Do something thats gets your heart rate up, gets a sweat on, sprinting, HIIT, circuits, spin, running, cycling, skipping, padwork whatever you enjoy and will stick too.
Keeping your cardio fitness up is as important as the strength side, you can even combine both into some kind of circuit based session.
- WATER
Not too much explanation needed here, aim to drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day. This helps, energy, weight loss, flushing out toxins, keeps you regular, improves mood, prevents cramps, regulates body temperature to name a few
- RECOVERY
As we mentioned before, listen to your body, recovery is just as important as the actual training sessions. So if you need two days between sessions, take two days. Find a good bedtime routine that works for you and try to get at least 6-8 hours quality sleep every night.
- MOBILITY
Mobility, movement, flexibility whatever you may call the ability to stretch, move through a range of motions, pain free.
Whether you go to Yoga, mobility classes, follow a mobility program online or just have good warm up and cool down routines that keep your mobility levels high, again your future self will thank you for doing these now. Even stretching a body part, you know the ones you need to work on, for 60 secs a day has proved to increase mobility in that area.
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