What Type Of Exercises Should You Focus On In Your 40s?

When you hit your 40s, it’s likely that you’ll notice that you can’t workout as hard as you did in the past and recovery takes longer. There is an increased risk of heart issues, backaches, sore knees, and other injury-related problems. From your 30s onwards, you will lose 3-8% of muscle mass every decade and this increases after 60. Human bone mineral density also declines, and this increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Our heart and lungs cannot take in as much oxygen to convert it into energy. This may paint a bleak picture, but even making a few habit changes can slow the decline and prepare your body for a healthier retirement. Depending on the type of person you are, this could include playing tennis, participating in a half marathon, or simply chasing your grandkids around. In this article, we will take a closer look at this topic to help you prefer yourself for the decades ahead.

Test Your Fitness  

It’s important to evaluate your fitness to ascertain how you should progress in the future. There are four key areas to check: mobility, cardiorespiratory, stability, and body strength. There is a decline with age, but the body can be very resilient, and it is possible to overcome a lot for longer than you may imagine. An exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, or physical therapist can help you to create a personalized training program to meet your needs. Testing your fitness is important to identify areas that need to be boosted and potential weaknesses that need to be worked on. Perhaps you lack flexibility? In this case, you could spend more time stretching or take up yoga. You can test your cardiorespiratory fitness with your VO2 max, which many fitness trackers can facilitate. The VO2 max is the functional capacity of the body to perform hard work, and the best way to improve it is with HIIT workouts and regular aerobic activity. If you’re in any doubt about your capabilities, it’s a good idea to schedule a checkup with your health professional.

Building Strength Sensibly 

When you reach your 40s, it is still possible and even essential to take part in strength training. But, a more sensible approach is required to limit straining and promote recovery. When most of us were training in our 20s, we could handle a hard workout on most days and bounce back from them in next to no time. As we age, it takes longer to recover, and we may be limited to workouts on fewer days at a slower tempo. In your 40s, you can engage in some type of strength training 4-5 times per week. But, these sessions will be at a lower intensity and be focused on deadlifts, pull-ups, squats and lunges. If you focus on body weight resistance training, you will stay strong, place less strain on your body, and add mobilization control to promote strength and flexibility over the long term. Experts recommend 60% body resistance, 20% concentrated bench presses, barbells, and deadlifts, and the final 20% should be an activity such as cardio that elevates the heart rate. 

Keep Moving 

As we age, we tend to slow down and move less, which in turn makes us feel stiffer and we are far more prone to muscle cramps and other mishaps. To prevent injury, it’s important to stay flexible, and starting each day with a 5-10 minute mobility routine is a great idea.  This is more than simple static stretching routines; think of it as more than sweeps and swings rather than fast touches. For example, light yoga moves will promote more flexibility than toe touches. If you have a favorite stretch, it may be possible to convert it into a fluid movement. Put more emphasis on working over the range of movement rather than quick, rapid movements. The purpose is to promote blood flow to your muscles and to stimulate the cartilage, bones, and tendons. This will improve strength and resiliency with motions that are weight bearing.

Five Key Exercises 

To summarize, there are five key activities that you should use regularly to stay fit and healthy into your 40s and beyond. They are:

Rowing: This exercise is low-impact and it helps to promote good posture. When we row, we’re working our shoulders, elbows, and legs, and as an added bonus, we can get our hearts pumping. 

Lunges: A lunge where you use balance as a component is beneficial, and a good example would be the curtsy lunge. This lunge will work lower leg muscles much like a typical lunge, but it will improve body alignment and stability. This will reduce the risk of lower back pain, which can hamper recovery.

Deadlifts: These are a tried and tested way to build and maintain muscle efficiently. But, it’s important to pay close attention to your form and add weight gradually to reduce the risk of injury to your back.

Push Ups: A simple body weight push up is excellent for upper body strength.

Stretching: Light stretching for lower legs, hips, and spine mobility doesn’t need to take long, and it’s not a replacement for the mobility routine mentioned above. 

Mixing Up Your Workouts 

As we age, it’s important to try and exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. There should be moderate to vigorous aerobic workouts and a couple of strength training sessions of 15-20 minutes each. Together, these workouts should improve your quality of life and longevity for the years ahead. But, how you choose to spend this time should vary from day to day and week to week. Although the human body is fantastic at adaptation, it’s important to keep it guessing to get the most out of your workouts. Having some variety is excellent for blood pressure and general heart health. Even a small adjustment can be extremely beneficial over time. For example, if you’re performing lunges, you could switch things up and lunge in a different direction on random days. Perhaps you could combine a lunge with an overhead dumbbell press or even take a faster walk on a different incline.