Although no one can deny the benefits of working out and generally staying healthy, the way you do this changes as you move through different stages of life. Just because one person can do a long and grueling workout doesn’t mean the exact same thing is healthy or even safe for the next person.
When you learn how to start working out, you must do so with a weight loss exercise plan designed for your age and fitness level. However, it’s not so complicated that you must shell out hundreds of dollars for an expensive personal trainer. Consider using 30 Day Fitness instead. When used correctly, you’ll see the same results and enjoy more flexibility and a cheaper price!
Find the Perfect Plan for Your Age
The changes your body makes as you get older must be taken into consideration when you look at how to start working out. Especially if you’re a fitness beginner over 30, there are several important things to note:
- People who are not physically active can lose up to 3-5 percent of muscle mass per decade after age 30.
- After 30, a lot of hormonal changes happen as well and you’ll be more sensitive to imbalances.
- If you haven’t paid attention to health and fitness thus far, your body is more resistant to change. It’s adjusted to consuming harmful things like refined sugar and processed foods.
- Eating poorly hits you harder and takes longer to bounce back from.
- Your natural energy levels decline around 30.
- Flexibility decreases around 30.
As you can see, 30 is a benchmark. Once you hit this stage, exercising and working out looks different, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. 30 Day Fitness is there to help you create the perfect age-appropriate workout plan.
They offer an impressive library of exercises, all of which come with both written instructions and video tutorials. Then, they are all categorized by muscle group, approximate length, and fitness level. Even for beginners, it makes building a workout a total breeze.
As you create your plan, consider the following things:
- Focus on strength training. You don’t have to go crazy with the weights and beat any records, but maintaining your strength is important as your natural muscle mass decreases. Powerful muscles support your joints and it makes holding the proper position a lot easier. More muscle also means more calories burned, which helps you stay in shape and maintain your desired figure.
- Hydrate. Of course, water is important for everyone, but it’s a crucial part of your workout as you get older. A lack of water causes your skin to age prematurely and can slow your metabolism.
- Refuel after. Post-workout refueling is essential to help your body recover. It also eases the muscles soreness and fatigue you may experience after a workout.
- Add HIIT workouts to your schedule. If you’re nearing 40, you probably have an established routine and the thought of adding in workouts is overwhelming. HIIT stands for “high-intensity interval training” and it has you doing brief spurts of intense workouts followed by short recovery periods. Think 20 seconds on 10 seconds off. You can complete these workouts in as little as 20 minutes in your living room or backyard, and they’re proven to be effective.
- Add yoga or pilates to your schedule. Besides building muscle, this helps you improve your balance and posture, which helps you maintain a better form when working out. It also improves flexibility which can help you maintain your range of motion.
Start Your Fitness Program
Now that you’ve got a plan in the works, it’s time to think about execution. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to start slow. If you follow your plan, results will come.
Before you begin, truly assess your fitness level. If you’ve never worked out before, stick to the beginner workouts on 30 Day Fitness - they’ll get you off to a brilliant start. If you have some experience, consider trying exercises that are one step up, but don’t get ahead of yourself.
As you determine what level at which to place yourself, consider the following as you finalize your plan:
- Do longer warm-ups. Because of your decreased flexibility, jumping into a strenuous workout without an appropriate warm-up session may cause unnecessary extra soreness later. There’s also a higher risk of pulled muscles and injury.
- Plan longer recoveries. Even the youngest, fittest people need a rest day. As you get older, you’ll need more. Keep at least one complete rest day where you don’t work out at all. Then, consider dedicating one or two additional days to active rest. This includes stretching, foam rolling, yoga, and similar mild activities.
- Switch things up. Don’t repeat the same series of workouts day in and day out. It’ll go great for a while, but soon you’ll hit a plateau.
Once you begin, it’s important to track your progress. A simple way to do this is with the 30-day challenges on 30 Day Fitness. These keep track of which day you’re on and you can go back and look at previous days to see what you’ve already done.
Outside of these, you can still track daily workouts and see your progression. This includes how many reps you’re doing, how long you’re working out for, how many days a week, what difficulty level you’re choosing, etc.
Tracking yourself not only helps you mix things up properly, but it motivates you to keep going. If you’re feeling discouraged or burnt out one day, it helps to look back and see how far you’ve come.
It’s Never Too Late
If you’re a fitness newbie over 30, it’s important to know you’re not alone. Plenty of people are in the same boat which is why resources and weight loss exercises exist for all ages! It’s also important to commend yourself for starting the journey now, because later is better than never.
Logging in to 30 Day Fitness will make you feel right at home in the fitness world and you can get started right away. Keep in mind what tips we’ve mentioned here and you’ll have an amazing plan in place in no time.
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