Let’s get straight to point for all you over 40s and 50s who want and need to get healthier and stronger now.
When you’re in your 40s and 50s, there really is no time to waste. Random workouts, thrashing it out in group exercise classes, following a ‘killer online program’ that the sexy celebs follow… is all just too general and not for you if you want real results.
By the time you’re in your 50 plus, you really are the very special version of yourself. That’s not necessarily the good kind of special though. You’ll have your own habits like maybe late nights, comfort snack foods, too much alcohol, injury history and a bad case of the ‘used to’. The “I used to squat 200kg and live on pizza and keep my body fat at 15%”!
I turned 50 a couple of years ago and on reflection, I’ve spent 30 years as an athlete and a trainer of others and I have consistently tried to figure out what matters in training and especially for those who are stuck in ‘not enough time to train’ mindset.
I’ve tried the gadgets and different gym equipment, and whilst some are legitimately better than others, they pale in comparison to the important overarching principles. I have in fact within the past lot of years become a principle based trainer rather than a barbell, or a kettlebell or a CrossFit based trainer.
Principles
Getting healthy, stronger, fitter in our 50s plus comes down to practicing the skills in the 5 keys areas below.
The big 5 keys:
- Sleep 7-9 hours a night
- Aerobic fitness
- Real life strength
- Body composition
- Flexibility and mobility
For long term results we really need to focus on these 5 key areas and plan our lifestyle and exercise with that in mind. Short term gratification needs to step aside in favour or longer term achievements.
“You’re an adult, eat like one”. I refer to this line from coach Dan John I heard him discuss in a podcast a few years ago. It rings true for most adults who commiserate, celebrate or generally cushion their emotions with food, and not always great food.
Results and a good plan go hand-in-hand. If you truly want to live a healthier, strong, fitter life, a life where you feel capable of joining in any activity without risk of embarrassing or injuring yourself; we start with a progressive plan. Now don’t be thinking this will result in gut wrenching pain. Nope, the goal is to stretch your comfort zone to build strength and fitness.
Sleep is paramount to recovery and adaption to the physical demands of exercise and life. Crappy food and alcohol will disrupt this process. We start with little steps towards improving nutrition and cutting back on the booze to allow for better sleep and hence recovery.
A healthy aerobic system starts with the simple task of just getting your heart rate up to a comfortable rate for a few hours week. The specifics depends on you, but to be honest, frequent brisk walks are that most people need.
I talk of real life strength. You are most likely not a powerlifter or bodybuilder right now, so training maximal strength is superfluous but building up a wide base of relative strength will logically improve your maximal strength, for when you need it. A plan using your body for strength movements that prepare you for real life physicalities is most appropriate. Think pushing and pulling movements, lifting and carrying, learning to brace your torso – these category of moves work best rather than isolated muscle exercises on machines.
Strength movements should stay pertinent to safely building healthy strength that will benefit your life moving forward.
Body composition and fat loss goes back to eating like an adult. Whilst we may have our favourite dishes, sweets and delights, we aught to practice mindful eating and of course portion sizes. Unprocessed meats and carbohydrates, unlimited vegetables and suitable flavourings like sauces, herbs and spices are on the cards along.
No one should have to torturously weigh food, or count calories. You can, but there is a better use of your time when time is limited.
I have tried and practiced many of the movement systems taught in the fitness industry over the past 18 years or so (since mobility started to become a focal point). Whilst I enjoyed them, many have not ticked the boxes of being a reasonable practice for everyday people. These days I prefer a flexibility and movement practice that anyone can join in and complete without feeling like a fool.
If a routine is reasonable, it will more than likely be practiced often and that is the goal. It’s common that I ask clients to practice their mobility / flexibility routine daily and in most cases, this happens without hesitation.
Change is difficult, especially if we have become stuck in our ways, but if we can get out of our way and let in a few reasonable changes, we can allow the positive changes to happen, and that feels good.
Making little changes like walking a few times a week, following a guided strength and flexibility plan won’t rob the time bank.
A healthier, stronger life is achievable. It requires some guidance at times but don’t be thinking you have to crush yourself or take time away from your already busy life.
#Sleep #Aerobic fitness #Relative strength #Body composition #Flexibility #mobility #results