Fitness at forty

As we enter our forties, it's time to own the fact that our bodies are going to undergo some changes. The way that we used to bounce back in our earlier years doesn't happen quite the same. So, it becomes even more vital for us to truly become intentional about our approach to our fitness lifestyles. Maintaining a healthy body and mind becomes even more crucial as we navigate the challenges of aging. Let's jump into the significance of a well-rounded fitness regimen that includes resistance training, and emphasize its benefits for when we break that forty year old barrier.

• Acknowledge That Out Body is Changing: Turning forty marks a turning point in our lives. Our bodies no longer respond as they did twenty or even ten years ago. Our metabolism slows down, muscle mass begins to decrease, and joints become less flexible. However, these changes should not s top us from pursuing an active lifestyle. In fact, they are the very reasons that we should focus more on our fitness and health.​
• Importance of Fitness Routine: Having a fitness routine becomes increasingly vital as we age. Consistent physical activity helps us maintain a healthy weight, supports cardiovascular health, improves bone density, and improves our state of mind and mentality. Exercising, training, or working out helps in managing stress, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and increasing overall longevity. By incorporating a fitness routine into our lives, we actively invest in our present and future well-being.
• Benefits of Resistance Training Weight Training: While any form of exercise is good for us, resistance training deserves special attention when we hit our forties. This type of training involves working against an opposing force, such as weights or resistance bands. Here are a few reasons why resistance training should be a major part of your fitness routine:
  1. Muscle Maintenance and Development: As we age, our muscles tend to weaken and lose mass. Resistance training helps to fight against this natural decline by stimulating muscle fibers, promoting muscle growth, and helping us to maintain, or even improve, our overall strength. By incorporating resistance exercises into our routine, we can preserve and even enhance muscle tone, making everyday activities easier and reducing the risk of injuries. 
  2. Enhanced Bone Health: Another advantage of resistance training is the positive impact on bone health. Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weak and brittle bones, becomes more prevalent as we age. Lifting weights, resistance training, helps to stimulate bone formation, increase bone density, and reduce the risk of fractures.
  3. Increased Metabolism and Weight Control: As our metabolism slows down with age, maintaining a healthy weight can become more challenging. Resistance training, however, can help to fight against this trend. By building lean muscle mass, we elevate our basal metabolic rate (BMR), which means we burn more calories even while we rest. Resistance workouts, combined with cardio and a healthy diet, can make controlling our weight more more manageable. 
  4. Improved Functionality: Resistance training improves functional fitness, which refers to our ability to perform everyday activities without worry so much about the stress on our bodies or injuries. By focusing on movements that mimic real-life tasks (e.g., lifting, pushing, pulling), resistance training enhances muscular endurance and joint stability, making everyday activities, like carrying groceries or climbing stairs, much easier for us to do.

In our forties and beyond, maintaining a fitness routine that takes into account our changing needs becomes crucial. While our bodies may not react the way they used to, it's important to embrace an active lifestyle that includes resistance training. It supports muscle maintenance, enhances bone density, boosts metabolism, aids weight management, and improves overall functional fitness. By taking care of our physical well-being, we can lead healthier, energetic, and exciting lives as we navigate the journey of aging. So, let's lace up those sneakers, grab those weights, and embark on a journey that keeps us feeling strong, capable, and ready to take on whatever life throws our way. We have to age, but we don't have to get old.

Back to Blog Main Page