Strategies for Aging while Preserving Strength and Functionality: An Effective Approach

There’s no way of sugar coating it, we are all getting older by the day and as a result inevitable changes happen to the body as we age. It’s how we perceive these changes and what we do about it.  Ignore it and we are worse off in the long run and attack it head on like a bull in a China shop will probably lead to trip to the doctors or physio.

Exercising as we get older, what is the the most effective way to keep fit & healthy?

In broad strokes we are past our physiological best after 30 and on a slow downward decline, ok that’s the bad news. The good news is we can slow this decline by getting physiologically fitter & stronger whilst approaching this in a different mind-set psychologically.

It seems such as waste when you look back at your teens & twenties when most took their health and fitness for granted, thinking it would always be there with the body responding & recovering from training (if we done any) quickly. Not needing to do anything to maintain ‘healthy’ & ‘pain free’. Now most feel ok in their 30s but noticeable changes into their 40s and 50s, the prospect of the body changing is scary. The fact is after about age 50, muscle mass decreases at an annual rate of 1–2%. Muscle strength declines by 1.5% annually between ages 50 and 60 and by 3% thereafter. 

So what can we do to best combat this. Simply put we need to stay as active and as strong as possible within our time poor lifestyles. In your 30/40s, the key decades to get the jump on what’s lurking around the corner, we are competing against the pull of dependants (family, kids) as well as careers becoming the main barrier. So, the key thing is to do what you can, when you can, but consistency is key and to soften your grip (for the moment) on previously held PBs or what you use to be able to do. Stop chasing your younger self. You are different, mind and body, so we must approach training/ exercise/ activity in a different way.

So if we look at the mentality of how to approach this challenge to be fitter/stronger, we need action and we need consistency. These two things are very different from what you may perceive.

Action

Do what you can and do what you like. Start from there rather than comparing against others your age or your 20-year-old self. If you enjoy it you will want to do it and then you can build from this, again momentum and add missing aspects if anything. Then it is trying to incorporate some strength work, 6-12 reps, 3-6 sets of moderate to hard intensity 2-3x a week. Again start at the lower end of this scale and build. Four to six big compound movements like  squats, lunges, step ups , push and pull movements will give you the most bang for your buck. Key tip is rather than planning the perfect program which you don’t have time to do, design what fits into the time you do have in the week, with where and what you have to work with in respects to space & kit.

Consistency

Perfect isn’t possible all time- so stop trying to be perfect. Stop that unhealthy comparison to your favourite veteran elite sports person or influencer. Instead start to come up with a strategy and mind set to make sure you get something done. Consistency isn’t doing exactly the same thing / amount each week or day. Look at it from a wider lens, its about making sure you are doing more than you were a year/ month ago and look at the trend. Holidays and life events happen, so it’s not the end of your program, get back to it when and how you can. If you need to adapt your plan then change it, as life will definitely change. Use the mindset that anything is better than nothing. Get the kids active, family holidays with walks/ swimming, get up a bit earlier to do your stripped back body weight strength exercises or try to change your commute to walking/ train/ cycling in whole or part. Prioritise yourself as no one else will. You will thank yourself in the future. Its easier said than done and you will get it wrong so don’t give up.

30 second sit to stand age related average score

A great place to start is test yourself on simple 30s sit to stand test to see where you are with strength, endurance and balance.

From sitting on a 17 inch chair, without arm rests, go from sitting to standing as many times in 30 seconds with the arms across the chest. Record this and compare against the below chart.

20-24 males could do 25 and females 23 in 30 seconds.

There are many other tests you can do but its best to compare against yourself and try to better your previous scores on areas of weakness you feel you have.

Top tips

1. Remain active doing something you like. If you like it you’ll do it and encourage you to do the peripheral exercises that allow you to do it longer.

2. Build in strength work – this doesn’t have to be lifting weights specifically, lots of great body weight exercises and sports that will maintain and increase muscle mass & strength.

3. Shift your mental approach- shift from targeting PBs to making small and often improvements over time, they all add up. Consistency pays off.

If you want to know more about how to optimise your health and fitness throughout your lifetime then get in touch for bespoke Personal training and training programs.