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Over 40 Fitness
Over 40 fitness is not a contradiction. You can be fit and healthy at any age.
Muscle loss and decreased cardiovascular fitness are not the normal result of aging, they're primarily the
result of a sedentary lifestyle. Once the average inactive person reaches age 65, they will have lost up to 40%
of their muscle mass and aerobic capacity compared to when they were young adults. You can prevent this physical
decline by remaining active as you age.
Numerous studies have shown that older people respond very favorably to both strength training and aerobic
exercise. Most fitness experts agree that a 15-20 year decrease in biological age can be achieved with simple
lifestyle changes. There can be a huge difference between biological age and chronological age.
Don't put limits on yourself just because you're over 40. Your fitness program should be based more on your
goals and fitness level than on how old you are.
Here are 10 tips for starting and maintaining an over 40 fitness program:
1. Check with your doctor. If you have any existing health conditions or you've been inactive for
a long time, you need to get medical clearance before you start to exercise.
2. Evaluate your current fitness level. In order to develop an effective over 40 fitness program,
you need to know what your current fitness level is. Cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance,
flexibility and body composition are all factors that need to be evaluated. Visit the
5 Components of Physical Fitness page for more information
on these factors. Having a personal trainer evaluate your current fitness level is a good idea, even if you
don't plan on working with a personal trainer on an ongoing basis. Visit the
How to Hire a Personal Trainer page for tips on finding a good
personal trainer.
3. Define your goals. What goals do you want to achieve? Do you want to lose 20 pounds of fat? Do
you want to run a 10K race? Do you want to bench press 200 pounds? Goal setting has to be a part of any over
40 fitness program. Visit the Effective Goal Setting page for
information on how to set the right types of goals.
4. Be consistent. Once you start an over 40 fitness program, you have to follow it on a consistent
basis if you want to derive any permanent benefits from it.
5. Warm up before exercising. A warm up should be part of everyone's exercise program regardless of
their age, but it's especially important for older exercisers who might be more susceptible to injuries. Warming
up will stimulate blood flow to your muscles, increase your joint flexibility and range of motion, and get you
mentally prepared for your workout. Do several minutes of easy aerobic exercise prior to more intense aerobic
exercise. Do one or two light sets of each weight lifting exercise before using heavier weights.
6. Never stretch cold muscles. Stretching cold muscles can cause injury. Warm up first, then stretch.
Or stretch after you work out. Visit the Benefits of Stretching page
for more information on stretching.
7. Emphasize form and technique when lifting weights. You want to challenge yourself when lifting
weights, but not at the expense of good form and technique. The over 40 exerciser needs to be especially
careful to use good form and technique in order to avoid injury. Use muscle power, not momentum, when lifting
weights. Don't heave, swing or bounce the weights. Lift and lower the weights in a steady and controlled manner.
Concentrate on feeling the muscle that you're working (this is called the mind-muscle connection). Visit the
Strength Training Guidelines page for more information on weight
lifting.
8. Give yourself enough recovery time after exercising. As you age, you need more recovery time after
exercising. Give your body the time it needs to rest and recover and it will get stronger and healthier.
9. Start slowly and build up gradually. Don't push yourself too hard too fast. Slowly and gradually
progress from your existing fitness level.
10. Enjoy yourself. A fitness program has to be enjoyable if it's going to become a regular part of
your life. When you first start a fitness program, especially when you're older, you may think it's a chore.
But the more you keep at it, the more enjoyable it will become. You might just find that your fitness program
becomes a positive addiction.
In conclusion, don't let age slow you down. An over 40 fitness program will help you stay fit and healthy
regardless of how old you are.
Recommended Resource
Fit Over 40 profiles 52 men and women between the ages of 40 and 80 who have
achieved amazing health and fitness. Fit Over 40 details exactly how each person did it, and how you can do it
too. Read my review of Fit Over 40
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