Photo: Getty Images
Staying in shape as we get older is important, but that doesn’t mean doing the same workout routine from your early 20s once you’re in your 50s. Fitness expert Kris Pace says the key to maintaining high fitness levels over a long period of time is listening to your body. It changes as you age, so your exercise habits may need to change as well. You don’t have to slow down just because you’re getting older, but you may need to adapt with the changes you see and feel in your body.
Fitness experts weigh in on the best workouts to do in different decades of your life:
- In your 20s and 30s - For most folks, these are the “performance” decades, the ones where we train at the highest intensity. Some type of HIIT training is beneficial and high intensity cardio and strength training are good for developing a strong heart and lungs as well as building the muscle mass that will help later in life.
- In your 40s and 50s - Think of these as the “maintenance” years, the time to maintain the strength, fitness and mobility you’ve built up in previous years. Doing lower impact forms of cardio can help maintain the intensity of cardio training without the impact of running. Strength training is also still important to help maintain bone density and muscle mass as we get older.
- In your 60s and 70s - It’s normal to start slowing down as we age, but that doesn’t mean you should stop exercising. The way you workout at this stage of life will depend on what, if any, physical limitations you have. These are the years when you may need to “adapt” your training to find what’s best for you at this age. Most people will need to reduce impact exercises and less high-intensity cardio and this is the time to focus on overall health rather than performance ability. Yoga, pilates, jogging and cycling are good options for maintaining muscle and bone density.
Source: Daily Mail