Freedom Fitness Welcomes Every Age & Stage of Fitness

Your body is in an interesting phase when you are in your 20s. You can get away with mistreating your body because it is so strong, and you may often do this by staying up too late, enjoying alcohol, or taking late night runs for pepperoni pizza. Bad eating habits and not getting enough exercise are some reasons why people don’t stay fit during their 20s.

This is also the decade of anxiety and social pressures that may include frantic exercise schedules, fad diets that don’t work, a crazy journey for perfection that doesn’t exist, or self-judgement or even self-hatred when you don’t meet your goals or expectations.

Instead of striving for something that isn’t obtainable, go for health. It doesn’t matter how you look; it’s about how you feel. When you work out, you need to challenge yourself!

Suggestion

• Try 30 minutes of weight training followed by 30 minutes of cardio 3x a week
• Plus 45 to 60 minutes of straight cardio 3x a week
• One day of rest

In your 30s, weight starts to become a battle. You won’t burn calories as fast and you may find yourself in workout or weight loss plateaus where nothing is happening. That’s because your basal metabolism drops by a few percentages every decade and your body fat will increase.

That’s why exercise becomes a preventative medicine during this decade. The bad news? Keeping fit means working harder in the gym.

Suggestion

• One hour of circuit training (cardio and resistance) 4x a week
• Plus at least one day of cardio for 45 to 60 minutes at a high intensity
• Take one day off

This is the decade where things really start to go down — and in more ways than one. You have gravity working against you, hormones, and your metabolism slows way down, especially if you are a woman.

Cardio is important for weight control, but resistance training becomes more important in your 40s. It’s all about form, as well, to avoid injury. Personal training is a great way to learn an effective routine, with the proper form, intensity and duration of exercise.

Suggestion

• One hour of weight training 3 days a week plus 45 minutes of cardio five days a week. (It’s more cardio than in your 20s and 30s, but with less impact and intensity).
• Take one day off
• Group exercise classes are always fun too!

At this age, your metabolism will slow down. A lot. In fact, this is the age where people gain weight. This can include bigger thighs or the infamous “potbelly”. Because things droop, the loss of muscle mass and tone really shows.

This is the time to add weight training to your routine if you haven’t already. You can work with a personal trainer to gain muscle mass in mere weeks. It’s about being strategic in your workout planning and execution.

Suggestion

• 4 to 6 cardio sessions a week, 20 to 40 minutes each, with an intensity that lets you answer a simple question but not chat
• Plus half an hour of weight training twice a week, 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, or 15 to 20 using lighter weights. Always stretch afterward.

In this decade, problems such as arthritis, bad knees, and spinal stenosis may start surfacing, but this is the time to double down on exercise. Don’t make excuses as to why you shouldn’t go to the gym! You can still do low-impact exercises to protect yourself. You don’t have to overwork yourself. (Of course, it’s always wise to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program).

Suggestion

• 3 days a week of challenging but not exhausting cardio, such as a slow jog
• Plus 3 days of weight training, using lighter weights and slower, more controlled movements combined with slow, sustained stretching
• Walk whenever possible and do daily balance exercises. Yoga is a great group class to help with balance, strength and flexibility.