After 35-40 years, life begins to play with new colors: the children have already grown up, most have also developed a career, you have learned to understand your needs and desires, so it’s time to start living for yourself again. And in order to improve the quality of your life and prolong your youth longer, do not forget about regular physical activity, proper nutrition and healthy habits.
How to exercise safely after 35, and why you really need it, read below...
Why should you exercise after 35?
Do you think that sports and fitness are the lot of young girls and boys, and in adulthood - where should they train? You will be surprised, but everything is completely the opposite. In early youth, maintaining a beautiful figure and normal body weight is much easier, so you can stay slim even without playing sports.
But after 35-40 years, a fit figure usually means that you are really working on yourself and have set your life priorities correctly. There are more than enough reasons for regular exercise in adulthood.
Here are the main ones:
- After 35 years, metabolism begins to slow down, the body spends less and less energy on life support, and, therefore, without reducing the usual calorie intake, weight will systematically increase. Physical activity speeds up your metabolism and helps burn extra calories, so staying slim will be much easier.
- Along with a slowdown in metabolism, a reduction in muscle mass occurs due to the faster breakdown of proteins in the body and age-related changes in its functioning. Fat accumulations easily appear in place of former muscles. To prevent this from happening, you need to start actively training - then muscle mass will be maintained at the proper level, and fat mass will have no chance of increasing.
- Bone mass of the body also gradually decreases. By old age, men lose about 15-20% of its original amount, and women lose about 25-30%. Hence, women are prone to developing osteoporosis - a disease that is accompanied by a sharp decrease in bone density, susceptibility to fractures, characteristic curvature of the spine and pain. You can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis through regular physical activity. They will help preserve as much bone mass as possible and promote better calcium absorption.
- In adulthood, the functioning of joints and ligaments also changes. They lose their elasticity, mobility and integrity. Accordingly, flexibility and ductility deteriorate. Balanced physical activity and stretching exercises can help protect your joints from limited mobility. This will allow you to not find out what arthritis, arthrosis and osteoarthritis are.
- The tendency to osteochondrosis also manifests itself with age. Sports will also come to the rescue here: moderate physical activity works all joints and the spine, slows down disc deformation and the development of intervertebral hernias.
- After 35-40 years, muscle imbalance is also noted, which is reflected in a decrease in the accuracy of performing even simple exercises. By developing muscles through fitness and sports, you do not give them the opportunity to relax and start working inappropriately.
- In addition, hormonal changes occur in the body, which makes it easier to gain excess weight. Women feel the first changes after the birth of a child, breastfeeding and subsequent cessation of lactation. Therefore, sport for those who become mothers should become an important component of life. And after 45-50 years, it will help smooth out the symptoms of menopause and menopause, allowing you to maintain normal weight against the background of declining estrogen levels.
- We should not forget about the deterioration of nerve conduction, as well as the general weakening of the nervous system. You can also keep yourself in good shape and control your emotional background with the help of physical exercise. Sports and fitness promote the production of happiness hormones, which neutralize stress, emotional fatigue and bad mood.
- In adulthood, skin tone noticeably decreases, the first expression lines appear, and elasticity is lost. Regular exercise helps to noticeably tighten the skin by giving overall tone to the entire body.
- After 35-40 years, most of us experience a decrease in overall physical activity. We stay at home more often, take long walks less often, give more preference to transport than walking, and choose less active recreation.
Against the background of all this, sport becomes a real lifeline that can pull you out of the abyss of routine, boredom and monotony. The main thing is to do everything right...
Skeletal muscle tissue
The muscles attached to the bones are responsible for the body's ability to move and perform various actions. In the male body, muscle tissue makes up more than 40% of the total mass; as a result of aging, its amount decreases to 30%. Muscle tissue cells, myofibrils, contain contractile proteins and a supply of substances that act as energy batteries. These are glycogen and fat.
Men are often interested in the question: until what age do muscles grow? Muscle fibers are actively formed during puberty up to 25 years of age, and then their growth slows down, but in the future they are capable of restoration and development. To stimulate muscle growth, a man at any age should follow three important rules:
- eat a lot of protein foods;
- saturate your diet with calories by consuming enough energy-dense carbohydrates and healthy fats;
- Constantly train your muscles by doing strength exercises.
Rules for safe training after 35
Let's be honest: at 35-40 years old we are no longer as frisky as at 18. No one says to write off ourselves as old men and women, but we need to take age-related changes into account. Accept your age and do your best to ensure that no one can ever guess how old you really are.
And sport will perfectly help you disguise your years and quietly join the crowd of active young people who support a healthy lifestyle.
Just before you start regular training, consider the following rules and tips:
take care of yourself
If you've never trained (meaning on a regular basis), or it's been a long time, then don't go to all lengths just because the clock is ticking. Take care of yourself and start by gradually preparing your body for constant physical activity.
Are your children not old enough to spend time with you yet? Great! Then find common active hobbies and train together: ride bicycles, scooters, rollerblades, skates, skis, jump on trampolines, visit rope parks and a climbing wall. You can introduce a tradition of doing family exercises in the morning or running in the evenings. Choose something that everyone will like.
Increase the load gradually
If you don’t have company for active activities, you can start with long walks and moderate jogging. Walk at least 10,000 steps a day – that’s about 7 km. To monitor your activity, buy a fitness bracelet or download the corresponding application to your smartphone.
Once you realize that you can walk briskly for an hour without a break, or run for about 40 minutes, you can begin regular training. You have already trained your endurance and properly prepared your cardiovascular system.
Please note that with the help of a properly selected training program, you can not only improve your body composition and figure parameters, but also adjust your weight. Ask a fitness trainer to develop an individual training program for you, taking into account your characteristics and physical fitness.
It will be great if the coach has knowledge in sports nutrition and is actually also a nutrition coach. In this case, he will be able to calculate your diet and menu for the week, based on the developed training program. Fitness + proper nutrition will definitely do the trick, and very soon you will be able to admire a new version of yourself.
What to do if the chest muscle tissue grows unevenly?
Having dealt with the question of how old men’s muscles grow, let’s discuss such a point as the uniformity of muscle growth. Men who regularly train in the gym find that the lower part of the chest becomes sculpted and muscular, while the upper part does not develop.
There is no one universal exercise that would activate all muscles at the same time.
For the harmonious development of the body and the formation of an aesthetically beautiful male figure, you will need to make changes to the strength training regime. Here you will need to discuss the training program with a specialist, regularly record the results and analyze them.
Adjust loads depending on condition
If you cannot physically withstand hour-long workouts, then train for 30-40 minutes, but more often, for example 4 times a week. Alternatively, you can split your workout into 2 parts: 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.
For those who are in good physical shape and have no health problems, but have difficulties with free time, you can do it differently: do 2 workouts a week for 1.5 hours. The classic version of training involves hour-long loads 3 times a week with approximately equal intervals between classes.
Remember that at least some physical activity, even on a variable schedule, is much better than no physical activity. Don't worry if you constantly have to change your training time, this is in any case more acceptable than if you give up training due to lack of time.
Monitor your heart rate and overall health
In order to avoid overload, you need to monitor your heart rate during training. This can be done using a heart rate monitor (they are built into most modern fitness bracelets). However, even if you don’t have a measuring device at hand, rely on your feelings.
If you can’t speak after stopping, speak intermittently, feel short of breath, it means your pulse has accelerated too much, it’s time to pause and wait for your breathing to normalize. Try to train in the heart rate zone in which you are comfortable. Not everyone can withstand intense exercise, so don't torture yourself beyond measure.
Rely only on your feelings, and not on who is training next to you. Your task is not to show the best result among others, but to achieve improvements in your specific case. Therefore, go towards your goals systematically, without unnecessary haste and records.
If you feel tired - take a rest, your eyes are darkening or you feel dizzy - perhaps the load is too high, or your blood sugar level has decreased (hypoglycemia), your joints hurt - change the exercises, reduce the load, consult with a trainer about the technique of doing the exercises or get advice with a doctor.
Improved well-being during and after training can be achieved with the help of proper balanced nutrition. Sometimes joint and muscle problems occur as a result of a lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the diet. With increased physical activity, these problems immediately made themselves felt. Contact a specialist who understands nutrition. There may well be such a person in the fitness club.
And if you want to learn all the intricacies of sports nutrition yourself, you can take training in this area at the Wellness Consulting Academy. Our course “Dietetics in Fitness and Sports” will teach you the nuances of creating a menu taking into account your workouts.
Which sport suits your temperament
There is no strict division here, as in the distribution of people by temperament type. In sports, a calm phlegmatic person can enjoy fast snowboarding, and a sociable sanguine person can enjoy running alone. Everything is individual, but there are still some inclinations towards one or another sport, depending on one’s character.
A sanguine person is an active, sociable and emotional person. His feelings can change quickly and influence behavior, but they are not very intense.
Such people thrive in team sports, where there is competition and communication. If this is about you, choose a section according to your liking and level of health: from rugby to frisbee. CrossFit and cycling are also good, because here you can go to group classes and communicate with different people.
Choleric is explosive, fast, with pronounced feelings. He can react very emotionally and experience defeats hard and for a long time.
Choleric people like sports, where they can, on the one hand, throw out accumulated emotional stress, and on the other, win over their opponents and fear. Martial arts and extreme sports are great for these purposes.
Both choleric and sanguine people are generally more active and are not averse to competition. Therefore, they may also like active individual competition: tennis and table tennis, squash, badminton, arm wrestling.
A phlegmatic person is a slow and calm person with a stable mood. He rarely shows his feelings, and they do not affect his performance.
Such people often like sports where they can slowly and methodically move towards a goal. For example, long-distance running, rock climbing, weightlifting, golf, triathlon. Dancing is also suitable.
A melancholic person is often a reserved, vulnerable, indecisive person. Various feelings can overwhelm him for a long time, and low self-esteem does not contribute to their adequate experience.
Melancholic people find it difficult to play in a team, give 100% for victory and accept criticism. They need to feel comfortable and not be visible - these are important criteria for them when choosing a sport. Yoga, cycling, swimming and other meditative activities with predictable results are good.
Melancholic and phlegmatic people are calmer and slower. They can enjoy hobby sports, where there is no need to run and shout, where if there is confrontation, it is intellectual and not dependent on physical strength. For example, like in billiards.
You can choose a sport based on the principle “what should I change in myself, what should I learn?” Think about what you need to upgrade. Learn to work in a team and not pull the blanket on yourself? Don't give up under the pressure of problems? Become more restrained or, conversely, bolder and more assertive? Yes, by the age of 30–35 the skeleton of character has already been formed, but we have the power to improve or worsen its condition with the help of muscles and ligaments.
There is a trick: smiling to improve your mood. The brain reads the body's signals, and our state can change. This is partly self-conviction, partly somatopsychic, because in a healthy body there is a healthy mind. Through the body you can influence the psyche, and vice versa. Group classes can stir up a sleepy melancholic or phlegmatic person. Yoga, on the contrary, will help calm the violent temper of a choleric person and channel the energy of a sanguine person in the right direction.
Add variety to your workouts
Alternate loads on different muscle groups to pump yourself up as universally as possible. Combine exercises by combining cardio and strength sets in one workout. Try interval loads and intensive exercise from time to time. Challenge yourself in different types of training. This will allow you to find what you like best and suits you.
In addition, the variability of training helps to properly develop endurance, strength, flexibility and adjust weight. When a training plateau occurs, it is variability that will help you overcome it and again achieve progress in training.
How to organize training for maximum muscle growth?
Strong shoulders emphasizing the definition of the biceps, a clearly defined chest and a powerful back are the dream of many men. To make it a reality, you need to train regularly, performing strength exercises with weights and a barbell. They are aimed at developing the muscles of the chest.
Barbell exercises - squats, bench press, overhead press - also work great for developing the strength of the chest muscles. The conditions for successful muscle growth are regularity and gradualness. Do not rush to get the desired result, because the body needs time to rebuild muscle tissue. Consult with a trainer, record the results, analyze which types of exercises are best for you.
Do muscle coordination and synchronization exercises
As we have already said, with age, the conductivity of nerve impulses deteriorates, which is why coordination of movements is impaired, and muscles react less well to incoming signals from the brain. To negate such changes, train your vestibular system and work on synchronizing muscles of different groups.
Any exercises where you need to balance on an uneven surface, crawl, climb or jump will help with this (a trampoline, walking on a plank, a climbing wall, a rope course, dancing will suit you). In addition, perform different movements with your legs and arms at the same time, or do one movement with one hand and another with the other (same with legs). When you get the hang of it, you can complicate the set by involving your shoulders, neck, head, and body in the movements. Your task is to ensure that the brain effectively sends commands to different muscle groups, and they can catch and execute them in time.
Try something new
You've probably tested yourself in just a couple of sports or workouts (some didn't even go beyond one). How do you like the idea of trying something new? Think about what you've always dreamed of doing and finally allow yourself to do it.
Did you imagine as a child how you would become a figure skater? Then you're off to the skating rink. Have you dreamed of playing football? Well, buy a ball and start playing today. Didn't have time to make a career as a dancer in your youth? Who's stopping you from dancing now? Experiment - this will make life more interesting, and your physical fitness will always be at its best!
Is sport right for you?
If you are reading this text in the “Useful Reading” newsletter, then you are probably over 30 and have been working on a computer for the last 5–10 years. Regardless of your natural characteristics, body mass index and health level, you need sports. We are not talking about high-achievement sports, but about dosed loads at the amateur level. Championships leave not only medals as souvenirs, but also chronic ailments, while practicing for yourself cures these ailments.
Before playing sports, you should undergo a minimal examination: take a general blood test, do a cardiogram. If something worries you, do an ultrasound, MRI, or take additional tests. Let the doctor analyze their results, look at the pictures, listen to complaints and tell you what kind of stress you should definitely not give to your body, and what will be useful.
Are you overweight and have flat feet? This means your back and legs get tired more and faster. Buy orthopedic insoles - standard ones for your type of foot deformity or individual ones if flat feet are advanced. In good orthopedic salons, you can do a free foot scan and choose the best insole for you.
If you decide to help your body, give up bad habits or at least reduce their influence. This is not only smoking and alcohol, but also junk food, heavy meals at night, overwork, getting stuck in gadgets before bed. This comprehensive “improvement” will speed up the effect of playing sports, and when you begin to get involved in exercise, the body itself will begin to refuse junk food.
You can save money by testing your genetic predisposition to a particular sport. It's not that we don't trust the test that makes a roadmap for life based on saliva, but... You're not going to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, are you? This means that an examination at a regular medical center will be sufficient.
