Derval O'Rourke: Exercising to keep fit and fab at 40
Tips to get fit and fab in your fourth decade and beyond.
If you are in the last couple of years of your 30s or you’re well into your 40s, bringing some awareness to how you need to consider your exercise regime is going to pay off big time! So many problems and frustrations can be avoided when you understand that as your body changes, the type of exercise you need to do most often needs to change too. For some people, it needs to change a little, for other people a lot, depending on your own specific circumstances. Here are my top tips.
Accepting the changes you are going through and meeting yourself where you are at is the first step to successfully continuing to exercise through this decade of your life.
Attempting to force your body to do things it did 10 years ago can lead to burnout, injury and frustration! I know I definitely won’t be jumping any hurdles this decade.
Try to do the majority of your training while working in your aerobic heart rate zone. This means your heart rate is not overly elevated and so the body can start to use fat for energy. This is particularly efficient during the 2nd half of your cycle (if you still have one) due to the hormone fluctuations during this phase. You can calculate your heart rate zones using an online tool.
This will not be as accurate as in a sports lab but will still give you a good idea. If you don’t have means of tracking your heart rate, just aim to be able to hold a conversation while carrying out that exercise. For a lot of people, this is a good fast walk or slow jog.
Try to get one or two strengthening workouts in each week so that you maintain a strong musculoskeletal system to support the rest of your exercise and prevent injury.
Pay attention to your form during exercise to avoid injury. Aim for fewer reps and better form if needs be. More is not always better.
Give your body a chance to warm up slowly. It will perform much better if you don’t force your heart rate up too quickly. This is particularly important if you are suffering from any injuries or hormonal headaches.
While it’s good to push the body out of its comfort zone a little, it is even more important than ever before to listen to what it is telling you. Often, our mind takes over telling us what we ‘should' be doing, but the body is our best guide. It is so intelligent and is communicating with us constantly. Listen to what it has to say!
If you are struggling with your fitness do consider getting expert help, chat to a doctor or consider a few sessions with a personal trainer. Your health and wellness is your most important asset.
Slow down — pay attention to your form in any exercise you do — even walking. Can you improve?
Try adding nuts & seeds to your diet where possible for nutrients. I like adding them to things such as salads, breakfasts - porridge, overnight oats, yoghurt & granola, pasta — anything at all! If you can get into the habit of adding things like this into your diet, it will make things a lot easier.
