Realistic fitness in your 30s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is a reason why over 60% of Americans are overweight and not all of them have genetic conditions. You don't need to assume that I think less of people for being overweight, I am merely saying that in some cases it's avoidable and is a result of decisions people make. I don't care what decisions other people make, I care about what decisions I can make for myself.

This.
Sure she sounds harsh and politically incorrect but it IS the truth. I get what OP is asking - given that we age, there are some aspects of physical decline that ARE avoidable and we like to sugar coat it.

Look at women (and men for that matter) from some other countries. French and Japanese women for example. They walk, take public transit, have more active and clean lifestyles, eat more natural foods and eat LESS. And they stay thin and tight well into their 40s and 50s and after having children.

The problem is not only everyday choices from laziness but the American WAY OF LIFE. Too many hours in the office, too much driving, too many convenience food options, natural food too expensive. In other countries natural food is the default. It is possible to live like Japanese or French women in America but it is much more difficult, inconvenient, and expensive. And for some it might be near impossible. You could argue that socialist countries like Norway and Sweden are also more conducive to healthy aging, because they have free healthcare and better work/life balance.

Sorry, this is wrong. I lived in Paris for 5 years. French women are no doubt thinner (on average) than American women, but they are by no means "tight". Working out is just not a thing for most people, and most women are soft and bigger than I want to be (I work out pretty religiously). The diet in France is horrible on the whole, but they certainly eat less overall (and don't snack!)

So, in short, OP, it is possible to keep your figure or close to it while you age, but you have to opt out of the standard American lifestyle. The best way to do that is move abroad.

[Anonymous]

I didn't have to work hard at all and my body is better than yours 😜 I have 2 children. I eat healthy and I don't run. I do low impact exercise and I had a personal trainer for a year. My trainer let me video record our workouts. I have over 50 workouts I rotate between each week at the gym. My advice is to be flexible. You might have knee pain or foot pain later. Giving up running and high impacted exercise was the best thing for me. I feel like American women push themselves too hard when it comes to exercise. I prefer more of a ballerina body. Swimming is a great start. There are lots of low impact exercise you can do that will maintain your shape!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't have to work hard at all and my body is better than yours 😜 I have 2 children. I eat healthy and I don't run. I do low impact exercise and I had a personal trainer for a year. My trainer let me video record our workouts. I have over 50 workouts I rotate between each week at the gym. My advice is to be flexible. You might have knee pain or foot pain later. Giving up running and high impacted exercise was the best thing for me. I feel like American women push themselves too hard when it comes to exercise. I prefer more of a ballerina body. Swimming is a great start. There are lots of low impact exercise you can do that will maintain your shape!

Personal training was great for me but it didn't change my body type. My body was already good. I would still do it again. It gave me an education to use forever!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my 2 cents to keeping it together, especially after kids - positive thinking and hard work. I know a lot of women who believe the myth that you'll never weigh the same/less than you were when you got pregnant. I know women who just expected to get fat and went in that direction. I'm 38 with 2 kids and weigh 8lbs less than when I got pregnant with my first. (126 vs 118 at 5'5) It's possible to stay active, even while taking care of young children. So many people perpetuate false knowledge. Keep at it. You won't look like you do now forever, but you can still stay thin and fit if you work hard (weights has been a game changer for me) and eat right.

I’ve never understood why people say it’s harder to stay active with young kids. I have less time for working out than I did before kids, but I’m incredibly active. Pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood, taking kids to the playground and park, teaching them to ride a bike, picking them up and carrying them... parenting small kids is such physical work. I have an office job too, but when I’m not working I feel like I’m always moving.

And regarding workouts, I used to do such self indulgent workouts. I’d go to gym and do a Pilates class (but drag through it), then chat with a friend for a half hour, then do some half-hearted cardio and weights. I was in good shape (lots of walking and hiking then too), but I wasn’t efficient at all. My workouts were as much a chance to socialize as anything else. Plus I was eating out more and drinking more.

Post kids, I don’t have time for any of that. I work out daily, but it’s usually a 40 minute, focused, sweaty workout. And I go full tilt because that’s my chance to really get it out and to do something that feels like it’s for me. I never workout with friends and prefer to go to barre/bike classes where I don’t know anyone so I can get in and out quickly. And I eat out less often, eat better because I’m setting an example, and just don’t have the energy to drink more than a few glasses a week. I’d rather sleep.

So yeah, I’m older than I used to be. But also far more disciplined, knowledgeable, and focused. Work better, not longer. It’s a cliche for a reason.

I agree. I used to rollerblade 20 miles with a double baby stroller. I taught my kids to ride bikes early so that they could ride with me while I was running. I really incorporated my kids into my workout schedule. I cannot tell you how many 5Ks and 10ks I did pushing a baby jogger!

It really depends what you mean by working out. It's harder to incorporate kids into strength training. I would carry my kids/squat them/pull them in a wagon and it's something, but it's not equivalent to really getting to lift. I didn't get back into the kind of shape I was in pre-kid until I was able to regularly get back to the gym. People would joke with my before about, oh, you must be getting in a great workout just lifting your kids. That's a nice thought, but no, picking up my kids is not giving me what I get from a regular program of progressive work with a barbell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my 2 cents to keeping it together, especially after kids - positive thinking and hard work. I know a lot of women who believe the myth that you'll never weigh the same/less than you were when you got pregnant. I know women who just expected to get fat and went in that direction. I'm 38 with 2 kids and weigh 8lbs less than when I got pregnant with my first. (126 vs 118 at 5'5) It's possible to stay active, even while taking care of young children. So many people perpetuate false knowledge. Keep at it. You won't look like you do now forever, but you can still stay thin and fit if you work hard (weights has been a game changer for me) and eat right.

I’ve never understood why people say it’s harder to stay active with young kids. I have less time for working out than I did before kids, but I’m incredibly active. Pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood, taking kids to the playground and park, teaching them to ride a bike, picking them up and carrying them... parenting small kids is such physical work. I have an office job too, but when I’m not working I feel like I’m always moving.

And regarding workouts, I used to do such self indulgent workouts. I’d go to gym and do a Pilates class (but drag through it), then chat with a friend for a half hour, then do some half-hearted cardio and weights. I was in good shape (lots of walking and hiking then too), but I wasn’t efficient at all. My workouts were as much a chance to socialize as anything else. Plus I was eating out more and drinking more.

Post kids, I don’t have time for any of that. I work out daily, but it’s usually a 40 minute, focused, sweaty workout. And I go full tilt because that’s my chance to really get it out and to do something that feels like it’s for me. I never workout with friends and prefer to go to barre/bike classes where I don’t know anyone so I can get in and out quickly. And I eat out less often, eat better because I’m setting an example, and just don’t have the energy to drink more than a few glasses a week. I’d rather sleep.

So yeah, I’m older than I used to be. But also far more disciplined, knowledgeable, and focused. Work better, not longer. It’s a cliche for a reason.

I agree. I used to rollerblade 20 miles with a double baby stroller. I taught my kids to ride bikes early so that they could ride with me while I was running. I really incorporated my kids into my workout schedule. I cannot tell you how many 5Ks and 10ks I did pushing a baby jogger!

It really depends what you mean by working out. It's harder to incorporate kids into strength training. I would carry my kids/squat them/pull them in a wagon and it's something, but it's not equivalent to really getting to lift. I didn't get back into the kind of shape I was in pre-kid until I was able to regularly get back to the gym. People would joke with my before about, oh, you must be getting in a great workout just lifting your kids. That's a nice thought, but no, picking up my kids is not giving me what I get from a regular program of progressive work with a barbell.

PP here. That may be true, but you don't lift every day. For those workouts I could get up at the crack of dawn and go to the gym. In truth, I didn't do a lot of strength training until I was older. When my kids were little, I had really fit arms and legs. I started lifting in my 40s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my 2 cents to keeping it together, especially after kids - positive thinking and hard work. I know a lot of women who believe the myth that you'll never weigh the same/less than you were when you got pregnant. I know women who just expected to get fat and went in that direction. I'm 38 with 2 kids and weigh 8lbs less than when I got pregnant with my first. (126 vs 118 at 5'5) It's possible to stay active, even while taking care of young children. So many people perpetuate false knowledge. Keep at it. You won't look like you do now forever, but you can still stay thin and fit if you work hard (weights has been a game changer for me) and eat right.

I’ve never understood why people say it’s harder to stay active with young kids. I have less time for working out than I did before kids, but I’m incredibly active. Pushing a stroller all over the neighborhood, taking kids to the playground and park, teaching them to ride a bike, picking them up and carrying them... parenting small kids is such physical work. I have an office job too, but when I’m not working I feel like I’m always moving.

And regarding workouts, I used to do such self indulgent workouts. I’d go to gym and do a Pilates class (but drag through it), then chat with a friend for a half hour, then do some half-hearted cardio and weights. I was in good shape (lots of walking and hiking then too), but I wasn’t efficient at all. My workouts were as much a chance to socialize as anything else. Plus I was eating out more and drinking more.

Post kids, I don’t have time for any of that. I work out daily, but it’s usually a 40 minute, focused, sweaty workout. And I go full tilt because that’s my chance to really get it out and to do something that feels like it’s for me. I never workout with friends and prefer to go to barre/bike classes where I don’t know anyone so I can get in and out quickly. And I eat out less often, eat better because I’m setting an example, and just don’t have the energy to drink more than a few glasses a week. I’d rather sleep.

So yeah, I’m older than I used to be. But also far more disciplined, knowledgeable, and focused. Work better, not longer. It’s a cliche for a reason.

I agree. I used to rollerblade 20 miles with a double baby stroller. I taught my kids to ride bikes early so that they could ride with me while I was running. I really incorporated my kids into my workout schedule. I cannot tell you how many 5Ks and 10ks I did pushing a baby jogger!

It really depends what you mean by working out. It's harder to incorporate kids into strength training. I would carry my kids/squat them/pull them in a wagon and it's something, but it's not equivalent to really getting to lift. I didn't get back into the kind of shape I was in pre-kid until I was able to regularly get back to the gym. People would joke with my before about, oh, you must be getting in a great workout just lifting your kids. That's a nice thought, but no, picking up my kids is not giving me what I get from a regular program of progressive work with a barbell.

PP here. That may be true, but you don't lift every day. For those workouts I could get up at the crack of dawn and go to the gym. In truth, I didn't do a lot of strength training until I was older. When my kids were little, I had really fit arms and legs. I started lifting in my 40s.

My point was that whether you can stay as fit as you were pre-kids without going to the gym depends on what you were doing previously. If what you're going for is some kind of general physical activity, or you're training seriously but in a way where you can incorporate your kids, that's different from if you were doing something previously that you can't really do with your kids. I couldn't get back to my pre-kid level until I could make going to the gym regularly a priority again, and that took some time and some lifestyle changes, and when I initially went back I'd lost a lot of strength and muscle mass.

[Anonymous]

Stair climbing is a great low impact alternative to running. And there are even races.

[Anonymous]

It also depends on your health AFTER children. Many women development health conditions after birth. I can no longer do high impact exercise. I have found exercises I can do but it's taken me awhile to figure it all out.

[Anonymous]

Find a form of exercise you love, and prioritise your health and mental well-being.

For me this was running. I always loved it, and have been doing it regularly since I was a kid. It was something my mom, grandma, and I did together: we used to run local 5 and 10k races, and we also traveled to do half marathons together, which was so much fun. My grandma used to win in her age group most of the time because there weren't many ladies her age who were still running. I can't wait until that starts to happen for me.

In my 30s, life got more hectic for me and long runs outdoors weren't always possible, and nor were long gym sessions where I could use a treadmill. So I got a top of the line treadmill for my house, and it is great. As much as I love a long run outdoors, I also like the convenience of being able to plug into my music and run on my treadmill: it takes me right to my happy place.

Also, my ds likes to do the road races with me, so that's something nice that we share. We've run the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon together, as well as a lot of smaller races. I was so happy when he kept wanting to do the races with me after he moved out for college, and it is our thing that I think will continue far into the future.

[Anonymous]

You don’t have kids yet. Lol. Good one. You should have led with that. Listen I wear the same jeans size as before I had kids but my body is not the same and it won’t ever be again. Enjoy it now. Once you make and possibly feed another human you won’t be so vain and shallow.

[Anonymous]

Your post is about "fitness," but really you're talking about how you look. That's not the same as fitness. I'm not talking "fat positive" stuff here.... I'm just saying you just seem exclusively focused on your weight/size over whether your feel good and are healthy and strong.

Kids are going to change your fitness life for sure. With one kid, it won't be as hard to fit in fitness. But there will. be at least a year where it is challenging and you might not be able to go for long runs.

Also, sometimes running is really not good for postpartum women. YOur pelvis becomes unstable in pregnancy and early postpartum. In that period, your goals might shift toward strength and stability rather than running as fast and hard as you can.