Realistic fitness in your 30s
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Anonymous
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I am going to be unbearably boastful but I believe that I have a perfect body, for myself, and I've worked hard for it.
30 years old, 5'4, 120, 25" waist, muscular and firm hourglass figure, no cellulite and no sagging. I've worked HARD for my fitness. I've trained as an elite mid-distance runner and have racked up some decently impressive 5K/10K/half marathon times in my late 20s and I lift weights. I feel amazing and have great body confidence. I want to maintain my figure and my fitness for as long as I can, but I want to be smart about it. My running has plateaued in the last year and I'm thinking of shifting to something different that's lower impact for my long-term joint health. I'm looking for recommendations of other fitness activities that might be more sustainable as I get older, flexible time-wise and inexpensive (can't afford to join an expensive gym, but the Y would be fine, and I prefer to work out early mornings and have options that don't require equipment or coordination with other people). Also, any general advice for maintaining this level of fitness against the demands of...well, life? I don't have children yet, and if I do, I only want one, but I very well might and I know that's certainly a game changer. I am fortunate enough to have a job that doesn't extend beyond 40 hours, but it is a sedentary desk job. I'd like to maintain the body I have well into my 30s, 40s, even 50? But I know there is a point when one becomes too obsessive and vain, so it's not the be-all/end-all and I believe I can balance a healthy relationship with family and career while working hard at fitness. So, what kind of general realistic fitness maintenance advice can women, including mothers, over 30 offer, considering that I like to work HARD on fitness and athleticism, I love to push myself and SWEAT, but also want to balance a healthy attitude towards the rest of my life and not set unrealistic expectations. |
Anonymous
| The older I get the more I realize that weight/fitness maintenance is more about diet and nutrition than exercise. Unless you're a body builder/power lifter type or training for a race, I'd focus more on what you put in your mouth (especially after if you have kids). |
Anonymous
| I ran several marathons in my 30s. I’ve now transitioned to rowing in my 40s. Great workout and mentally tough. |
Anonymous
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HIIT!
HIIT is your best friend. You can do it any place, any time, and don't even need equipment depending on what kind. It's the best way to kick yourself back in shape if you have kid, you can do things like burpees to break up your desk-sitting at work, and you can do longer workouts when you have time. |
Anonymous
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I was able to workout hard in my 30s. Mid-40s has been the gamechanger for me.
Do you plan to have kids? Enjoy your body now, it will never be the same. |
Anonymous
This. Kids and age. :/ |
Anonymous
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So, they're not inexpensive, but with your background you might really enjoy both Peloton and solidcore. I do both, and have a background as a competitive athlete (if not elite level). But they're both low-impact and give you the opportunity to REALLY push yourself if that's what you want, without the accompanying stress on joints that both running and heavy weight lifting bring.
Rowing is fantastic, but not inexpensive, and the time commitment is not sustainable unless you live next to a lake. FWIW, I'm early 40s, work out daily, have three kids, work FT, and feel great. I think I look pretty good, too, but many of the effects child-bearing has on your body relate to luck. My body's the same as before kids, but, again, luck. |
Anonymous
If you plan on having kids, I strongly recommend you check out Peloton. Since you run, you probably will LOVE the new Peloton Tread. I have the Peloton bike and the indoor cycling classes are amazing. I also use the app to do their bootcamps with my own treadmill, and they are basically like Orange Theory Fitness classes in your own home. I was very active before having kids, and after I had my first son, it was SO HARD to adjust to my new life as a working mom, particularly because my old ways of exercising didn’t fit into my life anymore. After I had my second son I started using the Peloton app at home with a cheap spin bike, and it literally saved working out for me. I’m now 38 with two kids (4 and a half and almost 2) and I’m below my pre-pregnancy weight and I’m getting more fit every day. All of the Peloton content is amazing and the workouts are all really fun and very challenging. They have a bunch of other great content, like strength workouts, yoga, meditation, stretching, etc. I do the strength workouts in addition to the bike classes and bootcamps, and I love them all. My only complaint is that they need to come out with longer strength workouts (right now they are only 10 minutes long each). |
Anonymous
Care to share some times? In my experience, elite middle distance runners don’t have hourglass figures. |
Anonymous
| spin classes at the y |
Anonymous
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If you've trained as an elite middle distance runner, you know more about fitness than 99 percent of the people reading this, including me. As a middle-aged, off and on again fitness guy, I'd just say
1) that as you get older, you're going to have to accept that you are aiming for maintenance, not improvement, especially since you were already elite. (This isn't true for people who weren't serious athletes; I was my fastest in my mid-40s, when I did a 48 minute 10K, which I know is mediocre for real runners, but I was even slower in my 20s and 30s.) 2) Vary your exercise. It doesn't have to be Crossfit, but idea is right: You're more likely to be steadily fit and avoid injury if, instead of running 6 times a week, you run twice, bike twice, lift twice, do some yoga, do some bodyweight routines, mix in HIIT and gentler workouts, etc. Then again, you might be different. This guy: https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/gene-dykes-reveals-the-secret-to-breaking-world-records-at-70/ just ran a 2:54 marathon at age 70 and "“I never stretch, never do flexibility exercises,” .... “No weightlifting, no strength, no core.” ... In summation, Dykes said he, “just runs.” |
Anonymous
Okay, so not elite, actual elite distance runners would crucify me for saying that. But I typically come in the top 1% open for big races like Cherry Blossom, and can win local races fairly easily. Mile 5:32 5K 18:57 10K 39:09 10M 1:05-something half 1:27:30 Those times were mostly last year, but I’m struggling this year. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP. Some body changes you may experience are not fitness related. Women typically thicken in the middle and the hourglass shape is less pronounced. Having kids can rearrange your abdomen and change the shape. My pre-kid abs were completely shredded. My abs after a couple kids are still defined and noticeable... but I have diastasis recti. When I am doing ab work, the area in the center of my abs actually pokes out!
You'll eventually have to make a decison about whether the look or the results matter more. For example, you may have stretch marks or loose skin that does not improve and requires surgery to improve the look. But, a tummy tuck is a major surgery that will sideline your athletic goals while you recover. I have very low body fat and when you look at me, you can see that I look very toned. But, there are all these imperfections that didn't exist before kids. For me, it's okay to have the minor problems- abs that are no longer perfect, mostly- since I am in peak athletic form based on performance. So clarify that for yourself- is this about looks or performance- and that will guide your approach to the future. If it is looks, no amount of athletics will help and you need to save money for surgery. |
Anonymous
This. Changes to your hormones in late-30s/early-40s will definitely do a number on your muscle tone. Couple that with what kids do to your bone structure and abdominal tissues, and it's hard to look anything like your pre-kids self without surgery. That said, the most important thing is to keep working out. If you like what you're doing, I would not recommend changing it until circumstances force you to. That said, I would recommend to anyone that running is an insufficient exercise routine and you should supplement with weight training (probably swap some days that your run for weights instead). I personally like HIIT, but it might not be for everyone. I don't think it would have been for me in my early 30s either, when I was more of a hiker/long distance cycler/climber/weights person. FWIW, I'm 41, and after 2 kids I'm at the same clothing size and weight I was pre-babies. But my body looks nothing like it did before, since my pelvis spread. I can fit into some pre-pregnancy clothing but not others because my bone structure has changed. I do HIIT, yoga, and pilates pretty regularly. I run short-ish distances. Most of my outdoor hobbies are on-hold until it'll be easier to take longer blocks of time on a weekend or my kids can join in...but DH and I do take the kids on short hikes etc. Most of the women at my (small group) gym are younger than me and many don't have kids, but I am still one of the fittest ones there...so there is hope as long as you have realistic expectations. |
Anonymous
| This isn’t the right crowd for your level of fitness. I would ask on the reddit xxfitness page. |