Age should not stop you from pursuing as well as reaching your health and fitness goals. To some, life is “all downhill” after a certain age. This kind of ideology has no basis in science, is the product of pessimistic people, and is responsible for people being less happy with life.
Your age defines a few things—how long you have been on the earth, if you can vote, if you can drink alcohol, etc., but it does not define how fit you are and certainly does not denote that life is all downhill from that point.
Age affects all people physically, including me and you, but so do other things. Other things that have a more profound effect on physical condition than age are:
Stress
Activity
Nutrition
Drug use
Alcohol use
The effect of these five things on a person over time is the reason why you see some people who are 40, 50, 60+ years of age who have aged well versus people who aged poorly. Age in itself does not determine how well you age physically.
I could go on, but I already wrote a few blogs that address this topic, which you can see below. Each covers an age-related topic and should be helpful to you as a person 30+ years of age.
6 ways exercise benefits seniors (and everyone else)
Everyone ages. Not everyone ages well. The condition that someone is in as he or she ages is partially dictated by genetics, partially by environment, and partially by how well that person takes care of his or her health.
Genetics are something a person can do little about, except try to compensate for. Environment is the area in which a person lives, works, and spends the bulk of his or her time. This aspect is at least partially within control of the individuals. Instead of focusing on genetics or pollutants, though these are things all people should consider, this blog covers how activity can benefit the aging process. Included are six ways physical activity benefits the aging process, seniors, and everyone else, as well as brief details about each point.
Fitness after 30 - it is not all downhill
As a man age 40, I understand how fitness can change over 20 years. That said, I am the fittest I have ever been. The idea that fitness is all downhill after 30 is just not true. There are many people 30+ who are still fit and getting fitter. Many of our clients are 30+ years of age. They are parents, people with careers, and have myriad life responsibilities. Grace and I are essentially in the same place, with the specifics of our situation the difference.
The reason we, our clients, and other people are still fit after 30, or any age, is we keep working on our fitness. The people who are not getting fitter, but who are losing fitness, getting fatter, and just overall aging poorly, are not trying to improve. It is that simple. This blog is an opinion piece from me that briefly talks about this idea.
https://www.demetzonlinepersonaltraining.com/post/2019/07/29/fitness-after-30-it-is-not-all-downhill
You are not too old
Age is a defining factor in program development and progress, but not the sole determinant. To be more specific, the results of life on the body over time is something I consider with all programs, in that I look at the client's physical condition. The older a client is, the more time he or she had for life to wear the body down. Even the fittest people will wear down over time.
In this blog I go over several key “age related” points I consider when designing a training program for a client. Though noted as age related, these points could apply to persons of any age, though the points will generally apply more as a person ages.
The Ultimate Collection of Beginner Workout Programs
This last blog is not age related. Instead it offers a series of strength programs and cardio programs you can put to use today. Each is suitable for persons of any age, though your skill level, time, or other factors, such as fitness level, do need to be considered. If you are reading this blog with the intention of finding a workout program, the linked blog is what you want.
While you are here, consider looking at our blogs The Top 6 Nutrition Blogs for Beginners, The most important part of a diet plan, and The diet of an online personal trainer.
Have questions? Leave a comment, email me at nathan@demetzonlinepersonaltraining.com, DM me on social media, or use the contact form on our site.
Nathan DeMetz holds degrees in Exercise Science, Business Administration, and Information Technology as well as certifications in strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, run coaching, and other areas. His credentials come from organizations such as Indiana Wesleyan University, Ivy Tech College, and the International Sports Sciences Association. Nathan has 17 years of personal and professional experience in the health and fitness world. He works with people from across the globe, including locations such as Kuwait, Australia, and the USA.
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