There is a big difference between how we should workout for women in our 20s and how we should work there … we are no longer in our 20s. Experts tell Carol Mithers how to find the right fit for any age.
If there is a magic pill to stay young, it may be the hardest thing to swallow: exercise. Daily doses have been shown to suppress many aspects of aging — depression, obesity, heart disease, diabetes — and the longer you are busy, the less likely you are to notice aging. The catch is that the body of a 50-year-old person is not the same as a 20-year-old; you can’t push it the way you once did it, and you shouldn’t if you want to keep it in working condition. So listen to these coaches — not just professional ones but also themselves — on how to stay fit, and proud of it, over the decades.
In Your 20s: 30 minutes of weight training followed by 30 minutes of cardio 3x per week, and 45 to 60 minutes of straight cardio 3x per week. One day off.
The good thing about being in your 20s is that your body is strong, you can avoid it. Too bad you often do, late-night punishment and bad eating habits. And you always fail to appreciate what you have. This is a decade of anxiety — busy exercise, a healthy diet, the pursuit of pinup perfection, and self-loathing when you fail to cope with it. Qualification challenge for years: Go through it.
“I tell my young clients, ‘Forget about looking like Jessica Simpson or Halle Berry, and forget about weight; think of life. The mistake that can easily get your claim denied is to fail. ” Most cardio is fun, he says, especially when you mix it up to push the body. But weight training builds muscle definition, not to mention bone density, which will be important to stay active later and prevent osteoporosis. “You have to lift just over three or five pounds,” he said. “If you can do 10 to 15 repetitions of weight without any real effort, it’s very easy.
As for the killer abs, “it’s about underlying skin, not how many crunches you do,” Carver said. Suggests dropping bouncy bumps, sitting fast to get focused on work, not only strengthening the abs but also strengthening the muscles and lower back. One great exercise is a “plank.” When you are standing push-up, balance your arms and toes with extended legs straight back, pull the belly button up to your spine and hold it firmly, keeping your back low enough for someone to eat. Work to stay there for a full minute.
Your 30s and 40s: Exercise is the # 1 method of preventative medicine
In Your 30s: One hour of regional training (cardio and resistance) 4x per week, and at least one day of cardio 45 to 60 minutes at high intensity. Take one day off.
By the 30s, you are starting to realize that weight is not going down as easily as it used to. This is because after 20 years, your basal metabolism decreases by 1 to 2 percent every ten years, and as the lean muscle mass decreases and your body fat increases, you do not need many calories to sustain yourself. “Exercise is the first form of prevention,” says Jillian Michaels, who is in her 9th season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser and author of the book Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life. “You won’t see such a big difference between 31 and 39 if you live a healthy lifestyle, but if you don’t, you’ll see a big difference in muscle tone, weight, and posture.”
In this decade, experts agree, that keeping fit requires hard work. Jenkins loves regional training – a series of exercises and cardio exercises done immediately and after exercise. But even if you do, Michaels advises training each muscle group twice a week for two days off during the session. Don’t hold on to heavy weights / low reps or low weight / multiple reps, he says; change to keep your body from chasing the habit. One day of rest a week is important.
After a pregnancy a program like Pilates can be very helpful in “putting everything back and forth,” says Brooke Siler, who owns: an AB studio in New York City that attracts celebrities like Amber Valletta, Madonna, and Liv Tyler. One of the best ways to counteract gravity, he says, is to stand on your heels together, your big toes being two to three inches [2-3 cm] apart. Draw your lower abs and inner thighs inwards and upwards, and rise to the balls of your feet, making sure the heels stay tight. Now bend the knees slowly into a plié, keeping the tail bone straight. Lower your heels down and slightly straighten your legs, draw your inner thighs and rise deep into your abdomen. Repeat five times; then undo the sequence of the other five.
Now is the time to establish good habits in your daily life. “You always want to stand instead of sitting, take the stairs instead of the elevators,” said Siler. “I’m always aware of how I sit and stand and walk on the street. I’m always pulling.
40 years: One hour of weight training 3 days a week if you do your whole body at once (4 days half an hour if you split it), and 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week (over 20s and 30s but with minimal impact and intensity). Take one day off.
This is a decade of three-year whammy: gravity, hormones, and yet further slowing of metabolism as the soft tissues continue to shrink and body fat increases. Even women who do not wear a kit can increase it, according to Pamela Peeke, MD, author of the book Body for Life for Women. “After 40 years and certainly after 50 years, almost all women find it easy to gain weight — under the bras, triceps, back, and abdomen,” she says. “You’re not doing anything wrong; your body composition is changing.”
Cardio activity at least three days a week is still important to control weight, but resistance training is important now. “Women should be doing more weight training — and they’re fighting for it,” says New York City-based celebrity trainer Kacy Duke, in her 40’s. “You have to find time to do it regularly and train hard.” If you are just starting, says Peeke, “you have to learn the right form — take a class, find a coach, make sure someone is going to guide you so you don’t get hurt. And add momentum. up, push another 10 degrees. ”
Certain body parts may need more attention. “Pilates can help others in the middle of nowhere,” said fitness veteran Karen Voight, who teaches and writes for the Los Angeles Times fitness column. To make the back of the upper arm, you command, “ride on all fours with the knee bent, fingers forward, and hands directly under your shoulders. Then there is the hip. “As a result,” says Voight, in his 40s, “I try to skate with weights or climb stairs. Exercise is different these years because everyone has aches and pains. I hold positions longer and do things more. Slightly and with more control. , not the majority. “
