Dec 15, 2023
Get ready to optimize your workout after 40. This list of tips comes from a simple round up of tips shared often on social media and that surprise me that we don’t all know this. Yet.. why should you? You haven’t eaten and slept this for 40 years! You haven’t spent every week keeping up with new science, researching the latest peer-reviewed journals and monitoring large groups of women putting to the test of N what science has already proven.
No more than I have monitored how much water a ficus tree needs and how to hire a trustworthy landscape company (which by the way, I’ve failed miserably this past year). No more than I have the slightest idea what to do when my garage light is flashing).
So… Here's a little roundup from me to you.
Optimize Your Workout After 40, 50, 60 or 70
Start prioritizing strength training.
Stop doing “cardio.”
Stop thinking you have to workout every day.
Pay more attention to your energy level, your appetite, your sleep than you do to a number on a scale at first, and maybe later.
Throw out any dumb scale you’re still using to weigh and invest in a Smart Scale.
Weigh yourself no more than once a week same time and same status and make sure you’re measuring and doing some means of physical fitness testing
Warm up smarter.
Cool down smarter.
Recover smarter: let your body deal with inflammation from your workout for several hours before you interfere with it by introducing cold plunge, infrared sauna, omega 3 fats or a lot of antioxidants (unless you’re “in training”)
Train don’t “exercise” especially for you if you’re already tired, limited on time & energy and need to make sure you’re getting quality training AND quality rest
Plan Intense Early, Light Late.
Fuel before training.
Fuel after training.
Eat a regular dose of protein at at least 3 meals a day hitting 30 gram minimum (this isn’t a maximum: it’s a start)
When tired, appetite is a mess, you’re overly sore or achy, dig into why… not enough recovery, poorly fueled, inflammatory diet? Don’t automatically blame exercise. But do cut back until you figure it out.
Make use of biohacking: infrared sauna, cold plunge, electrolytes, intermittent fasting - which can all speed recovery and improve inflammation meaning your exercise can be harder without feeling harder.
Stop doing random exercise.
Never continue to go hard all the time. Every week should have easy and hard days. Every month should have easy and hard weeks. Some entire quarters may be light (when say, you’re “in season”)
Stop thinking you’re burning calories and going to lose weight because of it. You’re trying to optimize hormone balance or you’ll never lose fat weight and keep it off.
Find joy in 90% of the exercise you do or how you do it. (Yes you may need to do some part you don’t love in order to keep actively doing the rest).
Don’t compare yourself right now to anyone… including younger you. You could be BETTER.
Need to Optimize Your Workout After 40?
Two options specifically designed to combine the needs of your midlife hormones, your skeletal system, muscular system, history of activity, experience level and give you results you love now and those you’ll thank yourself for later:
STRONGER Tone & Define: a perfect start, restart or reset (I’m an 8x Ironman athlete, a 42 year old strength trainer who gains muscle easily and I use this regularly during any given year)
The Flipping 50 membership: the perfect way to say yes
not just to everything included in that one 12 week program, but
get the next 3 12-week programs for the year plus exclusive
masterclasses that others pay for, monthly challenges when you want
to tune up the core or need to tend to your pelvic floor, and mini
courses that give you exactly the information you need to focus on
the goals you have right now. Join before rates increase in January
to lock in these subscription rates.
P.S. If you’re listening and have found value in the podcast please share it with 2 or 3 friends or sisters! I would be so grateful. We need to get on the right track and put an end to the idea that midlife and older women should exercise the same as men, or mice or younger women.
While at the same time we put an end to the idea women should gain weight with age and will naturally or should have a healthy percent body fat that is higher. Really? At a time when disease is more prevalent ? That’s crazy but intelligent women often think it’s true.
Other Episodes You Might Like:
20 Reasons Strength Training Should Be Mandatory for Everyone Over 29
https://www.flippingfifty.com/strength-training/
How Long Should Strength Training Sessions for Menopause Be? | ASK the EXPERT Q and A
https://www.flippingfifty.com/strength-training-sessions-for-menopause/
TOTAL Body or SPLIT ROUTINE Strength Training in Menopause | #453
https://www.flippingfifty.com/total-body-or-split-routine-453/
Resources:
STRONGER Tone & Define: https://www.flippingfifty.com/getstronger
Flipping 50 Membership: https://www.flippingfifty.com/cafe