What’s the Best Exercise for My Age?

Ageing. Every second of every minute of every day we’re getting older- and that’s not a very comfortable thought. What’s also not a comfortable thought is that we’re not just “getting older”, we’re also degrading. With time, our muscle mass, bone density and metabolism decrease- unless we lead active lifestyles to prevent this. 

The only right time to start exercise is “Now!”, but “Now!” could be when you’re 27, 42 or 63 years old.

So what’s the best exercise for you, depending on your age?

1. Exercising in your 20’s:

Your 20’s are the best time to introduce exercise to your adult life. You’re young, and have a higher metabolism so now’s the time to try a variety of different classes and exercise types. Your weekly workout timetable should still be balanced; incorporating balance, cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training within your workouts.

This is an excellent time to join a studio to help you commit creating your lifelong healthy habit. Start learning to budget now for your health and fitness, otherwise you’ll be paying through the nose (financially, physically and mentally) for it later on in life.

It’s also worthwhile mentioning that another one of your exercise objective in the 20’s is to find something you love doing and establish a routine of regular exercise.  As you enter your 30’s and 40’s, changes and challenges in life will make it more challenging to exercise (or give you more excuses to not exercise) e.g. kids, mortgage etc.

2. Exercising in your 30’s:

Ah, your thirties… where things start to go downhill for the first time. This is the decade that your body starts accelerating its ageing processes. Once you turn 35, your metabolism, muscle mass and cardiovascular capacity all start declining.

The good news is that exercise stops this, but you need to make sure that you’re including strength training and cardiovascular training in your workouts throughout the week. Activities like Functional Training and Barre are excellent for cardiovascular exercise, while Pilates (Mat or Reformer) and Functional Training are good for strength training. You’re aiming for 2-3 sessions of strength training a week, and some sort of cardio nearly everyday.

This is also the decade that “office pains” start; sore lower backs, necks and shoulders due to poor posture and lots of sitting in the office or at home, so core strengthening becomes a higher priority on your list. Reformer Pilates is a great way to help work on your postural muscles.

3. Exercising in your 40’s:

The decade that you start to feel like you are ageing. Every thing seems to take longer, including recovery from hard workouts, injuries, losing weight and building muscle through exercise.

Those “office pains” start becoming a bigger issue, with losses in mobility and flexibility becoming more noticeable. As it does take longer to recover, aim to do 2-3 high intensity workouts that incorporate strength and cardiovascular exercise a week. To increase your mobility and decrease your stress levels, try yoga at least once a week. The stress hormone, cortisol tries to keep fat around your belly, so decreasing it will only do good things for your body and, in the long run, your weight.

4. Exercising in your 50’s:

Your fifties AKA “Danger! Chronic Health Conditions Ahead!” This is where health issues such as heart disease, high cholesterol and arthritis start making themselves known. It’s important to visit your GP to check to see that the exercise you’re doing isn’t negatively impacting your health.

Aim for only 1 or 2 high intensity classes a week, like HIIT or Functional Training. Maintaining strength and balance become higher priorities; your balance has already started declining, unless you’ve been regularly training it through classes such as Yoga, Pilates or Barre. If you’re unsure where or how to start, or you have a health condition that prohibits you from doing lots of exercise, consider a Private or Semi Private training, so that you can get tailored programming for your exact needs from our amazing teachers.

5. Exercising in your 60’s:

6. Exercising in your 70’s:

You’re only as old as you feel! If you’re already active, then good job! Now’s the time to do any exercise that you enjoy- and to keep doing it. Strength training should be a part of your weekly program, but feel free to talk to your instructor about some lower impact options within class if you get joint pain or have any other health concerns.

Don’t let health issues slow you down, instead, use them as a motivator to get active. Try some new classes as well, you’re learning new skills at the same time- learning new movements are essential to maintaining brain health. See if you can fit in at least one balance session a week to reduce your risk of injury, especially from falls.

6. Exercising in your 80’s:

If you’re exercising regularly in your 80’s, nice work! Keep going! Aim for balance and strength training such as Pilates and Barre, as well as mobilising exercise like Yoga classes. Strength training is super important now- muscular fibres degrade more quickly as you age, so maintaining your fitness and general mobility is a must.

7. Exercising past your 80’s:

Yes, it is possible!  Our eldest member at the studio is in her 90s, and she loves Pilates, which keeps her body and mind active.

It doesn’t matter what age you find yourself starting (or continuing!) to exercise, it’s important to tailor your programme to best suit your needs.

If you need any advise, feel free to book in a one-on-one session with one of our incredible instructors, or have a chat with our amazingly helpful admin team, who will try and guide you to the best class for you.