Well, we have looked at fitness in your 20’s and 30’s and now we are on to my personally favorite decade, the 40’s. I don’t exactly know what it was about turning 40 but it felt great.
For me, this is the decade where I began to get much more serious about fitness. I realize it would have been beneficial to get an earlier start but what I am learning about this decade is that it’s never too late.
I have found yoga to especially be beneficial, which has helped in improving my posture and gaining flexibility. But in your 40’s you should also be focusing on cardio and weight training. To keep from getting bored, you could come up with a schedule where you alternate these different types of exercise.
Using myself as an example, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I do yoga. On Wednesdays I do light cardio but on Mondays and Fridays its high impact. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays I also walk a mile. The variety keeps things interesting.
One of the things about the 40’s is that this is almost a time where you are doing preventative work. Health can begin to decline and so you want to focus on keeping a healthy lifestyle. Health problems like diabetes, heart disease and the like begin to have an increased rate around this time so warding these off is vital.
In all honesty I look at the 40’s as being the “fabulous 40’s.” Many of us are either raising teenagers or we have young adults. We have much more freedom during this decade and it is usually a time where we feel more settled in and comfortable. But we aren’t ready to lay the gauntlet down.
Many people in their 40’s embrace new hobbies and interests, so why not incorporate that into your fitness? One of the things I plan on doing this year, which I have not done for many years, is biking. If I were to get really bold, I might even try rollerblading.
Fitness in your 40’s is important and could significantly impact your future so remember that it’s never too late.
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