How to Stay Young & Keep Fit When Over 40

It isn’t easy to accept that you’re growing old. However, it’s something that you’ll have to do. Life goes on, and your body is eventually going to be older, stiffer, and easier to tire out.

Although growing old is just a part of life, it’s important that you know that with the help of a good diet and proper exercise, you can age gracefully and feel great! That being said, the way you eat and exercise may change a bit. You won’t be able to spend hours in the gym after downing an entire pizza any longer.

Wondering how to keep your body fit and healthy after you’ve officially hit the over 40 mark? Keep reading to find out how men stay fit over 40!

 

1 – Incorporate HIIT

Keep your heart healthy and the pounds off by making HIIT a part of your exercise routine. HIIT involves training at bursts of high-intensity followed by a short recovery time. Research indicates that HIIT is able to slow aging at a cellular and genetic level. Plus, it doesn’t take that long at all! In fact, you can get an amazing heart-pumping HIIT workout in within 20-30 minutes. Here are a couple of things that you can try:

 

HIIT squats

Squats is a resistance movement that can be done with weight. However, it is also an incredibly versatile movement that can be incorporated into HIIT workouts. Keep your legs and rear strong and toned with squats. Start by putting your feet shoulder width apart. Clasp your hands in front of you. Then, hinge your hips and knees, ensuring that your weight is on your heels. Make sure your knees don’t fall forward. Aim to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, making sure that your back and neck are kept in a straight position. Try getting in as many as possible in a minute and watch the sweat pour!

 

1-minute intervals

This type of HIIT is just as it sounds. Choose your preferred movement. It can be running, cycling, rowing, or even doing movements like pushups and rows. Take a couple minutes to warm up to your preferred movements. Then, set the clock. You’ll be doing one minute of work followed by a minute of recovery. Repeat for five rounds. Don’t forget to cool down at a gentle pace afterwards!

 

2 – Try resistance training

As you near your forties, your muscle mass starts to decrease. You may not notice it at first, but the rate will increase until there is a noticeable difference. Besides the decrease in muscle mass, you will also be at a higher risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. The loss of muscle mass is inevitable. That being said, don’t lose all hope – you can slow down the rate of muscle loss with the help of resistance training.

Weight training not only helps you look and feel stronger, but it encourages a healthy blood flow and decreases the risk of diabetes and other age-related diseases. A mere 20 minutes of resistance training each day can significantly decrease your chance for such diseases and even help you melt that persistent belly fat that you’ve gained over the years.

 

Overhead extensions

Choose a dumbbell of the appropriate weight. It should be heavy, but not uncomfortably so. You should be able to hold it over your head with ease. Grasp it with both hands and while standing upright with your legs at a strong position, raise the dumbbell over your head. Lower it down towards your back, then flex your triceps and push it back up. Make sure you keep your arms close to your head for this position. Keep your elbows from flaring out. Do as many reps as you are comfortable with. As you get stronger, increase weight or repetitions to keep the movement challenging.

 

Lateral raises

Choose two dumbbells of the appropriate weight. If you haven’t done lateral raises before, it’s best that you choose something light until you get used to the movement. Stand upright with your legs in a strong position, stabilizing you. Keep your arms at your side while you hold the dumbbells. Raise your arms to the side, ensuring that your core is flexed to keep your body still. Avoid locking your elbows. However, keep them relatively straight. Lower your dumbbells down. Do as many reps as you are comfortable with, increasing weight or repetitions as you get stronger.

 

3 – Don’t neglect bodyweight movement

Squats, pull-ups, and other bodyweight movements are incredibly important. One that many people neglect, however, is the push-up. Although it puts more weight on your upper body, it will make your lower body work as well. The push up is an incredible exercise for men looking to tighten up their chest. Try the push up for yourself by lying on the floor. Place your hands close to your shoulders and put your weight on the balls of your feet. Push yourself up, straightening your arms without locking your elbows. Keep your core tight throughout the entire movement. Lower yourself down again. If you don’t have the strength to push yourself up while on your feet, try putting your weight on your knees or placing your hands on an incline.