Over 40? Stop Doing Exercise in Extremes

I think we're all guilty of it.

We decide we're going to get fit, so we go all in.

Gym. Six days a week.

Then we discover Padel.

Suddenly we're playing three times a week.

Then our shoulder starts complaining, so we decide yoga is probably what we need.

Then someone tells us Pilates is brilliant for your core.

Then we decide we need more cardio.

So we start running.

Our knees hurt.

And eventually we're back to walking.

Sound familiar?

The problem isn't that we're doing too much exercise.

It's that we're often doing one thing to the exclusion of everything else.

Maybe we need to stop looking for the one perfect exercise

Once you're over 40, perhaps the question isn't “What's the best exercise?”

It's:

And the answer is probably a mixture.

We need strength to maintain muscle and keep us capable.

We need cardio to keep our heart and lungs healthy.

And we need mobility and flexibility so we can actually move well.

That doesn't mean spending your life in the gym.

It could mean weights twice a week, Padel with friends, a Pilates class, some yoga and plenty of walking.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

It's brilliant exercise.

It's social, it's fun and you're constantly moving, changing direction and reacting.

But it doesn't necessarily give you everything your body needs.

So don't stop playing Padel.

Just don't expect Padel to do the job of your gym session, your stretching and your Sunday walk.

The same applies to yoga and Pilates.

They're fantastic additions to an active lifestyle, but they don't have to become your entire fitness routine.

And walking?

Absolutely counts.

It's one of the easiest ways to keep moving, get outside and clear your head.

Maybe Monday is the gym.

Tuesday is Padel.

Wednesday is a walk.

Thursday is Pilates.

Friday you rest.

Saturday you're out for a long walk or hike.

And somewhere in there, you stretch.

That's not a strict fitness programme.

It's just an active life.

And I think that's a much better way to look at exercise as we get older.

We're not training for the next six weeks.

We're trying to build a body that will keep letting us do the things we enjoy for the next few decades.

So don't give up the Padel for the gym.

Don't choose Pilates over walking.

Don't decide you have to become a runner because someone else is.

Some days you lift.

Some days you play.

Some days you walk.

Some days you stretch.

And some days you do absolutely nothing.

That's OK too.

Because being fit over 40 isn't about doing more.

It's about being able to keep doing more of the things you love.