The Perfect 40+ Workout

Lot of times when I meet friends or relatives at their places or at parties or when people come to the gym, the first thing they ask me is how they can lose weight, get fitter or reduce their waistline. The people who ask these questions are mostly in their late 30s or mid 40s and lead either a very busy schedule or a very sedentary lifestyle.

Many haven’t ever worked out at all or if they have, stopped because they didn’t get any results; or haven’t been able to devote enough time to their fitness regime. Lack of exercise or simple fitness hacks leads to varying problems, especially after you hit the 40s.

The problems you are prone to developing

• Heart and cholesterol problems

• Hypertension

• Diabetes and sugar problems

• Joint pain and muscle loss

• Slow metabolism, weight gain

• Depression and psychological problems

Tackling the problems

My first and the foremost suggestion is to get a health checkup and receive a permission from a doctor to exercise. Secondly, hire a personal trainer to structure a customised fitness routine for you. I say this because I’ve seen people who ask for a fitness plan or copy exercises from others thinking that they will benefit from them exactly how others did. But it doesn’t work like that. It might be unsafe for you to do those exercises or routines that fit perfectly to the rest. Fitness routine should be customised to each person depending upon the individual’s fitness levels and goals.

The next step is to start training gradually and progress slowly. For someone who hasn’t worked out or has started working out after a long break, even the simplest exercises may get your muscles sore and give you ‘DOMS’ (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

DOMS usually goes off with regular training and exercises. It might reoccur with change in levels and intensity of the exercise.

It’s important to figure out what exercises you should do and how much. There are several channels and videos on Youtube that you can follow to find this out. But are they specific to your needs, or are you at that level of fitness to do them, is the main question. That’s where the expertise of your personal trainer comes in. He will be able to guide you better and structure your programme according to your needs and your fitness levels.

Compound exercise

Exercises that are multi jointed or which involve more than two joints are termed as compound exercises/ movements. Examples: squats, dumbbell shoulder press, deadlifts, pull ups, etc. And those that involve only one joint and are isolation movements are classified as simple exercises/movements. Examples: bicep curls, dumbbell lateral raises, seated knee extensions.

I suggest to do more compound exercises than simple ones because they involve more joints. Benefits of compound exercises:

• More muscle involvement during exercises, leading to more lean muscle gain and increase in your metabolism. Higher metabolism means more calories burnt and better gains from your workouts.

• They let you lift heavier workload compared to simple isolation exercises, which means you can progressively load your muscles and don’t hit a plateau while exercising.

• They are time saving and help you to keep your workouts short and intense, giving you maximum benefits.

EXERCISES TO FOLLOW

You must always do exercises with the correct form and technique. Also choose exercises that are easy for you and don’t require elaborate equipment (if you are unable to go to a gym on a regular basis). This is where the personal trainer will be able to guide you better.

Here are some simple compound exercises/ movements which will give you maximum benefits.

SQUATS

Stand with feet shoulder distance apart and toes slightly flared (pointed out). You can place your hands behind your head or keep them in front depending upon your comfort level. This will be your starting position.

Begin the movement by flexing (bending) your knees and sitting back with your hip.

Continue going down to full the depth as much as your body allows with any compensation in your form and quickly come up to the starting point. Keep your head steady, chest out, and make sure your knees don’t go in front of your toes throughout the complete range of motion.

LUNGES

Stand with your torso upright with feet shoulder wide apart. This will be your starting position.

Step forward with your right leg around two feet or so from the foot being left stationary behind and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Inhale as you go down.

Note: As in other exercises, do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, because this will put undue stress on the knee joint. Make sure that you keep your front shin perpendicular to the ground. Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to the starting position as you exhale.

Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.

PUSH UPS

Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arm’s length. Lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.

Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest. After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.

PULL UPS

Grab the pull-up bar with palms facing forward using the prescribed grip.

Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.

As you have both arms extended in front of you, holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.

Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement.

Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work than hold the bar.

After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.

Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

PLANK

Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Keep your elbows bent and directly below the shoulder. Squeeze your Gluteus (butt muscles) and keep your knees soft.

Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.

Remember these are the basic and fundamental strength building exercises which should be incorporated in your fitness plan.

Along with strength training, cardiovascular training is of utmost importance. Cardiovascular activity like brisk walking, jogging, sprinting and swimming should be done depending upon your level of fitness. For best results try and do 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity alternating with strength training with one day of rest for your body to recover during the week.

Considering our daily hectic schedule of work and family commitments I understand it’s very difficult to stick to your fitness plan. At the age of 40 kids, family, job hassles, parents are more important and fitness often reduces to the least of our priority.

These challenges can be overcome if you understand ‘why’ we need to follow a fitness plan.

• Climbing the stairs without breathing hard.

• Being able to lift groceries today and later in life.

• Not being frail and having more control of our bodies and our lives during our golden years.

• Reducing the risk of heart disease.

• Getting off of the cholesterol and high blood pressure pills.

Make time for fitness and make your health a priority during your middle age. Ask your friends, spouse and children to hold you accountable. Get a fitness partner. Do whatever it takes, there’s no better time to start getting fit than today.

By Swapnil Hazare