The dos and don’ts for midlife fitness

Book a court: Tennis works all your body’s muscles at once and strengthens your heart and lungs. Photo / 123rf

It’s easy to let things slide in midlife. But our 40s to 60s is actually the best time to ramp up activity levels. “We start to lose fitness, strength and stamina from our 30s, but this speeds up during our 40s and particularly in our 50s,” says Dawn Skelton, professor of ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University. “With the onset of menopause and andropause, plummeting oestrogen levels in women and a slower drop in testosterone in men mean we can lose muscle mass and start to see middle-aged spread.”

As we age, our arteries stiffen, blood pressure rises and lung power declines. But we can stave off these changes by moving more. It’s never too late to turn back the clock. “Even if you’ve been inactive up to your 40s and 50s, you can massively improve your fitness and cardiovascular health,” says Tom Yates, professor of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health at Leicester University.

Indeed, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people aged 40-61, who increased their fitness routine with activities such as walking and cycling, to a few hours a week, were 16 to 43 per cent less likely to die from cancer and heart disease over the following 13 years than people who were sedentary.

With only one in 20 Britons meeting weekly exercise guidelines, according to research by the University of Essex, the message is clear: we need to move more and sit less. Here are the dos and don’ts for midlife fitness…

Walk faster

The best way to get fit is also the easiest: head out for a brisk walk. Fast-paced walkers live longer, healthier lives and are less likely to get heart disease. “Our research shows that people who walk at a brisk pace of four miles per hour [6.4km/h] or faster throughout their lives are biologically 16 years younger than slow walkers by the time they reach their 50s,” says Professor Tom Yates. “You’ll have more energy and be much less likely to need the doctor.”

There’s just one hitch: only 30 per cent of us walk fast enough to reap the rewards. “For fitness benefits, you need to do more than 100 steps a minute – that’s at least three to four miles an hour,” says Yates. “At this pace, you use similar muscles to running and burn around 100 calories per mile.” Don’t worry about reaching 10,000 steps. “Even 10 minutes of fast-paced walking gives cardiovascular benefits, and you can build up from there.”

Step it up: fast-paced walkers live longer, healthier lives. Photo / 123rf

Bound up the stairs

Good news if you hate the gym: exercise “snacks” can seriously improve your health. A study in Nature Medicine found that a few daily, one- to two-minute bursts of “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” (VILPA), such as running for the bus or climbing stairs, led to a 38-40 per cent reduced risk of death from cancer and a 48-49 per cent reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease over seven years.

“Increasing your daily activity to as little as 55 minutes a week boosts cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health, meaning you’ll be fitter, leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes,” confirms Stephen Price, clinical exercise specialist and founder of Movementum. “Aim to incorporate four one- to two-minute exercise ‘snacks’ into each day, varied over a week to keep things fun. Try digging in the garden, dancing or chair squats at your desk – anything that gets you slightly breathless.”

For a strength snack, pick a move such as a press-up, says Price. “Lower down for six seconds, push up for one second. Repeat three sets of eight press-ups with one-minute rests in between.”

Don’t quit HIIT

Think twice before you swap high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for an easier workout. HIIT is a short workout where you alternate several-minute intervals of flat-out, high-intensity exercise such as running, cycling or press-ups, with shorter intervals of low-intensity exercise to recover.

“Age is no reason to slow down,” says ACE certified personal trainer and health coach, Chris Gagliardi. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re 18 or 64, the guidelines are the same: 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, plus two moderate-to-intense strength sessions. Research shows most older adults can get real benefits from HIIT. It keeps your heart healthy, burns calories, and can help strengthen your bones as well as your muscles.”

Research shows most older adults can get benefits from HIIT. Photo / 123rf

Mix up the intensity of your weekly workout sessions to maximise the benefits, says Jim Pate, senior physiologist at Marylebone Health. “You need shorter, intense sessions to boost strength and stamina, increase your calorie burn, boost your metabolism and improve your muscle power (vital for everyday movement like getting up from a chair) plus longer, steadier sessions to strengthen your heart and lungs, burn fat, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and regulate blood sugar,” he says. “Choose any activity – running, walking, cycling – and increase the intensity according to your fitness level.”

Try doing an intense, 15-20 minute workout (your HIIT session) one day, a medium-intensity 30-45 minute session another day, plus a long, lower-intensity 45-60 minute session. Use the talk test to gauge how hard you’re working: at low intensity you should be able to sing, at medium intensity hold a broken conversation and at high intensity, you’ll struggle to say a few words.

Squat, lunge and lift

The number-one way to turn back the clock? Strength training. “From age 30, we lose up to 5 per cent of muscle mass per decade and this accelerates after age 60,” says Pate. “Strength training reduces age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and slows physical decline, helping you stay strong and supple.”

Among its many other benefits, strength work increases bone density, raises metabolism and calorie burn and reduces cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure. A recent study in the British Medical Journal found 30-60 minutes a week of strength training (such as lifting weights or doing press-ups) led to a 10-20 per cent lower risk of heart disease and cancer.

Strength exercises train your body to function better and recruit more muscles. Photo / 123rf

You don’t even need to hit the weights room. “You can see great results from bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges and deadlifts,” says Pate. “These mimic the movements we do in daily life, like bending down to put on your socks or pick up toys. These moves train your body to function better, and recruit more muscles, giving more bang for your buck. You want to push (push-up), pull (deadlift) and use the front and back of your legs (squat). Aim for two 30-minute sessions a week.”

Play racquet sports

If you want to stay sharp and agile into old age, take up tennis or badminton. Racquet sports are the best activity for keeping your brain and body young, confirms a four-year study of 272,550 men, aged 59-82, in JAMA Network Open. People playing tennis for at least two and a half hours a week had a 16 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause and a 27 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease over 12 years.

Tennis offered more health benefits than other sports including swimming, cycling and walking. The researchers say this is because tennis works all your body’s muscles at once and requires good hand-eye coordination while dashing around the court strengthens your heart and lungs.

Book a court: tennis works all your body’s muscles at once and strengthens your heart and lungs. Photo / 123rf

“Tennis improves your agility, balance, coordination and speed while releasing endorphins,” says Matt Smith, coach development and learning manager at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). “A Danish study found playing tennis can increase life expectancy by almost 10 years.” Try LTA’s TennisXpress six-week course for beginners and improvers.

Balance on one leg

Here’s a quick challenge: try balancing on one leg for 10 seconds. Stare straight ahead and keep your arms by your side. How long can you manage it? Any less than 10 seconds is bad news if you’re a midlifer.

We tend to forget about our balance until we lose it but research shows that practising balance skills improves our fitness, boosts brain health and leads to a longer life. In a 12-year study of 1,702 people, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the ability to stand, flamingo-like, for 10 seconds was associated with longevity and health. Those unable to complete the task had an 84 per cent increased risk of dying from any cause over the next 10 years.

Flamingo pose: in a British Journal of Sports Medicine study, the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds was associated with longevity and health. Photo / 123rf

“Balance declines from our 40s and 50s,” says Professor Skelton. “Sitting at screens is worsening our balance because we’re not taking the body through its normal range of movement – if you don’t use it you lose it.” Once you’ve mastered single-leg balances, up the challenge, says Skelton. “Do activities where you move in multiple directions such as dance and tai chi or sports involving unexpected movement, such as football or mountain biking. At the gym, try using a balance ball and swapping the exercise bike for the treadmill.”

Or simply practise standing on one leg. Once you can do that, try it with your eyes closed. If you can manage 10 seconds your balance is excellent.

Prioritise protein

It’s not just bodybuilders who need to pack in protein. From midlife onwards, we need more protein to maintain and repair muscle and prevent sarcopenia (muscle loss). “Our muscles turn over at a rate of 1-2 per cent per day so, in 50 days’ time, they could be made of completely new material,” says Dunne. “If you haven’t been eating enough protein, this may lead to muscle loss.”

Forget about post-workout protein shakes – unlike carbohydrate, you don’t need more protein on training days. “It can take 24-48 hours for muscles to repair after a gym session,” says Dunne. “Ideally, you need a steady flow of protein, every three to four hours through each day.”

Pack in the protein: salmon fillets are a great source of protein.

Research shows 20-35g of protein per meal helps maximise muscle growth and repair. “This could be a chicken breast, salmon fillet, three-egg omelette or four tablespoons of Greek yoghurt,” says Dunne. “Only use protein supplements if you’re struggling to eat sufficient, protein-rich foods.”

Don’t forget to stretch

Flexibility isn’t just about showing off in yoga. Together with strength and balance, it’s what keeps us supple and injury-free as we age. “From our 30s, declining muscle mass and strength can reduce our flexibility and mobility,” says David Higgins, movement specialist at Movementum. “In our 50s, this accelerates and our ligaments and tendons become less elastic, reducing our range of motion and making it harder to do everyday tasks. Cartilage thins with age which can cause joint stiffness and pain.”

Luckily, it’s never too late to limber up, says Higgins. “To maintain your mobility, ensure you do flexibility, balance and muscle-strengthening activities twice a week,” he says. “Stretch all your major muscle groups after your workouts when your muscles are warm, or do workouts that incorporate stretching, such as yoga or pilates. I use a foam roller to release muscle tension.”

Downward dog

Think yoga’s just for relaxation? Science is fast proving that this ancient system of exercise is a powerful way to stay fit, strong and supple at midlife and beyond. A study at Columbia University found women practising a daily, 12-minute yoga routine for two years saw significant improvements in bone mineral density. Meanwhile, research at the University of Connecticut showed women, aged 50-65, who did a dynamic form of yoga twice a week for a year had higher muscle mass and lower body fat than a sedentary group.

Yoga helps to build essential muscle tone and core strength. Photo / 123rf

“Yoga builds essential muscle tone and core strength as we age,” says Cheryl MacDonald, yoga master and founder of Yogapause classes for women in midlife. “Try weight-bearing postures such as downward dog, triangle and warrior II to build strength, stamina and support bone health.”

Hop, skip and jump

Adding these explosive moves into your workouts can age-proof your body, say sports scientists. “Entry-level plyometrics, such as jumping and hopping, can help strengthen the body,” says Arj Thirulchelvam, UK Athletics sprints and jumps coach, and founder of Performance Physique. “It might stop you from twisting your knee when you turn suddenly, or spraining your ankle when you run for the bus. They should be a real focus as we get older or return to exercise.”

Athletes use plyometric training to develop speed and power, and research shows doing adapted versions of these explosive moves improves strength and reduces chance of injury as we age. Start by adding bunny hops to your warm-up, two or three times a week, recommends Thirulchelvam. “Stand tall with soft knees, place hands on your hips and jump forwards and backwards then side to side, jumping and landing on both feet with knees bent,” he says. “Continue for 10 seconds. Repeat three times with 20-second rests. This primes your tendons, ligaments and joints while improving muscle power and coordination.”

Don’t undereat

Cutting out carbs and hitting the gym? You could find it harder to get fit, warns David Dunne, performance nutritionist to Olympic athletes and founder of Hexis. “To get the most from your workouts, your body needs fuel and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it,” he says. “Chronic underfuelling can disrupt your metabolism and lead to nutrient deficiencies, low energy, reduced muscle strength and a higher chance of getting ill.”

Dunne recommends “periodising” your weekly carbohydrate intake to match your activity levels, a technique used by athletes. “For rest days or moderate activity, focus on lower-to-moderate carb meals. A three-egg omelette is a good low-carb breakfast to repair your muscles after an easy workout, while salmon with sweet potato and side salad is a good medium-carb lunch to fuel a moderate-intensity session,” he says.

“For long-duration workouts, of over 60 minutes, or high-intensity exercise, introduce a high-carb meal in the lead-up and immediately after. It could be a pasta dish, risotto or stir-fry where carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or noodles take up half your plate.”