Over 30 With These Signs?
Exercise is important when you’re in your 20s, but it becomes even more vital once you get closer to middle age (ouch!). The reasons for this are obvious. Exercise in your 30s is incredibly important. As you get older, your body will decline at a faster rate if you don’t stay active. In fact, by the time you reach 40 or 50 years old, it’s likely that any physical activity is going to make a big difference in how fast (or slow) you age.
Throw in that for men, testosterone levels begin to decline and for women estrogen begins to decline. Neither of which makes putting on lean mass and reducing fat mass any easier. Our bodies change after 30, and that is actual, swear to goodness scientific fact. A science you can trust to be accurate throughout the ages until they somehow discover that magic pill of youth.
We all cling to our ‘glory days’ of our twenties, but the thirties can be just as awesome with the added benefit of being more established in our careers if we take care of ourselves.
If these signs describe you, you probably need to hit the gym a bit more frequently and watching your nutrition a bit better. We aren’t getting any younger, and starting now is better than starting never.
You’re constantly exhausted
Being in your thirties you should expect to be a bit more tired than you were in your twenties, but not exceedingly fatigued constantly. If you’re constantly exhausted in your 30s, exercise can help.
It may seem like an absurd claim to make when you’re so tired that the thought of putting on gym clothes and going for a run sounds like torture–but it’s true! Exercise is one of the best ways to combat fatigue. Some studies have shown that even five minutes of activity can boost energy levels and make it easier for people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia to fall asleep at night.
Furthermore: if you exercise regularly enough over time, there’s good reason to think that this could help improve your mood as well as reduce symptoms associated with depression. So, while working out isn’t going to solve all of life’s problems by any means (and definitely shouldn’t be used as a substitute), there are plenty of reasons why getting off your butt should be high on your priority list right now!
You’ve put on weight
If you’ve gained weight, it’s likely because of inactivity or over eating. Our bodies store energy in the form of fat when we overeat compared to our activity levels as a way to protect themselves from starvation (in case we don’t eat for awhile). But this isn’t good for us! Too much weight can lead to health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure–and prevent us from doing the things we love most in life.
Toss in that a lack of exercise causes our bodies to eat away at our lean mass and keep a bare minimum amount for the little movement we do, it gets even worse. Less lean mass means a slower metabolism which leads to increased fat storage. It’s a vicious cycle and the only way out of it is with more movement.
Higher fat mass also increases you risk of various diseases, so it’s something to keep in check.
So if you’re overweight or obese (which means having a BMI of 25+ per govt resources), then exercise is definitely something worth considering more seriously than before. In fact, exercise helps burn calories and promotes weight loss by increasing muscle mass while decreasing fat stores. Even if your goal isn’t necessarily losing weight but rather improving overall health (or just feeling better about yourself), regular activity could be exactly what the doctor ordered!
As you get older it’s much harder to lose the extra weight. Losing weight in your 30s is much harder than in your twenties. It compounds in your 40s, 50s, etc. Exercising in your 30s is a great way to help shed some extra weight and maintain a healthy body composition.
You’re not sleeping well
Sleep is an essential part of staying healthy. It’s a time when your body can repair itself, and it helps you to be more alert and productive during the day. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it could be that something is out of balance in your life.
How much sleep do you need? Sleep needs vary from person to person, but most adults need between 7-9 hours each night. If you are consistently getting less than that or waking up feeling not refreshed, you probably need to work on that sleep cycle and figure out what is going wrong.
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, which reduces the quality of your rest. Apnea also increases various risks for other complications as well, so that is something to keep an eye on. Having apnea also increases the risk of weight gain. The second vicious cycle of this article!
An appropriate level of sleep can work wonders towards helping you feel your best, and a good exercise + nutrition plan can get you on the right track to sleeping better.
Getting enough exercise forces your body to sleep deeper in order to repair itself, regardless of if you are in your 20s/30s/40/or beyond, so that is a win in my book.
You fare poorly against your friends in sports or other physical activities
If you’re in your 30s and can’t keep up with your friends, it might be time to get serious about exercising. In fact, if you find that you’re having trouble doing things in your thirties that were easy for you when you were younger, it could be a sign that something needs to change.
When I started running road races sometime early in my thirties (something I never would have considered doing in my twenties), I thought it would be fun to compete against some co-workers or younger folks from my area. After one race I was disappointed. I didn’t feel like I was slow by any means, but other people my age outpaced me by almost two minutes. That hurts! Don’t even start on the 15 year old who ran the 5k in sub-16 minutes.
With consistent exercise you can lead your pack of friends or whoever else in your adult little league games, flag football league, or road races. The competition was fierce in your teens and twenties, but now that we are in our thirties that competition has fizzled out. Finally a time to be the star just by putting in a bit more work.
Your sex life has gone downhill
If your sex life has gone downhill, it could be a sign that something is wrong.
Sex is one of the most important aspects of a relationship and can act as an indicator of your overall health. If you’re not feeling well or have other commitments, it may seem like there’s no time for sex. If this becomes a pattern and starts affecting the quality of your relationship, then it’s time to take action!
Try scheduling some time to work out first thing in the morning or after dinner (when all other responsibilities are done). It might feel awkward at first but once you get into it and start seeing results from working out more regularly (and thus feeling better), chances are good that things will improve between both partners’ perspectives on physical intimacy too!
Remember, testosterone levels decline in males after 30 so it’s a good chance you have lower levels than you used to. That could potentially be why you feel the way you do. You can get your levels checked by your doctor or via at home testing solutions like this one on Amazon.
Lower body exercises can cause the release of testosterone in males, which ups your overall drive quite a bit, as does an increase in lean mass. In general, the more lean mass you have as a male, the higher your testosterone levels are. Considering the collapse of testosterone in western men over the past few decades and the rise in male obesity, I am sure you can draw your own conclusions here. Huge reason to exercise in your 30s!
It is important to exercise, especially when you reach middle age.
Exercise is important for your overall health, mental health and sex life. It’s also good for your heart and cardiovascular system.
In middle age, it’s especially vital to exercise because it can help ward off the onset of osteoporosis (bone thinning), which is a common problem among women in their thirties and beyond. If women don’t exercise regularly in their 30’s, experts say that by age 50 you could lose as much as 1% of your bone mass each year without doing anything about it!
For males, the impact is the same just less pronounced, but our risk of heart issues increases if we do not exercise regularly.
Conclusion
Exercising is important, especially when you reach middle age. It can help improve your overall quality of life in many different ways. If you want to age gracefully, and comfortably, I would really encourage you to exercise more. Starting in your thirties and keeping going as long as you can is one of the best ways to prolong the onset of age related issues.
Let Us help You Out
At CONDITIONerd we are here to help you achieve better physical and mental health through exercise. Check out the plans we offer to our customers and see if you could benefit from working with our team. And if you have questions, you can always contact a CONDITIONerd team member.
Personal trainers, like those found here, can help guide you on your pathway towards reaching your fitness goals, whether that is getting bigger, stronger, faster, more lean, or just generally feeling better.
We can get you setup with a periodized workout plan, supplement information, and advice on nutrition to help you reach your goals.
The only thing you need is some motivation and a willingness to change some old habits.
Get into contact with us to find out what membership is right for you. In a CONDITIONerd program, you’ll be surrounded by others who can help you to get where you want to be.
Generally, our clients start to see some pretty awesome changes in 2-3 months time, some sooner.
