Opinion:
It seems like when we were in our 20s and 30s, we could get away with a lot more, health- and fitness-wise. We could stay out later, drink a little more, eat a little more, and generally pay less attention to our health. At some point, though, things change. For many of us, this happens when we get some feedback from a doctor, notice that our quality of life is declining, or become more aware of our family history. Whatever the reason, midlife is often when we start thinking more seriously about our health.
The problem is that there is so much health and fitness information online that it can be difficult to know what is actually worth doing. It seems anyone can make almost any claim about any product online with little or no support. The Internet can be an incredible resource for information and communication, but many fitness claims are misleading, at best. This month, I want to focus on three simple, scientifically supported strategies that can help maximize your health in midlife and beyond.
1. Add strength training to your cardio. We’ve heard about the importance of cardio for decades. More recently, strength training has started to get the attention it deserves—and for good reason. As we get older, we gradually lose muscle mass and strength. This can affect our metabolism, physical function, and overall health. Maintaining or even building muscle can be one of our greatest allies. If we are slowly losing muscle and our scale weight stays the same, our body composition is actually worsening because our body fat percentage is increasing. This is why maintaining muscle mass is crucial to overall health. The American Heart Association recommends both aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activity to protect heart health. In other words, you don’t have to choose between cardio and strength training. Doing both is the best strategy.
2. Don’t major in minors. Like the sirens calling sailors from the shore in “The Odyssey,” the “Fitness Internet” is constantly calling to us with quick diet fixes, “magic” supplements, and other distractions.
Some supplements can provide real benefits, but they should generally be viewed as secondary—not primary—strategies. Most short-term diet plans are not sustainable for most people.
The fundamentals are much less exciting, but they are far more important:
• At least two strength-training sessions per week
• Consistent cardio
• Adequate protein
• Adequate fiber
• Sufficient sleep
• Effective stress management
We all know that checking all of these boxes isn’t easy when you are juggling work, family, and other responsibilities. Taking a supplement is much easier, and I suspect that is part of the appeal.
I’m not anti-supplement. I simply encourage people to focus first on the big things that have the greatest impact. Don’t major in the minors.
3. Prioritize consistency above all else. Many of us have started a highly restrictive diet or demanding exercise program, only to give up after a few weeks or months. Instead of trying to change everything at once, I encourage a more sustainable approach. Start with changes you can realistically maintain. For example, if you can consistently get in two strength-training sessions per week, you are meeting the strength-training recommendation of major health organizations. And that routine is much more sustainable than trying to exercise six days a week.
One of the problems with many fitness programs is that they don’t leave much room for real life. But real life happens. Work gets busy. Kids get sick. We travel. We get tired. When a program doesn’t allow for these things, it becomes much harder to stick with. Consistency beats perfection.
By incorporating both strength training and cardio, focusing on the fundamentals rather than the latest fitness trend–and prioritizing consistency–you can build a strong health strategy for midlife and beyond.
Combine these three strategies with regular visits to knowledgeable medical professionals, and you’ll put yourself in the best possible position to protect your health and maintain a high quality of life for years to come.
Jeff Blair (M.S., CSCS) is a certified personal trainer, fitness author and founder of the SoCalSport Personal Training Studio in Westchester. The studio has provided many tens of thousands of personal training experiences to Westchester and Playa del Rey residents since 2012. Reach Jeff at jeff@socalsport.com for questions or comments on his article.
By Jeff Blair