Staying active as a woman in her 40s can be challenging. The more settled your life becomes and the more responsibilities you shoulder, the harder it might seem to squeeze in some exercise at the right times. Even if you’re happy with your home life and have plenty of things to look forward to, there are certain age-related challenges that might make it difficult for you to stay active. With sedentary jobs and less time to spend outdoors, most people find it difficult to break a routine of staying indoors and sitting on our proverbial sofas. In this article, we explore how staying active as a woman in her 40s requires a different approach than when you were younger. Instead of focusing on individual activities like running or swimming, we suggest incorporating several low-impact activities into your daily routine. We also provide a few tips so that staying active doesn’t feel like such an uphill task!
What makes staying active as a woman in her 40s challenging?
When you’re young, you often have the energy and enthusiasm to pursue activities that make you feel great.
Sometimes, though, you might find that you’re more motivated to stay active as you get older. You might not have the same enthusiasm that you had when you were younger, but you also don’t want to compromise your health or risk serious injuries. As a woman in your 40s, you might not have as much energy as you did when you were younger, but you can still find ways to stay active.
When you’re in your 40s, your body is likely to undergo significant changes. Women usually experience these changes around the time that they turn 40, but the changes might be a little bit later for women who are in their 40s. This is normal and doesn’t mean that you need to stop being active. The main challenges that you might face when you’re in your 40s are as follows:
Cramped muscles: As your muscles get older, they tend to become weaker and smaller.
This means that you have to exercise them more to get the same results that you got when you were younger.
Less energy: Your body isn’t as efficient when it comes to getting energy from food. This means that you might burn fewer calories while exercising than you did when you were younger.
Less motivation: If you’re not feeling motivated to stay active as you get older, you might find it easier to skip sessions or take days off. If you do this too often, it can have a negative impact on your health and might even make you feel more depressed.
Start with daily walks and short runs
Staying active as a woman in her 40s doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you lace up your running shoes and head to the nearest park or trail.
You might not have the same energy that you once did, but that doesn’t mean that you have to ditch all forms of activity. Walking can be a great way to incorporate movement into your daily routine and get in some aerobic exercise. You can also try taking short runs instead of long runs or marathons. If you live in an urban area or you have a flat, easily accessible trail that you can run on, it might be a good option for you. Short runs of 5 to 10 minutes might be a good way to get your heart rate higher and incorporate some high-intensity exercise into your day.
Try group exercise classes
If you’re interested in joining a fitness class but don’t know where to begin, try starting with a single beginners’ class. You might be surprised how much you learn and how much you enjoy yourself.
Many gyms and fitness studios offer introductory classes for beginners, and this might be a good way for you to ease into group fitness. If you want to try something a little more challenging, you could also consider participating in mixed martial arts classes or other forms of high-intensity training. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it, and it might also help you gain motivation to maintain a regular training schedule. There are many different types of classes that you can try, and you don’t need to attend the same class every week. For example, you could try a kickboxing class one week, a yoga class the next, and a coaching class the following week. It might seem like a lot of effort to keep track of, but it might also give you something to look forward to.
Incorporate squats, lunges, and other bodyweight movements
If you want to keep your heart rate up while incorporating low-impact movements into your fitness routine, you could try practicing squats or lunges.
These can be done with little equipment and might help you to keep your heart rate up and burn calories even if you don’t feel like you have a lot of energy to spare. You could also try practicing other bodyweight exercises like burpees or planks, which can be done with little equipment. These might help you to build strength and flexibility, which is especially important as you get older. You don’t have to use high-intensity methods like running and HIIT workouts when you’re trying to stay active as a woman in her 40s. By incorporating low-impact exercises like squats and lunges, you can increase your flexibility, build strength in your muscles, and also improve your posture.
Take up other activities too: gardening, yoga, and more
Staying active as a woman in her 40s isn’t just about breaking a sweat. It’s also about maintaining a fit, healthy lifestyle and incorporating a variety of different activities into your day.
You don’t have to spend your whole day doing one specific activity. Having a couple of low-impact hobbies that you enjoy, like gardening or knitting, might help you to relax and take your mind off of things. Other activities might include activities that you enjoyed doing when you were younger, like swimming or playing basketball. You don’t have to stick to the same type of activity if you find that you enjoy different types of exercise more. Many women find that they prefer to exercise in low-impact, low-stress ways that don’t make them feel like they have to push themselves to extremes.
So It Makes Sense
Staying active as a woman in her 40s might seem like a daunting challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little creativity and a willingness to try new activities, you can stay active and enjoy the benefits of low-impact exercise.
Make sure that you don’t overburden yourself with too many sessions or workouts. If you keep your activities low-impact and your sessions short, you might just find that your fitness level has improved without needing to change your habits too much.
