Working Out As You Age

Today I want to talk about working out as you age, and by that, I mean working out through all of life’s stages! We get older every single day and go through many changes over the years. There are growth spurts, weight fluctuations, hormonal changes, changes in energy levels, and there are the many phases of life that go along with many of these. The one thing I know to be true is that keeping active and strong is going to help you no matter where you’re at in life – and it will definitely help keep you going longer and stronger into your elderly years. 

When You’re Young

I’m going to use my own life as an example, because it’s what I know best! When I first started working out at the gym I was 18 years old, just graduated from high school, and was dealing with constant illnesses after recovering from Mono. I napped daily for months and slept from 10 pm to 7:30 am most nights, my energy levels were low, and I’d put on a bit of weight. On top of that, I no longer had my school-aged organized activities like dance, PE, and volleyball to participate in. I needed to move my body! 

The gym became my new hobby and a place where I’d meet a friend most days. It was nice to have a routine and the social aspect of life back. Back then, I started exercising mainly as something to do, rather than doing it for health reasons. I just knew that I felt better after going. I liked the high impact, sweaty classes and the cardio machines. Eventually, I started to enjoy lifting weights, too. What I didn’t realize was that I was setting myself up for success with what was going to come in life. 

Working Out While Raising a Family

I went through three pregnancies and raised three daughters while teaching fitness. I was definitely grateful to have been fit during that time of my life. My fitness and activity level went down and up during those years. In the beginning, I wasn’t making any big fitness goals, I was just getting through the days. Exercise was a saviour for stress relief and recovering from imbalances related to pregnancy and holding children all day long. Having time away from them and with other adults was also very good for me. 

As the girls got older I started to make fitness goals to help me stay motivated and committed to my fitness. It also was an excellent example to our children to show them that their parents were active and made time to take care of themselves. I remember my daughter once asking a friend if her mom went to the gym. She was hoping they could play in the daycare area while we worked out.  For her, it was normal to have parents that went to the gym, played hockey, practiced martial arts, and ran. 

Working out as you age will change depending on where you’re at in life at the time. For me, I needed a change after my youngest daughter was born. I was teaching around twelve aerobics and spin classes each week but wasn’t losing the last bit of weight. So, I looked back to what had worked for me in the past, and realized I wasn’t lifting weights any more. So I did a few sessions with my former boss and mentor and she sent me on my way with a strength program. I got stronger, saw an improvement in my cardio classes, and finally felt at home in my body again. 

Mid-Life Exercise

Life as a woman can be crazy thanks to all the hormonal changes. For me, I started to really notice things in my late 30’s and early 40’s. Life felt hard. I couldn’t find motivation even though I knew I’d feel better if I worked out, but I was tired and my body temperature was all over the place. I lost strength, gained weight, and had injuries from not maintaining my fitness. This led to frustration, which is terrible, too. Eventually, just like after my pregnancies, things turned a corner and my energy is back. I’m glad that I didn’t let all of my fitness go down the drain during this time, but I’m even happier to have got back to a balanced routine.  

Finding Your Balance

Much like when I started weight lifting after my last pregnancy and saw an improvement, it’s important to incorporate a variety of exercise modalities into your routine. When I started running and joined a group that trained with a kinesiologist, I saw amazing results and got stronger. The more I learned in Pilates and personal training, the more I recognized  the importance of staying strong and paying attention to all aspects of fitness and all parts of the body. Love your whole self through movement! In a perfect world, you would do all of these things: 

• Strength training (heavy lifting)
• Cardio (endurance and interval training)
• Mobility & Flexibility (yoga, functional movement, CARS, and of course, Pilates)

You would also maintain a healthy balanced diet that’s high in protein, fruits and veggies. Don’t forget your need for good sleep, social activities, and reducing your stress (exercise can help with all three, by the way!) There’s even room for some treats now and then, I promise. 

Reasons to Keep Working Out as You Age

There is a lot of information out there from doctors and experts on the importance of lifting weights as you age, especially for women. Heavy lifting will help to maintain or increase muscle mass and improve bone density and joint health. There is even information and studies showing that it is beneficial to walk with a weighted vest on. 

I agree, of course, but I also felt miffed that cardio didn’t get the same attention. It’s essential for heart health and also helps to burn fat. Well, all of a sudden I’ve (finally) been seeing the messaging to do both! You really do need to focus on your whole body to stay well through all phases of life. 

We have clients in the studio from teens to people in their 70’s and even 80’s, and we regularly see how movement helps and heals: 

• We help people who are in need of surgeries and post surgery.  
• Those wanting to prepare for or after having children. 
• People with pain: back, shoulder, neck and wrist pain (commonly caused by long hours of sitting for work or injuries caused by accidents), knee, hip, and foot pain. There’s also pain commonly caused by a lot of repetitive movement in a sport or activity.    

These are the more obvious reasons for coming to Pilates but we can also help you to create a good base of strength and mobility for unexpected accidents, like falling.  I once watched a video of a toddler who slipped in a kiddie pool, fell back on his back, and popped right up again. As we get older, that isn’t happening quite like that. I had a fall in my 40’s and again a few years later. The first time I cut my knee open, and the second I rolled to the ground and got a few scratches; but neither time I was seriously injured though they were both bad falls. I feel like Pilates really helped me! 

A client told me just last night that she slipped on some water and fell in her kitchen the other day when no one else was home. She hit her knee and got a bump but overall was unhurt. She said, “Pilates saved me!” No one plans to fall, and accidents happen. But by building strength, mobility, and flexibility, you can avoid the much more serious injuries that come with them. An older version of you will be very thankful! 

It’s Never Too Late To Start

I know I just threw a lot of information at you, but it’s important! Most of all, it’s important to know that working out as you age can start right now. Start with one or two things, like walking for 20 minutes and doing a Pilates class once a week. Slowly add on from there. I’ve had clients who did one Pilates class a week then went to 2. Then to 3. Others added bootcamp, hiking, running, and the gym. Little by little it becomes part of what you do everyday. Like eating, sleeping, and brushing your teeth.  

Exercise helps you to have more energy, reduces stress and anxiety, helps you to sleep better, and boosts your immune system; and when you are stronger it helps you do all of your daily activities with much more ease. It sounds pretty good to me!