What You Must Know to Be in the Best Shape of Your Life After 30

Our bodies and minds change as we age. This change becomes more obvious as we move into our 30s. Do you know why? You get a lot busier with both personal and professional commitments. More stressful from what you used to be in your 20s.

From the body’s perspective on the other side, your muscles stay strong until you head into your 30s. You tend to lose your muscle mass after that. Sadly, on average you lose about half a pound muscle mass per year, which also includes muscle from your vital organs.  This is usually referred as “Sarcopenia”.

How does Sarcopenia hurt?

You might not experience the problems straight away, but eventually you will notice a decrease in your strength year after year. Poor functioning of organs such as liver, brain, and heart can lead to cardiovascular problems, lowered metabolism and even reduced hormone secretion. Several studies have reported that Sarcopenia can lower the quality of overall health.

In particular, a study conducted to understand the impact of Sarcopenia. (Source:Sarcopenia: burden and challenges for public health) revealed that most of the endocrine diseases (Diabetes, Hypogonadism, Hypercortisolism), Obesity and Chronic Kidney diseases are associated with Sarcopenia.

Muscle is the most active tissue. This means it burns the most calories. Muscle loss, due to aging, lowers a person’s metabolism. Therefore, you can gain fat and become overweight as you get older, particularly when the food intake remains the same. It therefore becomes a challenge to lead an active or healthy lifestyle.

As a result, you lose focus and start giving less to all other parts of their life. And by the time you get into your 40s, you fall out of shape and feel older than what you actually are.

Does that mean there is no hope?

No! You can still get into the best shape of your life.

You can control, stop and even reverse the loss of muscle mass in a number of ways — and improving your strength is the most important of them. Gaining Strength is possible through the correct type of physical training and movement.

So, what form of fitness training is ideal?

While cardio and other sort of fitness training can have some health benefits, it’s not the best option for people who want to control and reverse muscle loss. Strength training (also known as weight or resistance training) is the best way to increase and maintain muscle mass.

The world report on ageing and health, presented by WHO (World Health Organisation) reported that high intensive strength training is the key intervention necessary to prevent and reverse Sarcopenia. The report also emphasized that Strength Training indirectly protects the brain against depression and cognitive decline.

Strength training involving activities/workouts using weights or resistance bands, enhances muscle strength and performance. It helps the neuromuscular system and improves the ability to convert protein into energy.

What is the right way of training?

The type of movement, intensity, and frequency is vital, but the APPROACH is the key for getting the most out of weight training. This means that you do not have one rule of thumb or numbers that works for everyone.

Achieving fitness and strength is more of a mind game, than body. Each individual is different and can benefit under different conditions. The training plan and goals must be customised based on the individual. 

For example, at Educogym we believe that training with the deepest level of attention or unconscious Attention is incredibly powerful, particularly when compared to training harder with conscious attention (partial attention). So, we train our clients on how to develop their levels of attention allowing them to tap into their unconscious mind. This greater use of their mind produces superior results which in turn dramatically impacts their health and fitness.

Training for 20 minutes and just 3 days a week has resulted in many life changing transformations.

The amazing thing is that most of our clients are successful in passing on this greater level of attentional energy to other parts of their life impacting not only their Body and mind but also their life and community. Learn about the research behind the Educo model.

In conclusion as you grow older, you need to become conscious about losing muscle mass.  Weight training can improve the overall quality of your life and health. And you don’t have to spend a lot of time working out to see and feel the results, if you opt for the right fitness model.

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