For Men Over 40: Embrace Your Age and Stay in Shape

I don't think there's a more optimistic statement than this one to start a story about how a man can stay in shape after turning forty.

Just so you know, the human body is naturally designed to have a “shelf life” of thirty-eight years. After that point, the body starts to fall apart, just like a budget car whose warranty has expired.

The suspension is falling apart, the body is rusting, and the rear muffler is rattling like crazy.

Therefore, the main goal of all sports activities for old-timers, like me, is not to suddenly die, without having time to tell my wife where the money is.

That's where we start, so to speak.

If you've never played any sports, drove to work, and sipped beer in the evenings, you need to start very gradually. And only if your cardiologist recommends it.

If you played sports when you were younger, please be very careful as well.

You may feel as if you're just as light, fast, and strong as you once were.

Unfortunately, this is an illusion, which is especially noticeable in team team sports. You come to a football field or a basketball court, and there they are, young. And you see that, it seems, the guys are talking about nothing. You play much better (in fact, you did). But five minutes pass and the difference between a stupid, but young body and your decrepit body becomes obvious. 

Never play against the young ones! It’ll ruin all the fun, and we’re past the age of feeling like losers. If you’re going to risk your health on the court, do it in some veterans’ league where everyone’s just as slow and frail as you are.

In general, it's best to start with something simple. Start by walking, for example.

Many people will find it funny, but walking is also a sport. Well, or at least physical activity. Either way, it's much better than nothing.

One of the undeniable benefits of walking is its accessibility. Almost everyone knows how to walk; it’s easy and completely free. Some people, however, manage to pay to walk on a treadmill at the gym. But that’s sheer extravagance.

All in all, just walk for at least half an hour a day—you'll see great results.

Swimming is a very good sport for respectable seniors. 

Especially if you know how to swim.

It strengthens the musculoskeletal system, regulates blood pressure, and relieves stress. Plus, there’s absolutely no impact—which our aging knees really don’t like. And you can swim all year round; the weather in the pool is always the same.

Activities like yoga and Pilates are perfect for men over forty. And don't throw your smoothie glasses at me!

Yoga, if anything, was originally invented in the East, as gymnastics for men. It's not our fault that women have almost completely taken over this sport in the West. So feel free to grab the mat and go spin the asanas! There is nothing shameful in this, and there are a lot of advantages. Yoga, in addition to strength and endurance, also trains joint mobility, which we lose over the years. Show me a man in his years who can sit in the lotus position for ten minutes!

Pilates is very similar to yoga. And, generally speaking, it’s a set of exercises designed for rehabilitation after injuries. That’s why it’s perfect for people whose backs hurt simply because they slept in an uncomfortable position.

Of course, all of the above is not very sexy. It is unlikely that in the company of men you will boast that you walked a lot or how you rolled up in a steering wheel to meditative rhythms. 

For fans of brutality, the good old gym. Muscles disappear somewhere with age. I don't know how it works, but if you don't train, then, starting from the age of 30, muscle mass decreases by 3-10%. By fifty - by another 10%. And then we come to the fact that it is difficult to climb the stairs. Therefore, pumping up is not such a bad idea.

It is better to start with a coach to set the correct technique. Because it is also quite possible to be injured under the vulture. And it is better not to chase the scales. Let me remind you that our task is much more modest – to maintain health within the age norm.

There are many other sports that are suitable for older people. There are kayaking, and long-forgotten tour hikes (they are also trekking), and cycling (they say it even raises libido), and even bowling. 

All options with a racket or other extension of the hand - ping-pong, golf, squash, tennis - help well with dementia. 

In general, the main thing is not to sit on the couch.

After forty, exercise goes from being a pastime to a harsh necessity, my friends.

Yes, it won't be easy.

As a student, you could attend three practice sessions a day or spend five hours playing street basketball in the heat.

Now I have to recover after every time I go to the gym.

You can't do anything without a warm-up and a cool-down, because without them, things can get stuck—and in unexpected places.

And everything is much harder than it used to be.

But there are some advantages, too.

Endorphins, the pleasant feeling of a body that’s been worked hard (and a sense of accomplishment), a good night’s sleep, normal blood pressure, and test results you can be proud of.

And then there are the women in leggings, which these days hug every curve—and then some. You never used to see anything like that at the gym.

I recommend it!