Eat healthy and exercise. It’s a mantra that we’ve heard again and again. You may find yourself like many people that go through spurts of motivation and healthy habits only to fall off the wagon and into the arms of fast food, ice cream, and relaxing on the couch. New information shows that focusing on exercise is especially important during middle age. Keeping fit during these years can have a big effect on both how long you live and how healthy you live.

How to Live a Longer Healthier Life

Physical activity tends to decrease as people age. According to the CDC, while over 40 percent of men and 28 percent of women are active in their early 20s, that number drastically decreases by middle age. Only 21 percent of men between the ages of 50 and 64 get the recommended amount of exercise, and only 17 percent of women in that age range.

It’s easy to understand why. Life tends to get busier and bodies become less resilient. Energy dips and joints and muscles take more of a toll with intense exercise. As you enter middle age, you may find your energy flagging and your recovery time longer. However, it’s more important than ever to focus on fitness and regular exercise.

Your fitness levels during midlife could determine your health for the rest of your life.

Recent research released by JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that being fit in middle age lowers your risk of chronic diseases and lengthens your lifespan. Not only did people who exercised consistently during their 40s and 50s live longer, they also had fewer health issues, making their quality of life better than those who were not fit during midlife. This means that staying active during middle age makes it more likely that you will live longer and healthier lives.

Exercise for Aging

As we get older, our bodies do not move the way that they used to. Both your bones and your muscles start losing strength and rebuilding slower after the age of 30. This alone means you should prioritize working out as you leave your 20s and get closer to and into midlife. Your risk of developing serious chronic diseases also goes up as your age does.  Exercise helps lower risk and prevent these diseases. Focus on strength training mixed with plenty of cardio for the best chance of benefitting as long as possible.

Strength Training

Strength training is an important part of maintaining both your bones and muscles, keeping you on your feet more comfortably later in life. After 30, the average person loses 8 percent of their muscle mass every decade. If you want to stay mobile and able to do everyday tasks when you are older, make sure you do strength training in your midlife. It keeps your muscles strong and your bones healthy.

• Body Weight – These exercises use the weight of your body to keep your muscles strong. Examples of body weight exercises include the following: push-ups, squats, lunges, and wall sits.
• Resistance Band Exercises – As you get stronger and more confident, consider adding resistance band strength training into your routine. In some cases, you can simply add a resistance band to the body weight exercises you do. You can also find a whole list of exercises designed for resistance bands.
• Weights – When you feel ready to add weights to your strength training, you must be careful of your form. Maintaining correct form and engaging the right muscles will prevent injury.

Cardio Exercise

While strength training is important, cardiovascular exercise is also important for your long-term health. These exercises focus on getting your heart rate up and working out your lungs evenly for longer stretches of time. Cardio exercise lowers risk of disease, lowers your blood pressure, prevents strokes, and keeps your brain working better longer.

The study found that adults with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in midlife lived longer lives, developed fewer chronic diseases, and spent more years free from serious illness compared with those who were less fit.

Cardiorespiratory fitness—how well the heart and lungs supply oxygen during physical activity—is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and early death. This study shows that beyond disease prevention, cardio is also valuable for healthy aging. Cardio is key for keeping your quality of life.

Cardio exercises are any exercises that raise your heart rate for an extended period of time. Brisk walking, swimming, dancing, cycling, and jogging are all examples of cardio exercises.

For some people, variety helps motivate them to exercise. They might swim one day, bike the next, and jog another. For others, the most important thing is finding an exercise that they enjoy. Many people think they must jog to be healthy but find they do not enjoy jogging. It’s more important to find an exercise that you enjoy rather than trying to force yourself to do one that seems healthier. You will be more likely to exercise, which will keep you healthier longer.

Women’s Health in Midlife

Women have another incentive for exercising in middle age: perimenopause. During this transition to menopause when women no longer have their monthly cycles, women experience a range of life-impacting symptoms. From sleepless nights to infamous hot flashes, women’s bodies undergo significant distress. Exercise can help alleviate these and other symptoms of perimenopause, like stubborn weight gain, mental health issues, and joint pain. Exercise will help manage symptoms during this transition and keep you healthy long after your final period.

Final Thoughts on Exercise During Middle Age

Importantly, the study emphasizes health span—not just lifespan—highlighting that fitness helps people live more of their lives in good health, not simply live longer with disease.

Researchers note that improving fitness during midlife may be a key strategy for promoting healthy aging and preserving quality of life later, even with small increases in physical activity.

References:

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/essential-exercises-older-adults/

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/why-exercise-is-essential-during-menopause

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1125337

www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db443.pdf