‘When we look at some research, people in the obese category eat the majority of their calories an hour before bed. ‘Over 40% of all the calories we eat now are after 6pm and this isn't ideal,’ says Bubbs. If you're on the move a lot, keep one of our best gym water bottle picks handy to sup as you go. ‘It’s bad enough that not drinking enough water leads to poor performance in your muscles and can increase the risk of injury, but one of the main side effects of dehydration is tiredness and fatigue, so drink 1-2 liters per day.’ ‘I absolutely drive my clients crazy about drinking water, especially when you hit your 40s as the body loses water as we age,’ says Gray.
Learning how to deadlift - whether with dumbbells or barbells - can also be beneficial.
You could also incorporate an ab roller into your routine.Īnd to workout the legs, you may want to try squats, lunges and calf raises. Meanwhile, the best workouts for abs might include crunches (including variations such as bicycle crunches, ab circles and the mighty plank. Some of the best arm exercises include arm circles, punches, tricep dips and bicep curls, the latter of which will require weights (check out our pick of the best adjustable dumbbells to workout at home). ‘This is like two days of training - a half hour to 45 minutes it’s totally doable and you can split this into upper body, lower body and across multiple days,' says Bubbs. You could of course break these sets up into two lots of five across the week. He recommends working individual body parts with 10 sets of 8-15 repetitions per week, including your arms, core and legs. However, as Marc Bubbs -author of Peak 40 – The New Science of Mid-Life Health for a Leaner, Stronger Body and a Sharper Mind (out May 20) - advises: ‘If we can maintain muscle mass, all the chronic health conditions - cardiovascular disease, pre-diabetes, Alzheimer's - really plummet.' In addition to cardio exercise such as HIIT and upping your protein intake, it's also important to factor strength training into your workout routine in order to build and preserve muscle.Īs stated earlier, muscle mass decreases around 3-8% every decade after the age of 30. (Image credit: Getty Images) Workout to maintain muscle We've compiled lists of the best protein powders for weight loss and the best protein powders for women as a guide. You could also try protein powders, whether added to post-workout smoothies or enjoyed as occasional meal substitutes. When preparing meats, be sure to opt for healthier cooking methods such as grilling or air-frying (we've picked the best health grills and best air-fryers to help you do just that). Good sources of protein include lean meats such as chicken and turkey, beans, lentils, legumes, fish and tofu. It also helps keep you feeling fuller for longer (thus reducing the temptation to reach for carbs and caffeine) and builds more muscle, which in turn increases your metabolic rate, boosting your energy levels and helping to fuel your exercise. Some of the studies cited stated that, whilst younger athletes needed only 20g of protein for recovery, the needs of those in the older cohort were significantly higher: around 35 to 40g.Īnd it's not just recovery where protein is important. Protein is essential for post-workout muscle recovery, a fact that becomes more important the older we get.Ī review in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (opens in new tab) reported that various studies have outlined how older athletes (those aged 40 and over) suffered impaired post-exercise recovery, and therefore needed more protein that their younger counterparts. So, you won’t find squat jumps and high knees, however we will get you the cardio workout you need,' he says. 'All of the classes at Feelnoo are tailored to provide low-impact, easy-on-the-joints movement. For anyone concerned about joint issues, Gray advises looking for low-impact HIIT workouts. Of course, joint wear-and-tear is common as we age. So lace up your best workout shoes and HIIT the studio floor!
Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine gathered data from various different studies and found that those doing HIIT saw a 28.5% greater weight loss. During HIIT workouts you can expect rapid, intense repetitions of a particular exercise for say, 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest, which you then repeat with different moves. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. ‘There are a number of high intensity cardio exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home that will get your heart rate up and into fat burning mode.’ This is where HIIT is your friend.
He adds that getting fitter, trimming fat and losing those inches off your waistline isn’t achieved from spending two hours straight in the gym in a one-off session.