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40 Something and (Re)Starting an Exercise Routine
There are many reasonable excuses for taking a long break from deliberate exercise. Hopefully, your reasons don't involve serious injury or personal tragedy. If they do, I encourage you to seek out in-person guidance. If I were to write down my top 3 suggestions on coming back from a severe, life-changing event, finding a licensed therapist would be on that list. But for those of you whose lack of exercise is a result of more quotidian struggles, parenting, working long hours, or taking care of a loved-one, I'm here to help you get started! You might have been on a break from workouts (or maybe you never did them in the first place), but your life, while all-consuming, might have actually kept you genearlly active. Which means you won't be starting from scratch. Even if you've spent the last decade as a desk jockey, don't lose hope!
Progressive Overload is Your New Workout Buddy
Getting back into an exercise routine might be daunting but it should be very doable as long as you follow the most important rule: Progressive Overload. It's a sciencey way of saying that the best way to build physical strength and endurance is to:
- take your time,
- be ok starting with where you're at, and
- make small increases along the way.
Tik Tok and the like would have us believe we need this or that particular exercise to get the results we're told we want. Have you stopped and asked yourself what you want out of your exercise routine? Go ahead and take a second – It's a worthy question afterall.
Generally speaking, if pain-free knees and core-strength that kicks in when you need it are more valuable to you than a butt that's high and tight (which is attainable with a well-rounded routine, pun intended), then you're in the right place. I'll get you started with an introductory strength and conditioning workout that will evolve with you and you with it, as long as you follow the rule of Progressive Overload! First though, there are a couple of other basic principles to familiarize yourself with so you can manage your routine like the boss you are. Those include how to use an RPE scale (Ratings of Perceived Exertion) and understanding the importance of recovery. I know you want to get going, but just take 5 more minutes to review the information below and so you can use your time wisely.
Ratings of Perceived Exertion aka RPE
I've heard this phrase countless times, “I would never push myself as hard as you push me.” I totally appreciate the sentiment, but there is a way to push yourself just the right amount and it's called Ratings of Perceived Exertion. It's a scale that will give you an objective approach to honestly assesing your level of effort. You can't go full out with every exercise, but in order to progress you do need to find your limits and nudge them. Progressive overloading will help nudge your strength and cardio capacity up and up, while the RPE scale will help you decide when and how much to nudge.
Using the table below, you'll gauge and vary your level of effort throughout your workout. Warm ups will never go above a 6, maybe 7. To build strength or increase your cardio capacity, at least one lift or metabolic bout should be an 8 or bump up against 9. Save the level 10 effort for competition or a sprint workout if that's a goal. Venturing towards 9/10 level of effort should be done with caution and it's better to build towards that kind of effort over several weeks rather than diving right in.
| RPE Scale | Ratings of Perceived Exertion |
|---|---|
| 10 | Max Effort: Can't talk, out of breath. Impossible to maintain for more than 10 seconds, eg. sprinting. |
| 9 | Very Hard: Can only speak a few words. Intensity is so high it can't be maintained consistantly for very long. eg. continuous burpees or box jumps |
| 7-8 | Vigorous: Becoming harder to speak sentences. Verging on uncomfortable amount of effort, eg. jogging for some, running for others. |
| 4-6 | Moderate: Audibly breathing but can hold a short conversation. Mostly comfortable but becoming noticeably more challenging, eg. fast walking for some, hiking for others, treading water. |
| 2-3 | Light: Can talk and breathe easily; maintain for hours, eg. gardening, choring, walking. |
| 1 | Very Light: Barely any exertion, but more than sleeping or watching TV, eg. meditation, breathing exercises, standing (vs. sitting) in general. |
Recovery: the Yin to the Yang
At first, you might dread the workout and feel miserable as you encounter physical strain. Soon though, you'll start to savor those moments spent at RPE's of 7-9. You'll start to equate them with a post-workout state of euphoria. You'll even start looking forward to working out regularly, maybe even daily. When you get to this point though, it's important to practice this mantra; “Rest is as important as work”. Without rest the fruits of your labor will begin to diminish. The micro tears in your muscles won't have time to repair. You'll become physically inflammed, emotional irritable and mentally exhausted. But if you take the time to rest, your workout efforts will be doubled. In Tai Chi we talk about the back and forth flow between Yin and Yang. Yin is softness, yeilding, and relaxation. Yang is hardness, strength, force and power. These dualities only exist in relation to one and other. If you meet a forceful opponent with more force you will end up fighting yourself as your power doubles back against you. Whereas, if you yield to an opponents force, you'll be able to tune into their vulnerabilities and quickly find a path to uprooting them or knocking them off balance. When you pile workouts ontop of workouts, you accumulate stress hormones and end up breaking yourself down. When you seperate your workouts with rest your body has time to heal and grow even stronger. Rest is as important as work.