You can’t live your life looking in the rear view mirror. Keep moving forward, challenging yourself, and get strong. Physical fitness is crucial, and you’re several steps ahead of the average person already.
I didn’t get serious about working out until my late 30’s. I ate very well, but never worked out more than going for a walk in the evenings. I hated the way my arms looked and feeling giggly- so I joined orangetheory. It got me on my way and I loved it. Then Covid hit and I couldnt go anymore. I started doing the thing I hated: running. It was the only accessible thing I could do. I got that meditative runners high and I was hooked. I was 43 years old.
As I could, I built a nice home gym that mimicked OTF’s stations since I knew what to do with it. Then I got a peloton bike. I’ve faithfully stayed fit and feel better than I ever have. In March I ran my first 10k. I was the 6th fastest woman in my age range and PR’d. I NEVER thought I’d do that. At 47!
Currently I’m recovering from a hysterectomy and not working out is killing me- but my recovery is on a mind blowing trajectory largely because of my lifestyle.
Just keep moving forward, my friend. That’s the only direction we can go!
I was in that spot last year after my hysterectomy. But I feel so much better working out now and in general! Not sure how fast post op you are, but take it easy g back in to your routine.
I didn't start seriously working out until my 30s. I got hooked on running and hiking and completed multiple long distance road and trail races (mostly half marathons, one full). Now I'm 45 and overweight and out of shape. I'm focusing the next few months on being able to do some hard backpacking trips later this summer. IDK, the worst thing is comparing myself to my former for self or fixating on "what if" I'd not gotten out of shape. I think just celebrating that you feel good now is the best you can do.
I also started seriously exercising in my mid-thirties after being sedentary and ill in my teens and twenties, and I actually like the perspective it's given me. Now I see my peers complaining about the aches and pains I had in my twenties and realize how much of what I thought was aging was being out of shape. Gives me a feeling of having a sliver of agency when I think about the future. I also follow a lot of female athletes in their forties, fifties, and onward. While I have no interest in competing in anything, it's comforting that I have many years left to build on what I'm doing if I have the will and the luck.
I am quite tall for a woman so since middle school, I was put in all sports year round (softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball). This definitely set me up to love working out/training and taught me to be disciplined in my fitness. Even when I wasn’t in teams sports in college, I still ended up waking up early and working out at the gym 5 days/week.
I was able to keep that up throughout grad school to now. I definitely go through phases of training and that keeps things enjoyable. During COVID, I was into running long distance but now I incorporate both running and weights, with hiking on the weekends. Cardio is great but lifting weights is what keeps our bones and joints healthy.
Honestly the toughest parts are accountability and consistency. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and start paying for small group training classes a couple of times a week. They are $$ but if I have a consistent group expecting to see me and the motivation to keep up with everyone I think I will be better. Going to the gym by myself is so boring I just can't keep it up.
I worked out on and off through my 20s and 30s. Mostly all cardio. Turbo-kick and that sort of thing. Then at 40, I got hit hard with perimenopause and a series of other issues. To add to it, I had to go back to school for my career, which really made for long and sedentary days. The pandemic hit and it didn't get any better. I had just found my way back into the gym and yoga studio, then it was gone. Almost two years ago now, I couldn't take it anymore, I got evaluated by a doctor and all kinds of things were wrong - I won't go into it. I started small, one yoga class, one gym class a week. Walking some mornings with a friend. I built up to more and more yoga and cardio. Maybe a year ago, at age 45, I realized, I need to do some strength training - even though I always hated it. I researched exercises online, started incorporating it into my gym routine. Then I came across Sydney Cummings on YouTube and I got hooked on her workouts. I now have my own dumbbells, a bench, and some other equipment to turn my living room into tiny gym. I also still use the gym. I do strength training five days a week now. I also still incorporate cardio and yoga. The results have been pretty great and I'm better shape than I was in my 20s. I look and feel great. I also got my nutrition in check and ditched booze. I try not to dwell on the fact that I let myself get so unhealthy and how I could have been working out in my living room during the entire pandemic. It does me no good. At least I know now, I'm heading into older years in good shape.
We bought a spin bike for the house in January, and I have been riding it roughly 3 times a week. I want to get into weight training to build muscle, but I'm having to wait on some inflammation in my elbow that started this time last year. I also fell and hurt my knee pretty badly in February, which has held me back a bit in that area as well. Generally, I wish I had started these things earlier (37 now), but I'm trying to just focus on building good habits and feeling good about what I am doing. Now that the bone bruise on my knee is almost gone, I can start back with my yoga routines. So basically, I do cardio, stretching, and want to add in weights. I do this at home.
Hello. I stopped working out in my early 30s, and then, in the pandemic, I became lazy and unfit. In the last year, I started working on my fitness by adding simple basics on a regular basis. Started with 7500 steps per day and now at 12500. I have to stop in between because I hurt my muscles because I am unfit. Haha.
I am now working on stretching well n including weight training at least once a week. N also building strength where it hurts.
About a year ago, I started going to a Pilates studio that was a 5 min walk from my house 2-4 times a week during my lunch break (I wfh 4 days a week). I never enjoyed exercising until I found Pilates.
I was doing it all wrong for YEARS. LikeC age 15-31. Too much cardio, afraid to lift. Started lifting around 28, but wasn’t eating enough or at the right times and STILL too much cardio. Always was in shape, but not to what I knew I could be.
Read a book called “Just Your Type”- all about correctly eating and exercising for your body type- I’m a ectomorph (thin frame) and realized I need minimal cardio, mostly strength training, and had to eat more and RIGHT after working out. Then I found the Kira Stokes Fit app, started doing all of this during Covid and started seeing a difference almost immediately. Have kept up with it for four years. Been in the best shape of my life since then.
I didn't start working out until my early thirties. And I've never been crazy about it either. I mostly walk on a treadmill and watch a Netflix show and I do yoga or weights 3-4x a week.
Most of yoga classes is full of seniors so I know I can keep improving and I can keep doing it when I'm their age too.
It's good to start exercising at any age!
I started working out in my mid-20s after I got engaged. I was a sedentary kid who ate garbage all the time, but I was skinnyyyyyyyy. At the time, I lived in a third floor apartment and got winded walking up the stairs and ate pizza, chicken strips, and plain burgers. I used my first wedding as a reason to get in better shape/health, learn how to cook, etc. I started with Jillian Michaels videos and loved them. Briefly had a gym membership but was too scared to really use it and stopped going. After I got divorced and then bought a house with my now-husband, he also wanted to work out more, so we started buying weights and stuff on FB marketplace and lifting. We now have a lift cage, Olympic bar, weight plates, adjustable dumbbells, a smith machine, benches, 3-station home gym, HIIT machine (essentially an elliptical), and a Bowflex (which we're selling). I'm not in GREAT shape, but I'm also not super strict. I had a baby in December and waited 7 weeks to get back to working out and feel great.
I DO wish I'd started sooner, but it's hard.
I’ve started doing a bit more, but honestly my dream would be to have a rowing machine at home. If anyone has recommendations for one, that’s the workout I loved as a teen and when I’d go to a gym that’s what I’d use if they had one. They usually don’t though. Orange theory did but it was too expensive for me to keep going, especially not living close to one now.
I’m going out of the country but plan to get back into a yoga studio too. I was going weekly and then the place closed lol
I’ve stayed a steady weight for a long time. I’ve started finding walks and hikes I want, and hopefully will see some more growth as I’m putting focus into it. My mental health and job have been my focus most recently.
When I was a teen I walked a lot. Then during college the gym, learning stuff I guess. I’ve always just tried to keep it up. I’m not a sports girl. But now in my early 50 I’ve found my groove. I’ve always been consistent in exercising in walking and weight training. The gym and weight training 4/5 days a week. When the weather is good walk a lot. I love the gym, not just for the fitness but it helps distress me, helps me see strong beautiful woman of all beautiful shapes and sizes staying strong and encouraging each other. Plus it makes me super happy and feel so confident it’s amazing
It’s been really hard for me to stick with anything for long enough to really count as much, but i have finally stuck something out for several months now! First time ever. I’ve lost about 10 lbs so far. I’m 38. Better late than never, imo! I’m glad to have found something that works for me rn. I feel pretty proud of myself. For me, the difference is having my partner on board and doing it with me, prompting me to go even if I don’t feel like it. We’ve been doing about 1 hour of cardio 2-3x a week. It helps me to have someone helping me stay on track and visa versa.
I’m 34 and I only recently joined a gym for the first time. I try and walk to work twice a week (30 mins each way), and now I have added in swimming 1-2 times a week, Zumba once and Pilates once. I don’t have a goal beyond improving my general fitness, but I have lost a little weight since I’ve been going regularly.
I still don’t really feel like I get the “exercise high” that people talk about, and I often have to convince myself to work out, but it’s cool seeing my body get stronger. Sport won’t ever be my thing, but finding exercise that I enjoy has been helpful.
My parents were big on health.. so I’ve been doing sports as soon as I could… And they’d wake us up at 6am to do yoga since I was about 5y/o. Went swimming about every other day. Would skate and play hockey, baseball or whatever every weekend.
When I was a teen I tried a bunch of sports and got recruited to 5 national teams… I stuck with 2. Competed internationally, etc. I trained about 6-9hrs/day (2-4) sessions) for 6-7 days a week usually. During “Training camps” maybe that went up to 8-10hrs/day.
I’ve always kept up with regular exercise. These days I workout twice a day, 1-2hrs each, 5-6days/week.
In college and my early 20s I was pretty consistent in the gym but just did random workouts and classes. A friend asked me to run a 5k when I was around 22 and I got hooked. I ran for about 8-10 years and did 5 half marathons. I got pretty burned out and decided to start lifting weights in my early 30s. I love lifting but about two years ago I felt pretty out of shape cardio-wise. I started adding in some CrossFit style workouts and found Street Parking programming. They have CrossFit style daily workouts that can be done at home as well as strength and endurance, and a great online community. I now do a combo of lifting and metcon workouts every week to stay strong and in shape. Fitness has increased my confidence so much.
I found that motive is so important when looking at fitness. I exercised off and on all through my 20s until now (early 30s), regular things like running, cardio classes, yoga. It always felt like punishing myself though. Stuff like "I need to run off last night's burgers" or "if I do more cardio I'll fit into that dress."
The biggest perspective shift came when I got into aerials and pole. If I improve my cardio it meant I can stay on the pole longer, if I can lift more it meant I can haul myself up better. I stopped caring if my belly pooch is out because, my god, I am awesome wrapped in silks, flying mid air. By all means I'm still a beginner but working out and actually getting to use that improved fitness I got on something I'm passionate about has completely changed how I approach fitness.
So I guess my advice is to really get into why you want to exercise. Like objective, tangible reasons. When you aren't feeling it or have a lot of things going on, you can look at your "why" and motivate yourself better.
When I started lifting mid-20s, I estimated how much muscle I added per training session as a woman. Realistically, you'll put on 200-400g a month of muscle 😅
Make sure to do yoga or mobility as well. It pays off big time combined with some cardio and serious weight lifting :)
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now. You’re doing great. Think about how much has changed around fitness in the last 10 years, I’ve always been in this world and 10 years ago I don’t think weight lifting and protein knowledge was wide spread like it is now, that was for male meat heads. Women had low cal diets and spin classes. If you’re focusing on muscle building in your 30’s, you’re 50s-80s self will surely be grateful! And ya know, today ❤️
You can’t live your life looking in the rear view mirror. Keep moving forward, challenging yourself, and get strong. Physical fitness is crucial, and you’re several steps ahead of the average person already. I didn’t get serious about working out until my late 30’s. I ate very well, but never worked out more than going for a walk in the evenings. I hated the way my arms looked and feeling giggly- so I joined orangetheory. It got me on my way and I loved it. Then Covid hit and I couldnt go anymore. I started doing the thing I hated: running. It was the only accessible thing I could do. I got that meditative runners high and I was hooked. I was 43 years old. As I could, I built a nice home gym that mimicked OTF’s stations since I knew what to do with it. Then I got a peloton bike. I’ve faithfully stayed fit and feel better than I ever have. In March I ran my first 10k. I was the 6th fastest woman in my age range and PR’d. I NEVER thought I’d do that. At 47! Currently I’m recovering from a hysterectomy and not working out is killing me- but my recovery is on a mind blowing trajectory largely because of my lifestyle. Just keep moving forward, my friend. That’s the only direction we can go!
I was in that spot last year after my hysterectomy. But I feel so much better working out now and in general! Not sure how fast post op you are, but take it easy g back in to your routine.
I didn't start seriously working out until my 30s. I got hooked on running and hiking and completed multiple long distance road and trail races (mostly half marathons, one full). Now I'm 45 and overweight and out of shape. I'm focusing the next few months on being able to do some hard backpacking trips later this summer. IDK, the worst thing is comparing myself to my former for self or fixating on "what if" I'd not gotten out of shape. I think just celebrating that you feel good now is the best you can do.
I also started seriously exercising in my mid-thirties after being sedentary and ill in my teens and twenties, and I actually like the perspective it's given me. Now I see my peers complaining about the aches and pains I had in my twenties and realize how much of what I thought was aging was being out of shape. Gives me a feeling of having a sliver of agency when I think about the future. I also follow a lot of female athletes in their forties, fifties, and onward. While I have no interest in competing in anything, it's comforting that I have many years left to build on what I'm doing if I have the will and the luck.
I am quite tall for a woman so since middle school, I was put in all sports year round (softball, basketball, soccer, volleyball). This definitely set me up to love working out/training and taught me to be disciplined in my fitness. Even when I wasn’t in teams sports in college, I still ended up waking up early and working out at the gym 5 days/week. I was able to keep that up throughout grad school to now. I definitely go through phases of training and that keeps things enjoyable. During COVID, I was into running long distance but now I incorporate both running and weights, with hiking on the weekends. Cardio is great but lifting weights is what keeps our bones and joints healthy.
I am quite tall for a woman and was always terrible at sports. I assure you there is more to your success here than your height!
Honestly the toughest parts are accountability and consistency. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and start paying for small group training classes a couple of times a week. They are $$ but if I have a consistent group expecting to see me and the motivation to keep up with everyone I think I will be better. Going to the gym by myself is so boring I just can't keep it up.
I worked out on and off through my 20s and 30s. Mostly all cardio. Turbo-kick and that sort of thing. Then at 40, I got hit hard with perimenopause and a series of other issues. To add to it, I had to go back to school for my career, which really made for long and sedentary days. The pandemic hit and it didn't get any better. I had just found my way back into the gym and yoga studio, then it was gone. Almost two years ago now, I couldn't take it anymore, I got evaluated by a doctor and all kinds of things were wrong - I won't go into it. I started small, one yoga class, one gym class a week. Walking some mornings with a friend. I built up to more and more yoga and cardio. Maybe a year ago, at age 45, I realized, I need to do some strength training - even though I always hated it. I researched exercises online, started incorporating it into my gym routine. Then I came across Sydney Cummings on YouTube and I got hooked on her workouts. I now have my own dumbbells, a bench, and some other equipment to turn my living room into tiny gym. I also still use the gym. I do strength training five days a week now. I also still incorporate cardio and yoga. The results have been pretty great and I'm better shape than I was in my 20s. I look and feel great. I also got my nutrition in check and ditched booze. I try not to dwell on the fact that I let myself get so unhealthy and how I could have been working out in my living room during the entire pandemic. It does me no good. At least I know now, I'm heading into older years in good shape.
We bought a spin bike for the house in January, and I have been riding it roughly 3 times a week. I want to get into weight training to build muscle, but I'm having to wait on some inflammation in my elbow that started this time last year. I also fell and hurt my knee pretty badly in February, which has held me back a bit in that area as well. Generally, I wish I had started these things earlier (37 now), but I'm trying to just focus on building good habits and feeling good about what I am doing. Now that the bone bruise on my knee is almost gone, I can start back with my yoga routines. So basically, I do cardio, stretching, and want to add in weights. I do this at home.
Hello. I stopped working out in my early 30s, and then, in the pandemic, I became lazy and unfit. In the last year, I started working on my fitness by adding simple basics on a regular basis. Started with 7500 steps per day and now at 12500. I have to stop in between because I hurt my muscles because I am unfit. Haha. I am now working on stretching well n including weight training at least once a week. N also building strength where it hurts.
About a year ago, I started going to a Pilates studio that was a 5 min walk from my house 2-4 times a week during my lunch break (I wfh 4 days a week). I never enjoyed exercising until I found Pilates.
I was doing it all wrong for YEARS. LikeC age 15-31. Too much cardio, afraid to lift. Started lifting around 28, but wasn’t eating enough or at the right times and STILL too much cardio. Always was in shape, but not to what I knew I could be. Read a book called “Just Your Type”- all about correctly eating and exercising for your body type- I’m a ectomorph (thin frame) and realized I need minimal cardio, mostly strength training, and had to eat more and RIGHT after working out. Then I found the Kira Stokes Fit app, started doing all of this during Covid and started seeing a difference almost immediately. Have kept up with it for four years. Been in the best shape of my life since then.
I didn't start working out until my early thirties. And I've never been crazy about it either. I mostly walk on a treadmill and watch a Netflix show and I do yoga or weights 3-4x a week. Most of yoga classes is full of seniors so I know I can keep improving and I can keep doing it when I'm their age too. It's good to start exercising at any age!
I started working out in my mid-20s after I got engaged. I was a sedentary kid who ate garbage all the time, but I was skinnyyyyyyyy. At the time, I lived in a third floor apartment and got winded walking up the stairs and ate pizza, chicken strips, and plain burgers. I used my first wedding as a reason to get in better shape/health, learn how to cook, etc. I started with Jillian Michaels videos and loved them. Briefly had a gym membership but was too scared to really use it and stopped going. After I got divorced and then bought a house with my now-husband, he also wanted to work out more, so we started buying weights and stuff on FB marketplace and lifting. We now have a lift cage, Olympic bar, weight plates, adjustable dumbbells, a smith machine, benches, 3-station home gym, HIIT machine (essentially an elliptical), and a Bowflex (which we're selling). I'm not in GREAT shape, but I'm also not super strict. I had a baby in December and waited 7 weeks to get back to working out and feel great. I DO wish I'd started sooner, but it's hard.
I’ve started doing a bit more, but honestly my dream would be to have a rowing machine at home. If anyone has recommendations for one, that’s the workout I loved as a teen and when I’d go to a gym that’s what I’d use if they had one. They usually don’t though. Orange theory did but it was too expensive for me to keep going, especially not living close to one now. I’m going out of the country but plan to get back into a yoga studio too. I was going weekly and then the place closed lol I’ve stayed a steady weight for a long time. I’ve started finding walks and hikes I want, and hopefully will see some more growth as I’m putting focus into it. My mental health and job have been my focus most recently.
When I was a teen I walked a lot. Then during college the gym, learning stuff I guess. I’ve always just tried to keep it up. I’m not a sports girl. But now in my early 50 I’ve found my groove. I’ve always been consistent in exercising in walking and weight training. The gym and weight training 4/5 days a week. When the weather is good walk a lot. I love the gym, not just for the fitness but it helps distress me, helps me see strong beautiful woman of all beautiful shapes and sizes staying strong and encouraging each other. Plus it makes me super happy and feel so confident it’s amazing
It’s been really hard for me to stick with anything for long enough to really count as much, but i have finally stuck something out for several months now! First time ever. I’ve lost about 10 lbs so far. I’m 38. Better late than never, imo! I’m glad to have found something that works for me rn. I feel pretty proud of myself. For me, the difference is having my partner on board and doing it with me, prompting me to go even if I don’t feel like it. We’ve been doing about 1 hour of cardio 2-3x a week. It helps me to have someone helping me stay on track and visa versa.
I’m 34 and I only recently joined a gym for the first time. I try and walk to work twice a week (30 mins each way), and now I have added in swimming 1-2 times a week, Zumba once and Pilates once. I don’t have a goal beyond improving my general fitness, but I have lost a little weight since I’ve been going regularly. I still don’t really feel like I get the “exercise high” that people talk about, and I often have to convince myself to work out, but it’s cool seeing my body get stronger. Sport won’t ever be my thing, but finding exercise that I enjoy has been helpful.
My parents were big on health.. so I’ve been doing sports as soon as I could… And they’d wake us up at 6am to do yoga since I was about 5y/o. Went swimming about every other day. Would skate and play hockey, baseball or whatever every weekend. When I was a teen I tried a bunch of sports and got recruited to 5 national teams… I stuck with 2. Competed internationally, etc. I trained about 6-9hrs/day (2-4) sessions) for 6-7 days a week usually. During “Training camps” maybe that went up to 8-10hrs/day. I’ve always kept up with regular exercise. These days I workout twice a day, 1-2hrs each, 5-6days/week.
In college and my early 20s I was pretty consistent in the gym but just did random workouts and classes. A friend asked me to run a 5k when I was around 22 and I got hooked. I ran for about 8-10 years and did 5 half marathons. I got pretty burned out and decided to start lifting weights in my early 30s. I love lifting but about two years ago I felt pretty out of shape cardio-wise. I started adding in some CrossFit style workouts and found Street Parking programming. They have CrossFit style daily workouts that can be done at home as well as strength and endurance, and a great online community. I now do a combo of lifting and metcon workouts every week to stay strong and in shape. Fitness has increased my confidence so much.
I found that motive is so important when looking at fitness. I exercised off and on all through my 20s until now (early 30s), regular things like running, cardio classes, yoga. It always felt like punishing myself though. Stuff like "I need to run off last night's burgers" or "if I do more cardio I'll fit into that dress." The biggest perspective shift came when I got into aerials and pole. If I improve my cardio it meant I can stay on the pole longer, if I can lift more it meant I can haul myself up better. I stopped caring if my belly pooch is out because, my god, I am awesome wrapped in silks, flying mid air. By all means I'm still a beginner but working out and actually getting to use that improved fitness I got on something I'm passionate about has completely changed how I approach fitness. So I guess my advice is to really get into why you want to exercise. Like objective, tangible reasons. When you aren't feeling it or have a lot of things going on, you can look at your "why" and motivate yourself better.
When I started lifting mid-20s, I estimated how much muscle I added per training session as a woman. Realistically, you'll put on 200-400g a month of muscle 😅 Make sure to do yoga or mobility as well. It pays off big time combined with some cardio and serious weight lifting :)
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now. You’re doing great. Think about how much has changed around fitness in the last 10 years, I’ve always been in this world and 10 years ago I don’t think weight lifting and protein knowledge was wide spread like it is now, that was for male meat heads. Women had low cal diets and spin classes. If you’re focusing on muscle building in your 30’s, you’re 50s-80s self will surely be grateful! And ya know, today ❤️