As a man, building muscle and staying lean in your 20s was easy. You could eat whatever you wanted and didn’t think twice about a burrito or a beer. In your 30s, everything changes. You start to lose muscle mass and bone density due to declining testosterone levels. Toward your later 30s your aerobic capacity declines and you lose stamina. Plus, you start to pack on the pounds, feeling tired and groggy. Good luck with that! Just kidding, we’re here to help! Here are four of the best tips to help you stay lean and healthy into your 30s and beyond.
- Work Out Your Heart
Your physical fitness peaks in your late 20s and early 30s, but as you inch toward 40, your aerobic capacity declines, making your stamina decrease and making it harder to maintain cardiovascular health. Combat this with interval training like TITLE Boxing Club classes. The signature Power Hour class, broken up into three sections of warm up, boxing or kickboxing and core work, counts as high intensity interval training to help strengthen your heart and maximize your stamina.
- Focus on Fighting Fat
Remember when you could eat an entire pizza yourself and be hungry three hours later? Those days are diminishing, and it’s because your body doesn’t burn calories at the same rate as it used to, reducing your metabolic (fat burning) activity. Time to rethink your college meal plan. Focusing on whole, nutritious foods and reducing calorie intake is key during your 30s.
- More Lifting, More Protein
Men over age 30 who are physically inactive tend to lose up to 5% of their muscle mass over a 10-year span. Lower hormone levels and changes in your body’s molecules are to blame. Start a weight lifting routine that challenges your age and pair it with a diet heavy in protein, which provides amino acids that help build muscle tissue. The general rule of thumb is to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day.
- Stretch it Out
Men experience a decrease in their flexibility as they age due to shortening of the muscle and connective tissue in the body. Typical exercises like running, basketball or golf won’t cut it as your only form of activity anymore. Be sure to incorporate flexibility exercises like gentle stretching, foam roller work and TITLE Boxing Club classes for full range of motion activity.