How to stay fit in your 30s

A lot of people start to struggle to stay in shape in their early 30s. Nowadays, this often begins in their mid-20s. A fast-paced lifestyle and stress are probably the biggest reasons for this. Most people follow a typical path - from grade school to high school, then university, and finally, a job. From there on, it's just work for most of their lives, until what they hope will be a happy retirement. Many people are so focused on their careers and the future that they forget to live in the present. And then, when it’s too late, they realize they didn’t do any of the things they wanted. This focus on career and family usually means there is "no time" for anything else. As a result, they neglect their physical and mental health and spend all their energy working "to have a better future." Most people are overworked and completely stressed out. Many also work too many hours because they are so disconnected from their bodies that their focus and concentration are much worse than they should be, leading them to spend more hours completing the work they are paid to do. You have to learn to find the right balance. Current research suggests that people can be truly productive for around six hours a day. You need to learn to focus effectively so that you can do your best work within these six hours, which, with breaks, typically totals around eight hours in a working day. To achieve this, you must be physically and mentally fit.

Step 1 - Balanced diet

You will have to swap the comfort of the moment for your long-term well-being. To begin, you should learn more about food, starting with essential macronutrients - proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Understand why we need each and how to calculate calories. This will then form the basis for how you view food for the rest of your life. It will also lead you to make better choices and eat more nutritious food. This is the first step to feeling better. If you don’t know where to start, you can read this article about my nutrition.

Step 2 - Plan your food.

You will benefit the most if you start thinking about all your meals a day ahead, so you won’t come in situations where you are very hungry and stressed and then decide to get the easiest option that is probably your emotional comfort and the worst thing you can give your body in that case. It would be even better if you start planning your meals one, two, or even three days ahead. You don’t have to be meal prepping, but start planning, first your lunches and then slowly move to everything else. In a few weeks you can get used to it and have your nutrition sorted. If you are unsure how to plan your nutrition, you can check out my article - why I take care of my body.

Step 3 - Get more sleep

As you get older, you need more time to recover, which means you’ll need at least 7 hours of sleep each night, ideally 7-9 hours. Not getting enough sleep leads to higher levels of stress. You may need to establish an evening routine, slowing down 30-60 minutes before bedtime, to go to bed at a reasonable time and get enough sleep. Some might say routines are boring, but everyone has a routine - even if it’s just “going with the flow.” However, a good routine is like a solid plan to achieve a goal. A routine will make you more productive, and you’ll use less energy on unnecessary decisions. More sleep also means burning more calories and not eating during that time, so it’s a win-win. When people don’t get enough sleep, they become tired and stressed, which often leads to emotional eating or poorer food choices. So, getting enough sleep is important in this aspect as well.

Step 4 - Get active

There are many reasons to be active - you feel better, you sleep better, you burn more calories, etc. That said, I must point out that just being active might not be enough. To get the most out of the time you spend being active, I suggest focusing on strength training as well as cardio. Strength training helps improve your muscles because, naturally, with aging we start to lose muscle mass and this is the best way to slow down that process. Cardiovascular exercise is important for overall health and well-being. Walking qualifies as easy cardio, so if you do at least 150 minutes of walking weekly, you don’t need to add much else. If not, find a way to do 150 minutes of light cardio - such as walking, easy running, cycling, or swimming. You can probably get in more than half of that if you choose stairs over the escalator and park farther from the entrance. Also, if something is just a few minutes away, try to always walk instead of driving or using public transportation. You’ll be surprised at how these small changes can impact your overall daily activity levels.

Step 5 - Manage your stress

Stress is a natural response to overwhelming situations. It is your body sending you an alarm to slow down and make changes because something is not working. Chronic stress can have significant negative effects on your body, both physically and mentally. To minimize the risk of stress, you should follow all the steps I mentioned above: get enough sleep, maintain a balanced diet, engage in physical activity. However, once you have balanced these aspects, consider adding some extra relaxation techniques or mindfulness practices. Try writing down your thoughts in the morning or after a long day, it will help you process things and not keep you stuck. When you write down your thoughts you often realize that things are not as bad as they seem. Go talk to your loved ones as well and take time to be in nature. All these things help you feel grounded and present, releasing the tension you feel in you body and mind. 

To sum it up: if you want to get fit in your 30s, you will need to master planning ahead. Create a routine that works for you and allows you to achieve all the things mentioned above. One of the main things is to be honest with yourself. Hold yourself accountable when you fail to do things you’ve planned or if you break your nutrition plan because of poor planning. To make this even more effective, it helps to have the right people around you. Share your plans with your spouse or best friend and ask them to hold you accountable, providing you with extra support. Probably the most important thing is to find a way to enjoy the journey. Don’t focus solely on the end goal, instead, focus on improving every day. Learn to be present each day, strive to be better than you were yesterday and enjoy the process. This is the only way to truly change your lifestyle and achieve long-term goals.