Staying fit after 40 can feel like an uphill battle, especially when the strategies that worked in your twenties and thirties suddenly seem less effective. Many women find themselves frustrated when their dedicated workout routines don’t deliver the results they’re hoping for. The truth is, certain common exercise approaches can actually work against you, sabotaging your progress and leaving you feeling discouraged. Read on to discover the five biggest fitness mistakes that could be holding you back—and learn how to turn things around for better results.
You’re Only Focusing on Cardio
When people think of building endurance, their immediate plans tend to focus on cardiovascular endurance exercises such as walking, bike riding, swimming, and running. If someone is training for a long-distance event like a 5K or half-marathon, muscular endurance training is often not considered an important part of the training plan. Muscular endurance training is vital for increasing strength, reducing injury, and improving overall fitness performance.
Why it’s counterproductive: When a person only focuses on cardiovascular endurance, they are increasing their risk for injury and missing an opportunity to increase their muscular strength. Increasing muscular strength has many advantages such as improving balance, improving bone health, and increasing metabolism.
A better alternative: A better alternative is to develop or participate in a well-rounded exercise program that includes 2 days a week of muscular endurance training. These types of exercises can include body weight exercises or weight training exercises that should be done with a lighter amount of weight but in larger sets of repetitions. This way of training can help reduce injury and strengthen secondary muscle groups.
You’re Doing Too Much Too Fast
Sometimes the excitement of starting something new can lead to going all in on a goal. If you progress an exercise too quickly by adding time or amount of resistance/weight, an injury may be in your future. At some point in your exercise journey, injury may occur, but the chances can be lessened with patience.
Why it’s counterproductive: Pushing too hard too quickly sets you up for injury and burnout, which can derail your fitness journey entirely.
A better alternative: This is why it is a good idea to set smaller goals and work up towards your big goal. Accomplishing small victories over time is the best way to increase your endurance without having to battle through frustrating and avoidable injuries.
You’re Setting Unachievable Goals
Endurance, by definition, takes time to achieve. Setting attainable goals along the way will help keep you focused on the larger end goal and help keep you accountable to yourself and your exercise routine. Accomplishing a goal while you are in the middle of your training will keep you motivated in your routine, which will lead to the desired results.
Why it’s counterproductive: Unrealistic expectations lead to frustration and eventual abandonment of your fitness routine when you don’t see immediate, dramatic results.
A better alternative: Don’t let your goals be determined by external forces! Everyone’s fitness journey is different. Exercising with friends or in groups can be motivating and even help keep you on track with your commitment, but you may progress faster or slower than your friends. Set a goal that is specific to you and then train to achieve it before you set the next goal.
You’re Not Getting the Proper Nutrition
The body’s primary fuel sources are carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. Making sure that you are getting the correct macronutrients enables your body to work efficiently which will allow you to build endurance through exercise. Diets or health trends that focus on restricting carbohydrates may limit your success in developing cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance.
Why it’s counterproductive: Without proper fuel, your body can’t perform optimally during workouts or recover effectively afterward, limiting your progress and potentially leading to fatigue and poor performance.
A better alternative: A diet that is balanced for the type and frequency of your exercise plan will help you achieve your goals faster. A dietitian may be a helpful resource if you are just beginning your fitness journey.
You’re Not Giving Yourself Time to Recovery
Let’s face it…women lead busy lives. Between work commitments, familial responsibilities, time set aside for friends, and day to day duties, your body needs adequate time to rest and recover.
Why it’s counterproductive: Without adequate recovery time, your body can’t repair and strengthen itself, leading to decreased performance, increased injury risk, and mental burnout.
A better alternative: Adding a daily stretching routine either in the morning or the last thing you do before bed is a great way to relieve stress that you have built up in your body through your exercises and other stressors. Finding time for yourself will help to heal your body and be great for your mental health.
The Bottom Line: Building cardiovascular and muscular strength endurance will enhance your life in many positive ways. Starting a program that is right for you and staying committed and consistent is the biggest challenge. If you feel like you need help, there are fitness professionals everywhere that can help to set you on the right path. Once you have selected the training style you want to do and set yourself up to succeed there is nothing that will stop you. You just have to make up your mind to begin.
Sarah McCoy is a Fitness Specialist for Strength Unlimited program at TIRR Memorial Hermann
