Get Fit After 40

Step 1: Change the Pace

Once you pass the age of 40, your exercise program should be tweaked to meet your body’s new needs. Let our step-by-step guide help.

By Holly St. Lifer

Step 1: Change the Pace
If you’ve been doing the same workout, it’s time to branch out. Vary the intensity of your workouts for continual results.

There are four basic cardio levels that you should move through within the same workout:

• Moderate zone (your breathing is slightly deeper than at rest)
• Steady-state zone (breathing is deeper and you’re going at a good clip)
• Aerobic zone (deep, still breathing and the pace is challenging)
• Threshold zone (your breathing is sharp and your muscles are working to fatigue)

Try this: Twice a week, do interval training, alternating bursts of sprinting with bouts of moderate pacing to recover. Spiking your heart rate burns more calories. You can even incorporate speed play into your everyday life—speed-walk to a meeting or walk up the stairs in slow motion (slowing down means you use more muscles and less momentum).

Mix up your fitness routine every month or so by rotating your favorites or trying something new.