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Muscle and Movement Therapy

What Kind of Exercise Should I Do If I Am Over 40?




This is a question we get asked regularly at the clinic and the easy answer is “it depends”. Depends on what? It depends on how old you are, what your fitness level is like etc, etc, most importantly it depends on what your goals are. Any exercise program should be specific to your particular goals and therefore there is no one size fits all exercise programs.


We do have some thoughts about what types of exercises are available to us here in Cedarburg at CrossFit Lozen.


If you are over 40

If you are over 40 your goals and sensibilities around exercise are probably different then when you were in your 20’s. The time you have to devote to exercise is maybe less than when you were younger yet you recognize that the importance of making time is greater than when you were younger.


If this sounds like you, then you want to get the best return on your time and effort investment. To do this there are some basic guidelines that we encourage you to follow for your own exercise regime. These may work for you or they may not, depending on your specific circumstances.


Have both resistance and HIIT training in your program.

HIIT training stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and over the past several years it has become the go-to recommendation for exercise for those over 40 and for those who are interested in modifying or maintaining a leaner body composition.


There are several ways to structure a HIIT style of workout but the thing they all have in common are short burst periods of difficult to very difficult activity followed by a period of rest or recovery. One common formula is called a Tabata workout.


The Tabata formula is 20 seconds of intense (nearly all out) exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Do this for 8 rounds which adds up to a total of a 4 min program. Sounds easy, right? Nope. If you are doing it right, it is a long 4 min.


The nice thing about this formula is that it doesn’t matter what your 20 seconds of exercise is. Running 20 on 10 off? No problem. Stairs? Yup. How about burpees? Absolutely! Almost any exercise can be incorporated in the HIIT formula.


Where can I go locally to exercise?

At Muscle and Movement Therapy we are spoiled to have CrossFit Lozen attached to the clinic. Here, they have created a community that will encourage, motivate, and challenge you to push your limits! The Lozen family they created thrives off of heart, dedication, hard work, and positivity!

Whether you are completely new to exercise, have fallen in and out of routines for several years and are looking for encouragement, or are looking to take your fitness to the next level, CrossFit Lozen has what you need.

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