Fit For Life: Your 30s

Your body changes with each passing year - and your workout program should, too. "Fitness is a marathon" says trainer Billy Anderson. It's the accumulation of fitness over time that matters. Focusing on strength, coordination, cardiovascular fitness and mobility is vital at every age. Today I start a series of blogs offering insights on what it takes to stay fit in each decade of life.

In Your 30s

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Life tends to get more complicated in your 30s. More obligations at home and at work often mean less time and energy to exercise. This is also the point at which exercise becomes more critical. Bone and muscle mass peak at the end of your 20s. Unchecked, sarcopenia, or muscle loss, can claim up to 50% of an inactive adult's muscle tissue by the time he or she reaches 70. Your VO2 max, a measure of how much oxygen your body can process, declines similarly.

At this stage efficiency and adaptability are key. "You can stay quite fit with just two workouts weekly," says Anderson. "You just need to include as many components as possible in those workouts." Try this combo:

10 minutes of steady pace cardio
30 minutes of strength training
8 minutes of interval training on a bike, rower or treadmill
10 minutes flexibility
2X a week

Another tool for success is the step counter. Aiming to get that 10,000 steps reminds you to move during the work day, to take the stairs when possible and include movement at lunchtime.

When life prevents a trip to the gym, improvise: do some pushups after work, fit in some squats while playing with the kids, take a brisk walk with the dog before bedtime.

In your 30s, it's all about squeezing fitness into the cracks in your schedule. But an active lifestyle can mitigate, or even eliminate, many of the undesirable effects of aging.

Stay Active (in your 30s), Keep Moving and

Enjoy Your Food