We always say that the best exercise routine is one that you will stick to.
We also say things like:
You don’t have to kill yourself when you work out!
Do what you love!
There are no rules!
Yes, we do say those things, and we say them because we believe them. But can we just, for one sec, take a moment to tell you what we (and when we say “we,” Jayne is writing this, but Katie is totally on board) really think about the hierarchy of exercise?
I’ve been exercising weekly for nearly 20 years (well, 18 to be precise — I can always work this out because I started when I’d been married for one year, and Luke and I have been married for 19 years (how on earth it’s been that long, I have no idea). During this time, I’ve experimented with lots of different styles of workouts. I was really into HIIT workouts in my 20s. I’ve always loved a good circuit, and I went completely bonkers on kettlebells for a few years.
Nowadays, heading into my mid-40s, I’m a signed, sealed and delivered lifting weights girl. I still do it my way. Have you noticed in this world there’s always going to be someone telling you “just” how you should do something? It can be helpful but it can also be infuriating. This might be a bit off-topic, but I find that all this constant prescribing can really take away from our individual intuition. Sometimes, we just know what’s right for us. We should be going with that more. But I digress.
So, weight training. Essential. Life-giving. Life-lengthening.
Total winner.
I know you’ve probably heard this, but as we age, our muscle mass starts to decline. Those lovely firm arms that just ‘were’ in our 20s have a slightly more stretchy, shall I say, saggy appearance. They don’t sit or feel like they used to. And as much as keeping those arms lovely and firm feels nice, muscle actually serves a far more important function than just looks (oh man, can you believe what we look like is not the most important thing about us?… Please note: it’s not).
Muscle is essential in supporting our skeletal frame. It works hand in hand with your bones and joints to help provide stability, keep your posture spot on (we’ve all seen people who can’t maintain correct posture as they age, which causes many other problems — read: pain), and help you keep on moving.
I love to walk, I love yoga, I love core work with Pilates. But I can’t see any way forward as I age other than to lift weights. There isn’t a shortcut I can take. If I want to keep muscle on my body, the only way I can do that is through weight-bearing exercise. And yes, there are some elements to this in the previous forms of exercise I just mentioned (you can’t tell me downward dog isn’t weight-bearing, or that 10 chaturangas won’t leave your arms feeling like they want to fall off).
If you want bang for your buck however, then you’ve got to lift weights. Push a weight, pull a weight, twist with a weight. Over time, when the pushing, pulling, and twisting with weights gets a bit easier, then dial up the weight. It’s not linear. In any given month, I’ll cycle through many different weights depending on how I’m feeling. Over time, you’ll see a progression as the weight increases.
It doesn’t need to be tricky or fancy — push-ups, squats and lunges are all massive HELL YEAHS for me. You don’t need lots of fancy equipment. A few dumbbells are perfect, and you can just add to your set proudly as you get stronger.
My motto is this when it comes to weight training:
3 times per week,
30 minutes each time,
F O R E V E R
It will serve me well, I reckon
