is it actually that hard to stay in shape after 30?

r/

i always hear people say things like “just wait until you’re past 30” or “it only gets harder from here” when it comes to fitness and health. honestly, i’m trying to figure out if that’s just a mindset shift or if your body really does start fighting back more as you age.

for those of you past that point, what actually changed for you? was it your metabolism, energy levels, motivation, or just having less time?

and if you could go back, would you have done anything differently before you hit that point? curious how much of it is physical and how much is life just getting more complicated.

Comments

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  2. WangSupreme78 Avatar

    Not really. Working out in my 30’s was still really easy even if I didn’t have quite the energy I had in my 20’s. Personally, I felt a much bigger decline after I hit 40.

  3. tubbyx7 Avatar

    Time pressure is the big one. Loss of social circle can make some activities harder. Recovery takes longer. None of these make it impossible, just takes a but more effort the older you get

  4. AaronB90 Avatar

    It isn’t but your diet needs to take a front seat compared to the 20s

  5. thelaughingman_1991 Avatar

    I’m 33, and 4 days a week with my commuting I do 12k+ steps and a gym session. Having a habits app and a Fitbit helps me remember and track what I’ve done, and appeals to the “ex gamer” in me.

    Admittedly I do these firstly to mitigate (diagnosed) ADHD symptoms, but waking up at 6am and getting to the gym in autopilot before work feels normal now and is a deeply ingrained habit.

    I actually feel weirder and significantly worse on days that I haven’t done it, and I’m saying this as someone who was a chubby kid that didn’t grow up with sports, and either had my head close to a screen or in a sketchbook.

    I would imagine starting from scratch from 30 might be harder as the habit isn’t there, but I see a lot of people on here who have turned it around at 30 and beyond – so the sky’s the limit.

    I’ve also seen memes about people who used to party and take drugs who now turn to running and lifting as their means of feel good chemicals lol

  6. Ishallcallhimtufty Avatar

    I feel so much better now I consistently exercise and manage my diet. I wish I’d understood this in my twenties it took me till 35 to get into and enjoy myself in the gym .

    I look better and feel better, sure I need to stay on top of things but it’s easier than feeling like shit because I ate and drank garbage. I have way more energy than I did in my twenties, getting enough sleep is super important too and that’s something I need to work on.

  7. Expensive-Track4002 Avatar

    No, but finding the time can be hard.

  8. Many-Giraffe-2341 Avatar

    If you’re single, no, not really. The challenge is when you have a partner / kids etc.

    For a lot, kids now come late 20s/ early 30s, and with that, your fitness schedule has to take a back seat.

    It can be manageable, however more tricky. Coupled in the fact that metabolism slows a bit, then yes, it is bit harder as you age.

    For me, having kids was a good thing for fitness, I ended up cycling to work three times a week whilst my wife used our car (50mile round trip per day) and that kept me in shape.

    However I changed jobs and stopped cycling and that’s when I gained about 10kgover 3 years.

  9. marsumane Avatar

    No. It’s mostly lifestyle. At my age ‘they’ have moved up to telling me to wait for 50

  10. Itchy-Ad1047 Avatar

    No. For a little while, lazy asses or weird people who like to exaggerate made it seem like things fall apart at 30. I got in the best shape of my life in my early 30s. Recovery starts to get a tiny bit longer but that’s about it

  11. Icy-Cartographer-291 Avatar

    According to research the adult metabolism doesn’t change until we are in our 60s. What often happens though is that people become less active and perhaps gain some weight. And that extra weight will change our hormones in a way to makes it easier to gain even more weight. So for some it certainly is more difficult, but it has to do with lifestyle, not age.

    Personally I don’t find it any harder at 46 than at 26 to stay in shape. No difference in my energy levels either.

  12. scalpemfins Avatar

    No. Exercise and consume the same amount of calories thar you burn. It has been the same formula since the dawn of time. People just get busy and eat poorly and stop exercising. They also don’t adjust their calorie intake downward to account for slower metabolism. Don’t do that.

  13. metal_slime--A Avatar

    Early 40s here. I don’t find fitness any more difficult than when I was in my early 20s. I’ve gone through some pretty extreme body comp changes post COVID and am rebuilding much of the strength I lost. My greatest challenge isn’t my age but rather the lasting damage the disease seems to have done to my CNS.

    Doesn’t stop me from being the leanest I’ve ever been in my life though and muscle gets built the same way whatever age you are.

    I think people who say these things probably treated their bodies like trash all along and took their natural fitness for granted.

  14. john-bkk Avatar

    I was in great shape up until 40, and took that decade off exercise related to having children late. I re-started exercising at 50, and got back in shape, running, doing yoga, and swimming.

    In terms of appearance I didn’t look that different during that decade off, I just didn’t look very athletic. I age a good diet then, and kept calorie balance moderate. It helped a lot that I didn’t live in the country I’m from, the US, living in Thailand instead. There are junk foods, snacks, and processed foods in Thailand but nothing like in the US.

    After 50 exercise recovery is a different sort of thing. You can only get away with doing less, and need to leave more time for recovery after doing it. If you had stayed active, doing regular and intense exercise, throughout your 30s and 40s, it would probably go better. Even without that I could still build up to running 20 miles / 30km a week, I just don’t maintain that exercise level all the time.

  15. Serg_Molotov Avatar

    Yes*.

    If you get out of shape then it’s very hard to get back into shape.

    The more out of shape you get the harder it gets.

    *This is all conditional and contextual. For some its easy and quick, for others it’s super hard. For most it’s harder in general and the older you get the harder it gets.

  16. therealjoemontana Avatar

    Its easy to avoid gaining weight with simply the right diet and habits.

    It’s more challenging staying in active toned shape.

  17. claeity Avatar

    Injuries and recovery has been them major things.
    Suddenly you realize how important warming up becomes as well as stretching. Recovery, you can’t go for several days after eachother without just minor performance loss. Nutrition, you can’t perform while eating whatever and drinking alcohol.

  18. Difficult_Layer_666 Avatar

    I haven’t ran for more than half a year. Lost my motivation and now I’m more interested spending time with my baby boy who is 4 months old. Overall, after 30 I noticed that I wasn’t as motivated as before to run or work out, eating more and better, prioritizing relaxation over running (used to be my main sport activity).

    Truth be told, it all comes down to discipline. If you have very good discipline – age and other details matter less.

  19. Tumor_with_eyes Avatar

    It is harder depending on how you live.

    If you’re always active, eat healthy and don’t overeat? You’ll stay relatively healthy.

    Thing is, as you get older, you tend to be less active. Eat less healthy and tend to eat just as much as you used to when you were more active.

    So, it becomes harder.

    It’s not so much your body fighting you. As much as your lifestyle fighting healthy habits.

  20. vivisected000 Avatar

    For me it was the 40s. Life makes it hard to get into the gym every other day and once you slip it is a lot harder to lose any weight you picked up.

  21. SadSickSoul Avatar

    Pushing 40 and trying, somewhat, to get into shape for the first time in my adult life. The only reason it’s easy is because there’s so much weight to go, but I expect once we get into the hard work it’s going to be REALLY tough and I don’t know if I’m going to stick through it. I do know it’s a lot harder than it probably would have been ten, fifteen years ago simply because I never really have the energy for it and I have a bunch of pain and nagging minor injuries that are slowing me down, and I have to imagine it would have been a lot easier when I slept better, recovered better and generally had more energy and less wear and tear.

  22. Dry_Yogurt2458 Avatar

    I was obese in my late 30’s (having let myself go post military) and running 50 mile and 100Km ultra marathons in my mid 40’s . Losing weight and gaining the strength and endurance was hard but maintaining it was easy. I have had to knock off the Ultras in my 50’s due to the length of time it was taking to recover from them, however I do still run marathons and half marathons. I am taking a much more holistic approach to fitness now and concentrate as much on functional strength in the gym as I do on my cardio. I am still hitting over 10000 steps a day even on the days when I am not running.

    Your body changes and you have to adapt to that. For me the decision to switch down the running and up the strength training was easy because although I wasn’t falling to pieces I could feel my body telling me to slow down and I listened to that. Cardio alone will not give me a long and mobile old age, but cardio and strength has much more likelihood of doing that (hopefully, but there are no guarantees)

    If I knew in my 30’s what I know now, I would not have let myself go but I wouldn’t change the way I trained. I would also have not eaten Junk food. I fell 100 times better now than I did then due to the dietary changes that I made and not just the fitness.

  23. Known-Importance-568 Avatar

    Depends what you mean by ‘stay in shape.’ Most people fail to realise that weight gain or loss is just all physics. If you are in a energy deficit you lose weight. There really is no excuse to be overweight as all it requires is to eat less. Often at 30+ you don’t have time to do much so this should in theory be easier to do given eating food takes time. The caveat being that it’s a bit harder if you have medical issues etc but that doesn’t change the underlying physics, just the numbers in the equation.

    Now going to the gym and being in a good spot cardiovascular is a lot harder as it requires much more time commitment and effort.

    Metabolism is generally a myth – most peoples metabolisms doesn’t materially change as they get older. That would imply older people require less energy to stay alive simply by being older. Usually it’s just activity that changes which people confuse for a ‘slower metabolism.’

    The other thing is people don’t realise how efficient the body is. Running 5 miles will burn circa 500-700 calories. That’s a croissant and a coffee…

  24. mobiusz0r Avatar

    Nope, I had a wake-up call at 30, and I’m pretty fit now.

  25. TheBlakeOfUs Avatar

    38 and the best shape of my life.

    No, you slow down a bit. Not a huge amount.

    Your metabolism doesn’t nose dive.

    Most people are settled in their 30s. They have kids, they work hard. They have less time to work out, less time to make healthy meals.

    They pick leftover food off the kids plate, they’re tired from life and eat chocolate or cheese to make them feel better.

  26. thisismick43 Avatar

    I’m fitter now at 44, then I have ever been. It’s about wanting it not your age

  27. J-the-Kidder Avatar

    No. No it’s not. As long as a healthy lifestyle is one you choose, keeping fat off, building muscle and maintaining a satisfying physical appearance isn’t hard.

    The hardest part, honestly, is deciding whether to eat the food your kids order. Then of course they don’t want it and want to throw it away. Do you waste money or waste calories? Hardest thing I have to deal with when it comes to the fitness side of life.

  28. AnotherDominion Avatar

    Not if you eat clean cut out alcohol and put in the work. 

  29. ci_newman Avatar

    It’s not a cliff edge but it does get harder and harder to stay in shape after 30. Not because it’s inherently harder to work out but because it takes MUCH longer to recover from injury.

    You remember when you were a kid, you’d sprain your ankle, hobble around for 30seconds and then start kicking a football again a short while late?

    An ankle sprain in your 30s and 40s likely means you’re on total bedrest for several days or even worse needs surgery to correct. I was in the best shape of my life in my early 30s, regularly running half marathons etc. Then I suffered an upper ankle sprain that left me with pain for months and months, eventually needing surgery to correct. Even now there is still a stiffness in the joint that never goes away and it took me years before I could return to running half marathons again.

  30. Flussschlauch Avatar

    Revaluate your calorie intake from time to time and you’ll be fine

  31. geenexotics Avatar

    For me at 40 now I’d say yes and this is coming from someone who played sports for 30+ years, the last month I’ve been trying to cut some weight off purely for my karate and competition and I swear it’s coming off so much slower than it ever has now

  32. HalfLife_d1pl0mat Avatar

    Add in kids and absolutely it is. I’m down 8 of my 13kgs I aim to lose this year.

  33. potatodrinker Avatar

    Have kids. They’ll be your daily weight session when they’re 2+. Back, arms, triceps have blown out since carrying and playing with my toddlers. Think of them as 5-15kg weights. Never been a gym guy.

  34. SilverDad-o Avatar

    Metabolism slowly slows down, starting at around 30. Recoveries from hard workouts and especially injuries slowly start to get slower. Chronic injuries or nagging conditions start to emerge. Arthritis can start to show up at any age, but especially at 50+. That said, keeping up regular, moderate exercise is the best defense to slow the effects of aging.

  35. Extension-Humor4281 Avatar

    Three things tend to happen physically around 30 for most people:

    1. Your metabolism slows down, which makes it easier to put on (unwanted) extra weight and harder to lose it.

    2. Your body doesn’t heal itself as readily as it did in your teens and twenties. Being tough on your joints and ligaments can very quickly take a toll on you.

    3. Your energy level drops pretty noticeably compared to your twenties. You’ll feel like you’re putting in the same amount of effort, but you’ll be getting moving slower and getting tired more easily. This can be eased by working on your stamina, but you’ll still notice it.

    Speaking for myself, I’m mentally stronger post-30 buy my body is now the weak link. I simply can’t push my body as hard as my will wants to take things or I’ll get an overuse injury.

  36. someotherguy42 Avatar

    30s is just like your twenties but you’re slightly slower.
    40s you’ll need to take it easy because you’ll end up getting injured if you overdo it which isn’t a concern I found in my 30s.

  37. PatserGrey Avatar

    People’s opinions of “in shape” will vary but in general, no its not hard. I played decent level soccer and gaelic football up to my mid/late 30s so it took absolutely zero additional effort up to that point. Indeed, it is much easier to put on weight so I’ve had to start to be conscious of intake but that’s easy with a pinch of discipline. As for exercise, at home probably 4 days per week of 20 mins of pushup, sits, squats, plank etc with some weights mixed in (usually morning after I do the school run) sees me in very decent shape at 42 – by no means ripped but the memory of my former mega toned self still lingers….just with some life experience padded on top

  38. Background-Guard5030 Avatar

    My energy levels are fading, my hairline receding and my skin is getting uglier.

    Atleast my metabolism is genetically superior, i dont gain no matter how much crap i eat. I am 32 years and i feel like this started to kick in late 20s.

    Dont get me wrong, all in all i still feel young and healthy but the cracks are starting to show.

  39. CalRobert Avatar

    Fortunately I was fat as hell in my 20’s and worked my ass off to lose 100 pound (45kg) . Now in my 40’s I’m one of the leanest in my friend group and only because I learned young that the standard diet is basically 2-3 times more than you should be eating.

  40. Hot-Impact-5860 Avatar

    No, it’s just as easy as 10y ago. Actually easier, because the body has muscle memory now.

  41. turbokarhu Avatar

    I don’t think it’s hard to stay in shape. I am now in best shape I have ever been.

    I got two small kids so the problem is more of finding good time to exercise.

  42. alexnapierholland Avatar

    Don’t take advice from lazy people.

    99% of unsolicited advice from older men is worthless.

    You can (and should) be in peak physical condition at 40.

    Male hunter-gathers peak in terms of hunting ability at age 45.

    Physical strength does not decline significantly until your sixties — IF you train regularly.

    But it falls off a cliff in your thirties if you don’t train.

    If someone says, ‘Your thirties is when your body changes’ what they actually means is, ‘I don’t train’.

    So ignore all their opinions.

    And train.

    https://preview.redd.it/6o79uej2kzef1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=529c7dc6965ccd38d8cf0ba4554facfc77419457

  43. NotOnYerNelly Avatar

    Kind of and kind of not. Sir Alex Ferguson called it the thickening.

    I

  44. JiuJitsuBoxer Avatar

    No, it’s more ‘hard’ in the context of having different priorities and less free time.

  45. aaronturing Avatar

    It’s easy but most of my friends are fat lazy fucks.

    Diet is critical but I do a lot of exercise because I love it.

    I reckon I’m fitter and healthier at 52 than at 32.

    When it comes to diet get your information from nutritional science rather than bro science.

  46. Southern_Dig_9460 Avatar

    Losing weight is harder but still very possible.

  47. cnation01 Avatar

    I didn’t notice until my mid 40s or so. It just gets harder to tone mostly. My metabolism was like I’m getting the fuck out of here and I had to work harder to see results. Diet became a bigger factor as well, I slide more easily into skinny fat territory.

  48. Meaty32ID Avatar

    33 and so far nothing is different.

  49. tolatalot Avatar

    Not true if you prioritize your health and especially if you’ve already built good habits

  50. ekx397 Avatar

    I started at 39 and it was hard to get fit but not like, crazy hard.

    If I had started at 19 or even 29 though, body awash with testosterone, I would be freaking jacker by now.

  51. stateofyou Avatar

    The Japanese diet is working for me

  52. BillyJoeDubuluw Avatar

    Yes and no. 

    I’m fitter in my thirties than I was in my twenties personally.. but with that said I have also made lifestyle choices in this decade that I didn’t make in that decade.. 

    It can also be a genetic lottery and some people do just age better than others but – very generally speaking – there is not a major decline between being 29 and turning 30 in your overall fitness and wellness unless you’re doing something wrong. 

  53. Kevin-Uxbridge Avatar

    Been in sports my whole life. Mainly soccer before the age of 16, after that i started to go to the gym and from 28 started to incorporate martial arts.

    I’m 43y now, still very strong (2y ago National Masters Powerlifting Champ) and look muscular and fit.

    The only thing between 20y ago an now is recovery. Because recovery goes down (a lot after 40) you can’t make as much volume as i used to do. Less volume = less gains. Also, the amount.of injuries is stacking and harder to come back from.

    So basically it comes down to this. I did all the building between 20 and 35. Now it’s just doing as much volume as my body allows and maintain everything. Science shows you don’t need a lot to maintain what you’ve got.

    So i basically can maintain my current level of fitness and strenght for many years to come.

  54. RightRudderz Avatar

    Time for me. 14 hours dedicated to working; 6-7 days per week.

    I stay at a consistent weight, but I’d like to be more muscular and cardio fit.

  55. dunkinbikkies Avatar

    I’m 46 and a shitload fitter than I was in my 30s.
    No it’s not harder at all, you lose speed but that’s it.
    It’s all about time management, trying to fit time in to workout but that’s it

  56. That_Murse Avatar

    I’m thinking a combination of genetics, your shape before your 30s, and how well you take care of yourself

    I never exercised or ate well in my 20s so I was pretty big and unhealthy.

    Mid 30s I still don’t really exercise minus doing some intense fully body rhythm games like expert pro drums on rockband or expert+ or more with beat saber usually doing custom and even fitbeat maps. I’m overall more active cause I’m consistently lift and moving 65 lbs kr so at work and I have two kids now. I make it a point to try and interest with them and hold them till my arm feels like it’s about to fall off. I also eat way better now. More lean protein, more veggies, minimal sugary drinks etc.

    I’m actually finding it easier to slim down now in my 30s. I’m at this slow burn that I just do my normal routine and activities without constricting my diet beyond what my new normal is or exercising and I just slowly lose weight and develop muscle to replace it.

    I only wished I realized that apparently I might have better genetics in terms of being able to get in shape when I was in my 20s. But I feel like one of the biggest components is I wasn’t really happy in my 20s. Even efforts at exercise and such didn’t seem to do much for me then. Now that I have my wife and kids, happier, and want to live longer for them, it seems to come easier.

  57. Dangerous_Pie_3338 Avatar

    It is if you have a very inactive lifestyle like sedentary job, and didn’t learn the habits necessary to do so and to sustain it earlier. Many people don’t bother to learn the habits early if it’s not something to hey really enjoy because in your 20s the few pounds a year that most people gain arent very noticeable, until several years have passed and a few pounds gained per year turns into 20+ pounds gained.

    It’s easy for me though because I did start those habits that in my 20s. I played sports from the time I was 12 through college so it was all structured, and once college football was over and I was on my own continued my own exercise routine and changed my diet to drop the excess weight. I’m 31 now and because I’ve continued learning I’m in better shape now married with a kid than I was in my mid-20s while single. Because it’s been a long time now for me exercise is more like habit/a hobby and the nutrition part is more like a preferred way of eating. I dont feel like I need to go out of my way or like it’s forced. For someone just starting out though, it might feel more forced and therefore more difficult.

  58. Horrorwriterme Avatar

    I’m 57 and work out at gym three times a week and I don’t have a car because I live in London and try to walk as much as I can. I’m gay and I’ve always looked after myself, I can’t see me stopping any time soon. I think you just have to put the effort in. Keep on a good diet no process foods. I use to be a chef so I cook from fresh everyday for me and my husband.

  59. obviouslyanonymous7 Avatar

    Nothing changed. Not in a negative way anyway. I’m 38 and genuinely in the best shape of my life. I eat right, don’t drink or do drugs, and exercise regularly….🤷🏻‍♂️

  60. jaysire Avatar

    So if you’re the 3+ beers per day, bbq every warm summer day kind of guy, which I totally respect and understand, then yeah, it’s going to be a bit hard after 30. I just turned 50 and my physical fitness is medium good, like it always has been. I lift some kettlebells, I don’t eat heavy food every day and I don’t drink a lot of alcohol (one beer every other day in the summer, one diet pepsi can per day on average). It’s honestly not that hard. I have a 5 year old kid, so with work and taking care of the house / yard, I struggle to find time for formalised exercise. I do get my steps in just mowing the yard (I use a mechanical mower that I push myself) or doing other tasks around the house. I feel the same as when I was 30, to be honest. I could do more and there’s always this plan in the back of my head that I’m going to work out a bit more, but I don’t really know where I will find the time. Priorities, of course.

  61. Arschtritt_1312 Avatar

    No, but it is true that your metabolism slows down and your body will be more robust. The thing is that guys stop moving and start binge eating. Also alcohol is a huge calorie booster. If you exercise at least 3 times a week, eat clean, and cut/quit alcohol you will be fine.

  62. insepidslave Avatar

    I’m 29 and past few years been living off of shit and felt so bad even though only put on a bit of fat nothing bad still I’ve decided to turn ahit around and eating fruit again maybe some cereals which is nuts and also taking daily vitamins. Only been a week and I feel soooooo much better already. I’m a little nervous to tackle my fitness as I know in the past it’s easy to push yourself to point of like oh fuck I might be sick lol. But I should try some fitness shit soon I’m so unfit for ages and my driving night shift job doesn’t help anything

  63. Queasy-Yam3297 Avatar

    Diet, balancing work, kids and home and finding time to workout is a challenge

  64. chambros703 Avatar

    If you’re in shape entering your 30’s it’s pretty easy to maintain imo. I’m 37 and when I was 29 I made it a big effort to form habits I can maintain in my 30’s. Working out is easy, the diet is the hard part. No sweets, sodas, processed foods, etc. I couldn’t be happier when I look at other folks my age who look 10 years older and continue putting bad things in their body.

  65. Classic_Ad1866 Avatar

    I had a familiar, not friend that he was always telling me that when I reach his age I will blow up like a whale and it would be very hard to keep my shape like him…
    A few years passed and he was blowing up like a whale his wife left him he couldn’t see his own tiny little bird and he was continuing to tell me the same thing, I explained him that 15 years has passed he is inflating but I’m not, his answer was, wait to reach my age, so I asked him how old was he, he was 8 months, not years older than me…

  66. ClarkyCat97 Avatar

    It’s mainly about time and resposibilities. Most of us end up in sedentary jobs meaning we spend the majority of our day unable to do much in the way of exercise. If you have children who need feeding and putting to bed it further cuts down the time available for the gym. In terms of strength, balance and flexibility, I’ve actually improved since my 20s (late 40s now), but my cardio fitness has declined. This might be more to do with how I’m exercising than with innate ability,  though. 

  67. Famous_Obligation959 Avatar

    You pick up more injuries, you have more outside commitments, your recovery time is a bit worse, and you are usually less vain so not trying to have abs anymore, you often pick up a few bad habits over the years.

    With all that said, its not impossible to stay healthy way into your 50s and beyond. I actually think the trick is to enjoy some sports and learn to enjoy healthier foods.

  68. BetweenCoffeeNSleep Avatar

    48 here. I do full body calisthenics with a weight vest and kettlebells for extra resistance 4/week, plus a kettlebell + core day, and frequent long walks. I’m mindful of impact, and I make sure to address mobility and balance. I feel fantastic every day, and am in great shape.

  69. Smooth-Bowler-9216 Avatar

    It’s the time. You have so many other commitments that finding the time is difficult

  70. scaffelpike Avatar

    Your diet needs to be slightly more deliberate but that’s mostly cause my stomach doesn’t tolerate certain foods any more. Partner and i have been doing martial arts 2-3 times a week since our 20s, now in our 40s and both still in great shape with no real extra effort

  71. burncycle80 Avatar

    For me at least the recovery period after a football game used to like half a day, but now at 45 it takes two or three days of intense muscle pain to just get moving again. Also, after a flu, you would be pretty much ready to go, but now it takes like 1-2 weeks to get back to normal condition. Everything just works a little slower now. 20’s was a wonderful time and I feel I didn’t take full advantage of it back then!

  72. GonzoTheGreat22 Avatar

    So I am coming from this real different since I didn’t start working out seriously until I was 37, but I’d say no. It’s not hard if you commit.

  73. Captain_Kruch Avatar

    Im 36, and Im in the best shape of my life. It’s helps that I go to the gym and work out at least 3 times a week, and have a pretty active job though (have gone from 93kg when I was 18 to just under 69kg presently). It’s not difficult. Just takes dedication.

  74. ReddtitsACesspool Avatar

    You cannot get away with frequent or long duration “breaks” and jump right back into things.. At least I have noticed that as I get into the upper 30s.

    I used to be able to take 3-4 weeks off of running/lifting/etc. and jump right back into it without much issue.. Now if i try and do that, I end up injuring a joint or muscle and causing a nagging injury that I will try and work through.. I also have a few injuries that I never properly dealt with and is plaguing me in my 30s. Take care of injuries, especially to your joints!

    My metabolism is about the same but I have also adjusted my eating habits in my 30s to consume less daily calories.. I think that has helped.

  75. Nesefl_44 Avatar

    Just eat healthy and exercise and you will stay in shape. Period.

  76. Green_Walrus8537 Avatar

    The way I look at it. You can bust your ass after 30 and get results. Problem is take a couple weeks off and eat like shit and it all goes to shit much faster

  77. RatPoisoner666 Avatar

    Man, i’m 39 and the fittest I’ve ever been, and I was a professional ballet dancer and competitive swimmer in my teens.

  78. L3TH3RGY Avatar

    Nope. Round is a shape! Golly!

    My opinion is, yes. Things start to slow down. That doesn’t mean a free pass to give up, though. Diet and exercise will always be beneficial! Just the act of stretching muscle groups everyday can be enough to keep sore joints away as you age.

  79. 3Yolksalad Avatar

    Accumulated injuries, motivation, physical activity (not chasing kiddos as much), generally learning to do things easier all add up to less. Stick with a better diet and don’t slack on exercise and you will be fine

  80. SmartYouth9886 Avatar

    Combo of less free time and less energy. The 2 seem to compound upon each other.

    30 wasn’t bad for me, around 40 metabolism definitely slowed and so did my energy.

  81. Creepy-Astronaut-952 Avatar

    The hardest part of Father Time whoopin’ my ass has been recovery. Even with EAA’s, increasing protein intake, and getting 6-8 hours of sleep every night, I don’t bounce back like I used to.

    Dropped the poundage’s in the gym…still got injured, because old. 😂😂😂

    Got divorced. Lost a ton of weight from the stress of that. Gained it all back the same way. That didn’t help at all.

    My best advice is eat right, sleep well, stay hydrated, and stay consistent. Some days you might still feel invincible. You’re not. Your mind will talk you into shit that your body just can’t do anymore. That’s ok as long as you don’t get hurt, but you will pay a very heavy price for days afterwards.

  82. BeerNinjaEsq Avatar

    Past 30? No. But my t-levels noticeably dropped at around 37. Started TRT at 38. It made a big difference.

  83. EffortlessJiuJitsu Avatar

    48 here, still working out 1-2 times a day…..

  84. TheFacetiousDeist Avatar

    Sure, as long as you don’t eat like an asshole, stay up too late, drink too much, and sit on your ass too much.

  85. drumberg Avatar

    It’s not hard if you have time. I’m 42 but I feel like with kids and work my day starts at 6:45 and goes till 9pm. I don’t have it in me to lose the 25 pounds I should lose.

  86. AJ_ninja Avatar

    I’m 38 (almost 39) no kids, I work out about 6 days a week. It’s all about building habits, I’ve trained myself to workout or do cardio in the morning I go almost every morning…I can’t do shit in the afternoon though I have absolutely 0 motivation…. If I worked out at different times of the day throughout the week I wouldn’t do it…. Other than that flexibility is a big thing that changes.

  87. Dry_Ass_P-word Avatar

    30 no. 40 yes.

    In my experience.

  88. nicefoodnstuff Avatar

    No its not hard to stay in shape, but you do have to make a concentrated effort to “fit it in”. Its easy to stay in shape in your 20s because you have time.

    The problem is that although most people lead what they consider to be “busy and active lives” they are a lot less active in their 30s in terms of sport and movement. They keep eating and drinking like they are in their 20s when they were out and about a lot with friends but keeping active and doing sports was easy, their job was not too hard, and they didn’t have any time suck kids yet. Then in their 30s when these responsibilities hit they get fat and blame it on their age rather than the fact that they now need to concentrate on what they spend their time on in order to fit in staying in shape.

    In your 30s you have to prioritise working out and eating according to your calorie burn, simply because your life is busier than before. You have more responsibilities by default. Your job gets harder, you start having children, you buy a house, you get married, (maybe not all are true but life gets more full on one way or the other). All the people I know who are in their 30s with no responsibilities (no kids, no house, no busy job etc) are in good shape. Not many of the people I know with those responsibilities are in good shape.

    As someone who has responsibilities, staying in shape in your 30s means taking your gym kit with you on work trips, getting up earlier and doing a workout before you have a big hotel breakfast etc. Work out in the evenings, or go out on a run a few times a week, do some weightlifting, go on walks, ride your bike instead of take the car. On the days when you work out you can eat heavier. On the days when you don’t you need to eat lighter.

    If you are the guy who gets up at 8 for a meeting at 9, doesn’t do any sports, and goes straight to breakfast, eats a croissant at the coffee break, then into a carb loaded white bread sandwich lunch, goes home eats dinner and flops onto the sofa then you are going to put weight on.

    The people I know who were or got fat in their 20s also didn’t look at their ingoing and outgoing calories, and weren’t as active as me. There is nothing more to it.

    I would however say that it IS NOT easy to fit it all in and you do have to be strict, and the amount of working out I do would be seen as extreme by most people who currently do nothing. It is however, between 30mins-1 hour per day depending on what I am doing. The only thing which takes longer is if I go on a long road bike ride which I do a few times a month. That takes normally 3 hours max, but that is more hobby and extra than a must. I could easily be fat but I choose not to be.

  89. NocturnisVacuus Avatar

    it’s not harder, you might want to change the diet… but is it harder? nah.

    and all these 30+ people complaining about pains, joint pain and all… no idea what they all have done, I feel nothing.

  90. Split-Lost Avatar

    Definitely notice Lower energy and slower recovery than my mid 20s, body aches a bit more after workouts and I definitely need a 3 day on 2 day off split to recover properly

    But no issues on fatigue when I’m in the gym, it’s more the parts either side

  91. madogvelkor Avatar

    Motivation and time can decrease for a lot of people. If you have demanding job or small children you’ll find you have less time, desire, and energy to work out regularly.

    On the flip side, a lot of people get in better shape after 30. If you spent your 20s partying, eating junk food, not getting enough sleep, sitting around playing video games — you might not be in good shape to begin with.

  92. DevGin Avatar

    A lot of it for me is bad diet. However, I’ll admit that I was just simply more active in my 20s. I would go skateboarding every single day for hours. Now, it’s a 45 min gym routine with some light running mixed it. 

    When I was a kid, it would be non stop movement from 3pm until bed time. Gradually, you just take on more responsibility and lose that movement. Especially for me, because I work from home. 

    So, I blame it on more than just diet. Lack of movement combined with shitty diet makes it hard. 

  93. TJayClark Avatar

    When I was in my 20’s, I had endless energy. I also had a ton of free time. My body was also a tank (aka nothing hurt… ever)

    Around age 34 my energy level fell dramatically. I also have a lot more adult responsibilities. Add in a few “getting older” body aches and pains.

    All of the above makes it harder, but not impossible to workout.

  94. CurlyJ45 Avatar

    It’s mindset and intention.

    Only since about age 59 am I feeling some headwinds from aging. However I can do 11 pullups, climb mid 5.10 on lead and boulder V4-V5, and I ran a marathon and a 50k during the last year.

    I really started taking care of myself at about age 51. Before then I was moderately active but didn’t eat that great and drank about 20-25 beers a week. I have however prioritized getting enough sleep my whole life.

    One could take this to mean that you can abuse yourself for a long time and catch up later. That’s not the message I’d like to promote. Life is better when you take care of yourself, and it’s fun to be physically strong and capable.

  95. HerezahTip Avatar

    Lower energy, slower recovery

  96. woohhaa Avatar

    At 35 I realized I’d really let myself go so I learned to eat better then incorporated exercise. I was in the best shape of my life around 40. I’ve managed to stay there for half a decade with a relatively healthy lifestyle that still allows me to indulge from time to time.

    It’s doable, but you have to put in the work. At this point it doesn’t feel like work, just normal life.

  97. Alone-Village1452 Avatar

    As long ad you dont drink and eat healthy its the same to me

  98. Husker5000 Avatar

    Lots of factors at play as you age: testosterone declines, metabolism slows, and maybe not everyone but the “give a fuck meter” also declines.

  99. Colonel_Gipper Avatar

    I’m 34 and weigh less now than I did at 15. Ran my first marathon last year and training for my second this October. That being said injuries don’t seem to heal as fast now. I’ve had a nagging hip flexor pain for about a month now, nothing too bad but it is annoying

  100. jcradio Avatar

    It’s harder, but not impossible. Still building muscle in my 50s, but metabolism isn’t what it was as a younger man.

  101. CeonM Avatar

    Yes and no, recovery takes longer and I wear out quicker in my 40s compared to my 20s. But if you’re training with that in mind it’s not hard to keep in shape. I just know if I push as hard as I did in my 20s I’m not going to bounce back as quick.

  102. PoppaJMoney Avatar

    No – it’s all diet tho. Can’t eat shit and expect to be in shape

  103. TLOtis23 Avatar

    I don’t think so. I started paying attention to my fitness in my mid-40s and I’ve continued through my ’60s.

    All you need to do is get regular exercise and not eat too much junk. Maybe you won’t be ripped, but you’ll be a lot healthier than most people your age.

    I don’t think I work all that hard at it, but my Garmin fitness age is 10 years younger than my actual age.

  104. 3rdgenerX Avatar

    Eat less, move more

  105. RomanticDarkness Avatar

    I honestly think it’s easier. Your body doesn’t cooperate as much, but I’m more disciplined and driven than when I was younger.

    I didn’t get six-pack abs until age 43.

  106. JudgeSevere Avatar

    Slower results and slower to heal

  107. screamingv2 Avatar

    I’m 50 and the thing that has become obvious to me with aging is that I lose fitness much more quickly when I skip days, and it’s much harder to progress in fitness (because I get injured much more easily so can’t push quite as hard as in the old days). This is the killer combination. E.g., if I miss a single week of workouts due to a vacation or whatever, it might take three weeks for me to get back to the same level.

  108. cramp11 Avatar

    Wait until you’re 50. Still doable, but definitely harder.

  109. Graxin Avatar

    i didn’t get in shape and strong until i was in my 30s

  110. OverCaffeinatedFox Avatar

    Yes and no

    If you find a sport or activity that you enjoy and can do it routinely, it’s easy to keep up!

    That being said, your body feels much less “invulnerable” than in your 20s. Aches, fatigue, stress, etc. They all add up and make it so you don’t always get the most out of your exercises. But once you learn how to work with that (eat healthy, better stress management, work around aches and injuries, etc.), it’s still very doable

  111. AmountUpbeat3682 Avatar

    Food tastes better when you have money for food that tastes better. That’s been my challenge, I stay within a range but I’m definitely not optimizing for fitness right now. Love trying restaurants throughout the city with friends

  112. Carbon-Based216 Avatar

    Honestly I haven’t noticed much of a change between mid 20s and mid 30s. I will say as you get older it gets harder because of priorities. You get kids, a wife, a sedated job where you don’t do much physical activity. Half hour commutes. Focusing on diet and exercise becomes difficult.

  113. kraftjerk416 Avatar

    47 and lifting weights for the first time in my life… that and quitting booze has me in better physical shape than my 20’s

  114. heedrix Avatar

    Round is a shape.

  115. MachangaLord Avatar

    So I’m now paying attention to my body after having let it marinate and rust during my 20’s and 30’s (34.5 now) I’m actually concerned because I know I’m obese and am looking to drop and trim. Problem is I almost never have time to go home and make dinner so I have to try portioning for a week out on Monday/Tuesday. That’s not been going well lads.

    Any tips?

  116. Working-Tomato8395 Avatar

    I’m in my early-30s and I noticed a lot of my issues everybody seems to associate with turning 30 (back, neck, foot, knee pain, weight gain, low energy, poor sleep) went away when I started getting consistent exercise and drinking a lot more water and eating for the particular fuel my body needs for the day/situation. 

    In the last 18 months I’ve dropped 30 lbs, my back issues have almost entirely disappeared, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, I have a ton more energy, my wife and friends have labeled this my “movie star” era. I look and feel fantastic, don’t think I’ve felt this healthy since I was 17. 

    I have a few white hairs that have sprung up that I will never dye or pluck, some wounds that used to heal within a few days take a week. 

    My dad decided to get in shape in his 50s and now in his late 60s he’s insanely fucking strong (not just for his age, but in general), he doesn’t look a day over 50, and while his energy reserves aren’t what they once were, he does a lot more with the times of day he’s active than he did in his 40s.