Taking Back Your Power - Building Your Best Body After Age 30
As women, we are fed the lie that after age 30 it’s normal to have less energy, be less fit, and have diminished confidence. And to be fair, it’s not always easy to look and feel your best at this stage of life. Maybe you're busy with kids, sports, managing a household, or building a career. Maybe you’re an empty nester and after YEARS of putting others’ needs ahead of your own, you’re struggling to prioritize your own self-care. Sometimes, even if you find the motivation, what used to work to get weight off in your 20s isn’t cutting it anymore. You know where you want to go, but lack the road map to make it possible. In any of these cases, the narrative persists and self-care takes a backseat.
But what if told you the narrative is just a myth? What if I assured you that you can actually build a stronger, leaner, and more resilient body for midlife and beyond?
In this article, I plan to share exactly how I help my 1-on-1 clients take control of their lives, foster confidence and self-love, and build the strong, lean bodies they’ve been told are impossible for women over age 30. My hope is that you may be able to apply one or more of these suggestions to your own life and begin to realize just how capable you are.
5 pillars for building your best body after age 30:
1. Stop trying to eat less.
Contrary to popular belief, the key to feeling great as you age isn't about restricting your diet; it's about prioritizing the right nutrients. Extreme diets never work long term and when the inevitable rebound happens, you can often find yourself in a worse position than when you began. Finding yourself in the dreaded yo-yo diet cycle.
So instead of slashing calories or banashing carbs, start focusing on what you need MORE of. Specifically, try incorporating enough protein and fiber into your meals. These powerhouse nutrients not only keep you feeling full and satisfied but also stabilize your blood sugar levels and support your metabolism. Aim for 30-40 grams of protein per meal and around 20-25 grams of fiber per day to crush cravings, boost energy, and banish guilt around food.
2. Find ways to move every day.
Forget the notion that you need to engage in intense workouts to see results. Cardio is important for your health, absolutely, but it’s not the best tool for fat loss. And if you’re overdoing it with lots of high-intensity workouts you may actually be making weight loss more difficult by negatively affecting your body’s hunger and stress hormones.
Simply finding ways to move your body every day can work wonders for your health. Walking, in particular, is probably the most underrated activity for fat loss, stress management, and improved sleep. This is especially true if you can get outside for a walk prior to 10 am which exposes you to the morning sun helping to reset your circadian rhythm.
My top ways to get in more steps: Walk your dog, get a walking pad, park farther away, 10-minute walk after every meal, you get the idea. But if walking isn’t your jam, you could find literally ANY other activity that gets you moving that you enjoy and make that a consistent part of your day. Did someone say living room dance party??
3. Strength train 2-3 times per week.
Strength training is an absolute MUST. As we age, we are naturally losing muscle mass. But muscle is the very thing we need even MORE of if we’re trying to lose body fat and remain resilient and strong. This means it’s time to lift heavier weights and ditch the endless cardio and HIIT workouts.
Focus on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, (think squats, lunges, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows) to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. Make sure to keep adding a little weight or a few reps each time you perform an exercise (a concept known as progressive overload) then watch as your body transforms. I’m serious when I tell you that nothing can change the shape of your body the way consistent strength training can.
PRO TIP: If you don’t know where to start on this, you can hire a coach, find a workout buddy, or literally find hundreds of done-for-you programs online.
4. Optimize sleep and develop techniques for stress management.
Often ignored, poor sleep or stress management may be the hidden reason why you’re not making progress toward your goals. This can also be a vicious circle where life stress leads to poor sleep which leads to more stress. And the cycle continues on and on. Prioritize 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night to aid recovery from workouts, help regulate your cortisol (your stress hormone), and give you the much-needed energy to go and crush whatever the next day holds.
Additionally, it’s important to develop techniques for managing stress, whether it's through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or engaging in hobbies that bring you joy. By prioritizing sleep and stress management, you'll set yourself up for success and make sticking to your plan feel way more doable.
5. Make a plan and take action.
It’s one thing to think about making a positive change for your well-being and quite another to actually make it happen. I encourage clients to schedule in time to prioritize healthy activities and then honor those “appointments” with yourself the same way you would any other appointment. You probably would blow off your dentist or your hairdresser. Why not offer yourself the same courtesy?
No time to fit it in? If that’s your situation, I’d encourage you to really evaluate the way you’re spending your time. What’s your screen time look like? What tasks can you delegate or offload? Sometimes we have to eliminate distractions and stop saying “yes” to being everything to everyone. This mindset shift can be tough. But remember, you can't pour from an empty cup, so prioritize your well-being to show up as the best version of yourself for your loved ones and your responsibilities.
After helping more than 65 women transform their bodies and their lives, I appreciate that this list can feel daunting at first. My best piece of advice if you are just starting your wellness journey - START SMALL. Choose 1 or 2 actions that you know you can commit to and just start.
Most people think that they need the motivation first in order to do the things that will move them in the direction of their goals, and only THEN can they get results. But in reality, the action is the first cog in the machine.
Action = results = motivation = action.
Each time you take action and follow through on a promise to yourself, you stack a win and create positive momentum (i.e. motivation to take more action). Take more action, stack more wins, see more results, and feel more motivated. It’s a snowball effect. Stack enough wins and you can completely change your health and your life, but it all starts with taking one small action consistently.
So, yes, as women over 30, our bodies and hormones are changing so it’s important to understand how to support your body through the process. By prioritizing self-care and making the right choices for your nutrition, workouts, and lifestyle you absolutely can build a strong, lean body, cultivate confidence and self-love, and take your power back.
~Coach Bri
Brionne Heron, MS, CPT, PN1
Owner & Founder of Heron Fitness & Nutrition
843.327.4812
bri@heronfitness.com
www.heronfitness.com
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