From the body's perspective, 50 is not the new 30. And that's just fine.



Inspired by Theresa MacPhail’s article “You Should Act Your Age – at Least When It Comes to Exercise” (The Guardian, Nov 3, 2025)
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Yesterday, I read an article about exercise and aging by Theresa MacPhail in The Guardian. Her main point was that we need to adjust our exercise routines and be more realistic about our exercise goals and our body's abilities in general as we grow older. Specifically, she points out that older people should increase resistance training to about 60% of their workouts, reduce cardio to 40%, and overall be gentler on their bodies. MacPhail calls out the fallacy of “50 is the new 30,” which I’d already come to see as a myth, yet still had been carrying in the back of my mind. I often compared current self to the image of my thirty-year-old self and blamed any slowdown on laziness. The article encouraged me to shift that thinking. I'm working on it.

MacPhail shared several anecdotes about older adults who'd failed to adjust their routines and ended up with injuries. I thought of my own experiment a year ago, when I tried to take up running again. I told myself I was being gentle — alternating running and walking for thirty minutes — but my knees soon began to ache. After about a week, I stopped. At the time, I saw it as failure. Now I see it differently. Running is just not in the cards for me any more. That doesn't make me a lazy person.

These days, I swim three times a week, walk my dogs daily, and lift weights twice a week. However, after reading the article, I’ve decided to adjust the balance. I plan to do resistance training three times per week and do shorter swims. I'm going to try it as an experiment for a few weeks and see how it feels. I don't feel old in making these changes; I feel smart.

The article helped me realize how deeply I’d been holding unrealistic expectations about my own fitness. I used to believe that if I wasn’t pushing myself as hard as I did when I was younger, it meant I was slacking off. Now I accept that our bodies change, and adapting isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom.

The article helped me see that aging isn’t a diminishment. It's an opportunity to live with awareness and to listen more closely to the body. To move in a harmonious way through the dance of life.

Reflection prompt:
How has your relationship with movement changed as you’ve grown older? Have you found new ways to stay strong, flexible, and kind to your body?


Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2025 at 8:04 AM

    Being kind and having common sense in regard to the body helps living life so enjoyable!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura Frances R.November 8, 2025 at 9:43 AM

    Yes, I agree with you.

    ReplyDelete

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