Can you hold a plank for 60 seconds? How about tying your shoelaces midair? These simple tests can measure your physical fitness throughout life’s stages.
In his 1997 song “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen),” Baz Luhrmann called the body “the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.” That rings true today. Beyond a balanced diet and good sleep, maintaining a healthy body is one of the best tools for a long, healthy life. But what exactly does optimal physical health mean?
David Walks, an osteopath and author of Stronger: 10 Exercises for a Longer, Healthier Life, explains that peak fitness involves a combination of cardiovascular health, flexibility, strength, mobility, stability, and balance.
Research shows that regular exercise reduces the risk of premature death and lowers the chance of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and mental health disorders. Yet fitness is about more than disease prevention. The ability to perform everyday activities — whether lifting grandchildren, carrying boxes, or hiking long distances — is vital for enjoying life, staying agile, and maintaining independence in later years.
The old saying “use it or lose it” remains relevant. But where should you start? Here is expert advice on achieving your best physical condition in every decade of adulthood.
20s: Focus on Functional Movement
In your 20s, your body adapts quickly, supported by favorable hormone levels. This period is ideal for building muscle and strengthening your nervous system through varied activities and a nutritious diet.
Engaging in contact sports, tennis, sprinting, or hiking helps build a lasting exercise habit. Strength training — any exercise involving weights or resistance, including bodyweight exercises — is crucial for stimulating bone growth and density.
“Bone health at 30 largely determines your quality of life in later years,” notes consultant physiotherapist Florence Penny. Aerobic capacity begins to decline in your 30s, so walking, running, or jogging can establish a solid fitness base, keeping your heart, lungs, and muscles strong and efficient.
Fitness potential in this decade is vast. Walks, runs, and mastering fundamental movements such as shoulder presses, push-ups, planks, squats, and lunges with bodyweight alone can set a solid foundation. Aim for 4 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Progressively adding weights — such as squatting your own bodyweight three times or overhead pressing 75% of your weight — indicates excellent performance.
To test aerobic fitness, try running 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in around 13 minutes for women and 11 minutes for men.
30s: High-Intensity Training Gains Momentum
Strength training remains key to counteracting natural muscle loss and maintaining metabolic health. “Focus on compound movements — squats, deadlifts, push/pull exercises — to engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously,” advises personal trainer and performance coach Niki Bird.
She recommends exercising four times weekly for 30 to 60 minutes, incorporating lighter dumbbells and emphasizing explosive power.
Aerobic exercise complements this by boosting energy, aiding recovery, and reducing cardiovascular and respiratory risks. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), performed with 80% effort during “work” phases, is effective and time-efficient, especially sprint intervals: 30 seconds sprinting followed by 90 seconds walking, twice a week.
To assess fitness, Penny suggests holding a plank for 60 seconds, completing 10 to 15 full push-ups, and gradually deadlifting your bodyweight with correct form. Research links higher push-up counts within one minute to reduced cardiovascular risk; those who perform 40 push-ups have a 96% lower chance of heart disease.
40s: Grip Strength and Smart Training
From age 40, muscle mass declines by 3-8% per decade. Consistency in strength training is essential, alongside professional care for minor strains or soreness.
“With hormonal changes, fluctuating energy, and slowing metabolism, it’s about training smarter, not harder,” Penny says. She recommends regular weightlifting combined with low-impact cardio like cycling, rowing, or swimming to protect joints.
Grip strength is an excellent health indicator in your 40s, strongly linked to longevity and healthy lifespan, according to Walks. Try “grip and lean” isometric exercises, such as holding a towel or resistance band tied to a rail while leaning back with straight arms — starting with 15-30 seconds per set, building up to two minutes. Once achieved, progressing to hanging from a bar is ideal: 90 seconds for women, two minutes for men.
50s: Embrace Eccentric Training
If you can perform 10 controlled bodyweight squats in six minutes and walk 400 meters, your fitness is on track for your 50s.
“This decade often marks the start of visible aging effects, including sarcopenia — muscle loss — leading to reduced strength, power, and metabolism,” Penny explains. Hormonal shifts in peri-menopausal women and declining testosterone in men make muscle building and recovery more challenging.
The key is intentional, consistent training. Continue resistance exercises, high-intensity interval training, and allow two rest days weekly.
Challenge yourself with farmer’s walks — carrying kettlebells or dumbbells for one minute on each side — to strengthen core, shoulder stability, and grip. Walks should target weights of 75% and 100% of bodyweight for women and men, respectively, progressing gradually.
60s: The ‘Old Man’ Test
Active individuals in their 60s may already have strong fitness bases, but it’s never too late to start. The “old man” test assesses functional strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility: standing barefoot, lift one foot slightly, put on a sock and shoe, then tie the laces while keeping the foot elevated. Repeat on the other side.
If this proves difficult, it’s time to incorporate flexibility, balance, and fall-prevention training, such as standing on one leg while brushing teeth or gentle tai chi.
Isometric exercises improve tissue health and strength. Try a “wall sit” for 45 seconds — legs at 90 degrees, back against the wall.
Small daily movements should not be underestimated. “Slow down whenever you sit — on a sofa, toilet, or desk chair,” Walks advises. This adds eccentric muscle work throughout the day, positively impacting the aging process.
Recent research shows just five minutes of daily eccentric exercise can improve strength, flexibility, and mental health in sedentary adults within four weeks.
Gardening and short bursts of intense physical work also benefit all ages.
70s: Resistance Bands Take Center Stage
For those in their 70s, maintaining independence becomes a priority. Dr. Michael Sagner, director of the European Society of Preventive Medicine, says strength training remains the gold standard.
While aerobic exercise was once deemed vital for those over 65, recent evidence shows resistance training is one of the most effective anti-aging interventions.
Exercises using weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight counteract frailty, reduce risks of falls, fractures, and disability, boost tissue regeneration, and increase walking speed. They also enhance cognitive function by stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factors that improve memory and combat cognitive decline, Sagner adds.
Try resistance band exercises like chest pulls, bicep curls, leg lifts, and bent-over rows three times a week. If using weights, 7-9 kg is recommended.
Test your fitness with a 30-second sit-to-stand test — sitting in a kitchen chair with arms crossed, stand and sit as many times as possible. Completing 14 repetitions indicates good health.
80s: Walking Independently
Can you walk independently for 10 minutes? If yes, your physical condition is excellent.
Single-leg balance tests — lifting one foot an inch or two off the floor and holding for 10 seconds — effectively gauge fitness in your 80s.
Regardless of level, daily short walks combined with gentle resistance band exercises, such as seated rows, side steps, and overhead side bends, help maintain strength.
Flexibility and joint mobility are crucial to prevent falls, which account for about two-thirds of fatal injuries in the past decade. Incorporate low-impact exercises like yoga or Pilates once or twice weekly to support independence and confidence.
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