7 Myths About Fitness in Your 30s (And How to Exercise Properly)

As people reach their thirties, they realize that their bodies are not as resilient as they used to be. They decide to start exercising to build their fitness level, and then the first overuse syndromes appear.

Before giving up on exercise because of sore joints and muscles, read on and find out seven myths about training in your 30s, including some helpful biomechanical knowledge.

Myth 1: Discomfort and pain in joints and muscles are a normal sign of aging.

Aging is not the reason why people in their thirties and forties cannot do the exercises they used to do when they were younger. In most cases, discomfort is caused by the fact that two out of three parts of the motion chain failed to perform their role, and the third one is forced to work overtime.

While it can cope with the increased workload for some time, eventually, it will give up under the pressure, and people will have to stop exercising. This situation is not caused by natural aging but by improper motion patterns.

Myth 2: Pain is only present in the joints and muscles that are affected by improper biomechanic patterns

When exercising, people tend to attribute the discomfort to the wrong places in their bodies.

For instance, knee pain during squats is typically caused by improper glute activation and a lack of dorsiflexion range of motion. The fact that people tend to squat too deep and do not hinge their hips properly causes their knees to bear the consequences of improper motion. To identify the cause of the improper patterns, one has to look at the joints and muscles above and below the ones that are supposedly responsible for the pain.

Myth 3: Resting, icing, and getting a massage helps joints and muscles affected by overuse syndromes recover

When parts of your motion chain become fatigued, the common recommendation is to stop exercising and let them rest. Getting a massage and applying ice to lessen the swelling can make you feel better, so you return to exercising with the same motions as before. However, since two out of three parts of the motion chain are still underperforming, you will experience the same discomfort and soreness in your joints and muscles.

The most efficient way to deal with recurring overuse syndromes is to address the cause of the improper motion patterns.

Myth 4: The primary goal of fitness in your 30s is to increase strength levels

When people were in their twenties, they could focus on trying to lift as much weight as possible. However, in one’s thirties, the paradigm has to shift to learning to move properly. Building strength is important, but it should not come at the expense of developing improper motion patterns that will contribute to overuse syndromes.

Myth 5: Warm-up exercises and activation drills are optional

When people went to the gym in their twenties, they could jump right into their workout without warming up, doing activation drills, or spending too much time on dynamic stretching. However, when the motion patterns begin to shift, and the joints and muscles start to sore and be stiff after each workout, neglecting the warm-up and activation will lead to the development of several pain syndromes. Spending five to ten minutes on dynamic warm-up and knee and hip activation is mandatory now.

Myth 6: You have to stop doing the exercises that cause pain and discomfort

If a certain movement pattern begins to be associated with pain, people usually try to avoid it altogether. However, when it comes to exercising, soreness, and discomfort should be used as tools to identify the cause of the improper motion patterns. Once the underlying reasons are identified and addressed, the discomfort will disappear, and the joints and muscles will stop being sore.

Myth 7: It is important to maximize the level of stress and strain imposed on the body during exercise

When people were younger, they could try to do as many push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and squats as possible during each exercise session. However, as a person reaches their thirties, they should shift their focus from quantity to quality. The point is to maximize the efficiency of each exercise to ensure that all parts of the motion chain function properly and do not become fatigued.

Conclusion

The main reason why most people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s stop exercising is improper motion patterns that cause joints and muscles to be sore and swollen. The way to prevent this from happening is to stop putting too much strain on specific joints and muscles by addressing the cause of the soreness. It is important to ensure that all three parts of the motion chain are equally strong and efficient.