You’ve heard it a thousand times: 50 is the new 40, 40 is the new 30, and so on and so on. That’s all fine and good when you’re talking about how to dress, going out to see a band, or how you feel in general. But when it comes to exercise, you need to act your age.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I was obsessed with exercise. I was a triathlete, I ran like there was no tomorrow. It was all about competition, speed, how many miles I could get in, how many calories I could burn. I did yoga and Pilates to balance the hardcore running I was doing. I didn’t need anybody to motivate me. I just did it myself. I got myself up and out the door every day, no problem.

But now, at 45, my body just can’t take all that pounding of running, and I’m not going to risk injuring myself to try to keep up with what I was doing in my 20s. Nowadays, exercise is more about creating strength, stability and flexibility than burning calories or competing. Now, I have to ask myself, Can I do it at all?

The truth is, as you transition out of your 20s and 30s, you need to drop the no pain, no gain mentality. You have to listen to your body and accept that, as you get older, you will benefit in the long-term from accepting that you have limitations and they should not be ignored.

Now, instead of running my ass off and competing with myself and everyone around me, I don’t run at all. I like to spin or take a cardio-sculpting class or do CrossFit. Instead of yoga and Pilates balancing out the attack of intensive cardio, they’re a regular part of my fitness routine. Exercise is about having fun.

In my 40s, I find that I need someone to push me, to keep me motivated through a workout. If I don’t have classes to go to, I am lost in my week, thinking, What am I going to do?

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Article Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/