I have been pretty heavily into fitness since I was 16 years old. I talk about the journey to starting this blog in my very first post, and it’s been a fun ride! Now that I’m 30, about to be 31 in July, I’m experiencing some changes that happen as we get older. I still feel very capable, driven, and excited about fitness and my well-being. But, to stay at a standard of health that I’m used to is more complicated now than it has been.

I want to share what I’m realizing as the most significant changes to fitness in my 30’s in hopes that it encourages others to not get discouraged if you’re experiencing the same challenges.

Diet – What the Hell Happened?!

Lets just go ahead and address the elephant in the room. The way your body processes what you eat changes as you get older. I can’t tell you exactly when it happened, but I see my body processing my diet differently than it was a year ago. Being diligent about food, whether it was in a healthy way or not, has been part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. But now, I have to pay attention to more than just calories. Am I getting enough vegetables for fiber? Am I getting enough protein to continue to build and maintain muscle? What’s going on with carbs and where’s my sweet spot? These are all questions that I’m sorting through in this period of my life.

It’s weird for me to be at a point where I’m no longer able to outwork a bad diet. I know that’s a popular phrase in fitness. But, the reality is I was able to outwork a poor diet for a long time! I can see slowly but surely that previous reality is starting to slip away. Growing up and respecting my body by staying healthy with my food options is the new normal.

Exercise – What Works Now?!

I have tried and enjoyed lots of different workouts over the years. Most recently, I was involved in CrossFit for about 3 years. I’m also active with barre for coming up on 4 years, and always enjoyed that combo. I reached a point, though, where some exercises I had loved for a long time weren’t feeling the same anymore. As I’ve gotten older I no longer enjoy super high impact exercise or pushing myself too far past a limit. I am realizing that the price is not worth the payout when it comes to overexerting myself.

What that means for me is doing a mix of things to keep my mind and body energized, but not over worked. I enjoy a variety of workouts like barre, Orange Theory, cycling, and taking days to work exclusively in a big box gym. I still believe that CrossFit is an amazing workout option for a lot of people that can be modified to fit all fitness levels. For me, right now, it’s just not the fit I’m looking for.

Balance – What’s Worth It?!

Another thing that happens when you get older is you start to have new responsibilities. When you’re 20 years old, your responsibility is to have fun and start to discover who you are. When you’re 30, you might be married or have a family that relies heavily on you. So my question to myself now is, what’s worth it for my fitness journey and what’s not?

A great personal example for me is morning workouts. For years and years, I always enjoyed working out first thing in the morning before the sun is up. Now that I’m in a relationship, my schedule directly affects another person. For Aubrey and I, it’s better as a team that I do my workouts in the evenings. At first that was a struggle for me because it was the exact opposite of a schedule I had kept for years. Now, though, I see the payoff to making the adjustment and being balanced in my personal life.

For a new mom, a wife, or someone that is changing careers it might be another adjustment for their well-being. I think an important an awesome part of getting older is perspective! Spending that extra hour with your baby or digging into a new project might be more important than a workout that day. That’s ok! Finding the balance between being healthy physically as well as mentally and personally is a journey that becomes more evident now that I’m in my 30’s.

Final Thoughts

Some of this might seem obvious, but at times it’s easy to feel isolated in your thoughts and fears about getting older. We live in a time where aging is seen as negative, and getting out of that mindset can be tough! Just because things change as you age, doesn’t mean you can’t continue to be active and prioritize your health. Instead, we learn to acclimate to our new normal and keep pushing towards just showing up and doing your best every day!

I hope sharing some of these fears and realities helps anyone feel comfort in knowing you’re not the only one. We’re all learning as we go, so be sure to remember to give yourself grace!