Health and fitness: Food and exercise tips for your age group

It’s never too late to adopt healthy habits. Here’s all the information you need to keep your health in top nick from your 20s to your 70s and beyond.

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Eat a varied diet and move often — it’s simple advice that will stand you in good stead, whatever your age. But life is complex and so, too, are your body’s needs over the years.

“Your body composition and function change drastically through your lifespan, and paying attention to these changes is a great way to stay at the forefront and help prevent lifestyle-related diseases later in life,” says dietitian Rachel Scoular.

You flourish in your 20s, but by the time you hit your mid-30s, the ageing process starts to kick in.

Hormone fluctuations and loss of muscle mass make it harder to keep weight off, while less than-ideal lifestyle habits can catch up with you at middle age.

It’s not all bad news, though: a healthy, active life is yours for the taking if you put your mind to it.

Here’s what you need to know to stay fit, healthy and happy throughout every decade …

20s

You’re young, full of energy and it’s hard to imagine your health ever taking a dive. That’s exactly why it’s time to start investing in your wellbeing: the habits you form now will lay the foundation for a long and healthy life.

You have more energy in your 20s. Picture: iStock

Food: A demanding social, study and work life can lead to a drop in the quality of your diet.

“Don’t rely on convenience foods just because you’re time-poor,” says Scoular.

She recommends focusing on the five food groups (vegies and legumes, fruit, wholegrains, dairy and lean meats, poultry and fish) and building up a go-to repertoire of quick, healthy meals, such as pan-fried salmon with brown rice and green veg.

“Keep an eye on your iron and calcium intake if you’re a woman — deficiency is common and low iron intake can leave you feeling fatigued and susceptible to infection,” Scoular adds.

Exercise: “Your body finally finishes growing in your 20s — you achieve your greatest bone density before the age of 30,” says exercise physiologist Carly Ryan.

A combo of strength and aerobic exercise will help your body build its bone bank.

“This is also your first full decade as an adult, so it’s a really important time to set up long-term physical-activity habits, like setting aside time to exercise and focusing on the enjoyment of activity,” she adds.

Physically, your body is capable of adapting to a wide variety of exercise and training goals, so dream big.

“Your 20s are the time when you can do everything,” says personal trainer Rikki-Lee Petrie.

“Your recovery rate is faster, not only after a session, but within a session as well. You can set your body up for the future in every aspect of fitness.”

Tips for women: Shop around to find a workout you love and add foods rich in vitamin C (think berries, capsicum and citrus fruits) to your plate to increase iron absorption.

Tips for men: Too busy to train? Go for quick, high-intensity workouts that offer plenty of bang for your fitness buck. Max your gains with quality protein from low-fat dairy, eggs and fish.

30s

Your big focuses are career and family, and that can equal less time being active.

Compounding the effects of a more sedentary lifestyle is a slower metabolism due to age-related muscle loss that begins to kick in around the mid-30s mark. For men, testosterone levels also start to decrease after 30.

Food: Tweaking your diet can help to ward off the weighty effects of long office hours and a sluggish metabolism.

“Shift your focus from energy-dense carbohydrates and focus more on quality, high-protein foods,” says Scoular.

“Protein takes longer to break down and digest, and will help keep you full for longer.”

If you’re ready to start a family, diet is everything for both men and women. Research shows a Mediterranean diet can improve fertility — it includes plenty of fresh fruit and veg, wholegrains, fish, lean meat and olive oil.

Find our what works for you in your 30s. Picture: iStock

“Look at including omega-3 rich foods [salmon, snapper, sardines] and nuts at least every second day,” adds Scoular.

“These have been linked to improved sperm motility and shape in men, and a reduced risk of heart disease, arthritis and depression for men and women.”

Exercise: It can be a challenge to fit in exercise when you’re busy with work and family, but consistency will pay off.

“After two weeks without exercise, there is significant loss of cardio fitness and you will likely lose most, if not all, your gains within two to six months if you don’t exercise at all,” says Ryan.

“The great news is maintaining fitness requires less work than building it and activity can be accumulated in small blocks, so even 10 minutes is beneficial.”

Your mission?

“Maximise your daily incidental activity,” says Ryan.

“Swap the coffee date or pub visit for a day at the beach, head to the park with the kids, go for a family bike ride or take a walk with a friend.”

Make sure you’re getting in some regular weights work, too, to keep your bones strong and metabolism firing.

“Two to three sessions of strength training a week is great,” says Petrie.

Tips for women: Get a dose of zinc from red meat and nuts, and up your folate with legumes and dark, leafy greens — these nutrients are important for foetal development.

If you’re not keen on lifting weights, reformer Pilates offers a resistance hit.

Tips for men: Up to three sessions of strength training major muscles each week may help to boost testosterone, says Ryan. And take care that you’re eating your five serves of vegetables every day

40s

Welcome to middle age.

Yes, 40 can be the new 30 — as long as you’re prepared to do the work. While your risk of lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease increases in this decade, there’s still time to put a preventative plan into action.

Food: If you’ve started to notice weight creeping on around your middle, take a closer look at your alcohol intake.

“Alcohol is the elephant in the room — we don’t even think about it containing calories,” says dietitian Joel Feren.

“We’re told about the benefits of drinking red wine because it has certain antioxidants in it, but at the end of the day, it has no other nutrition and one glass can have as much 450kJ.”

Moderation is key, he continues.

“It’s OK to have a little bit of alcohol in your diet but over-consuming it isn’t good for your health and it’s not good for your waistline, either.”

To lower your risk of disease, focus on fibre.

“Fibre is your friend,” says Feren.

“It’s protective of your heart, it 40S can help with weight management and it may also reduce your risk of cancer.”

Vegetables, legumes and wholegrains are fibre-rich and they offer a variety of protective antioxidants, too.

You need to get moving again in your 40s.

Exercise: If working out wasn’t on your radar in earlier decades or if you’ve taken a break, get moving now to prevent disease and improve mental health.

“At 40, your fitness journey can still begin,” assures Petrie.

“Think about getting those cardio sessions in and getting your heart rate up.”

Just take care that you don’t overdo it — at this age, you won’t bounce back as quickly as you did in your 20s.

“As much as you might want to kick your butt into gear, you also need to think about looking after your body,” Petrie notes.

Consider adding Pilates or yoga to your routine for flexibility and gradually build up your activity levels if you’ve been out of action for a while.

“Little injury niggles might become more common or old injuries such as joint problems might start hanging around now,” adds Ryan.

“Make sure you re-evaluate your needs and goals, and think long-term in terms of managing any of these issues.”

Tips for women: If you’ve had kids or work a desk job, your core might be weak. Focus on abdominal strength to avoid lower-back pain and try mindful eating to manage your weight without dieting.

Tips for men: Check that you’re using good form when you exercise and stretch regularly to avoid injuries.

Add some meat-free meals to your diet to guard against bowel cancer — lentil bolognese is a fibre and protein-packed option.

50s

Most women will go through menopause now, a change that triggers bone loss, while men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Bowel cancer is also more common over the age of 50 in both men and women, and chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes are more likely to be diagnosed.

Food: Sticking to a healthy, balanced diet in this decade is crucial, says Feren.

“If we actually followed the Australian dietary guidelines, we wouldn’t have the types of issues we see today,” he says.

“People who do adjust their diets are better able to manage their blood-sugar levels, lower their cholesterol and reduce that spare tyre around their waist, reducing their risk factors for all those nasty diseases.”

Watch out for portion distortion, he adds — hero the non-starchy vegies on your plate rather than the carbs and meat.

For menopausal and post-menopausal women, it’s important to add more calcium to your diet: your daily requirements jump from 1000mg to 1300mg a day as bone-protective oestrogen wanes.

Milk, yoghurt and bony fish are good sources, but you can also get a dose from plant foods such as legumes, nuts (like almonds), seeds and dark-green, leafy vegies.

Food and exercise are important in your 50s.

Exercise: You might feel like putting your feet up, but don’t stop yet!

“The overall adult physical-activity recommendations apply to 18 to 64-year-olds, so remember your capacity for health and fitness is still really good,” says Ryan.

She adds it’s a smart idea to look after your joints and heart in particular — think low-impact cardio or workouts using light weights.

Whatever exercise you’re into, take it slow, says Petrie.

“You need to give your body time to warm up and then you really need to cool down.”

A good 10 to 15 minutes of gentle movement and stretching on either side of your sessions will make a big difference.

If you’re dealing with a chronic health condition or an injury, reach out to an expert for targeted fitness advice, says Ryan.

“Exercise is medicine: sometimes you may need a specific dose for your condition, so speak to your GP or health professional such as an exercise physiologist for advice,” she says.

Tips for women: “Go for a high-fibre, low-fat, low-salt diet that’s high in phytoestrogens [found in soy milk, tofu, chickpeas and lentils], which combined can help reduce the symptoms of menopause,” says Scoular.

Tips for men: Watch out for changes in bowel habits, get a prostate test, stay active and watch your portion sizes.

60s

By the time you hit the big 6-0, you may be starting to feel a bit achy and stiff. Falls become more likely, too. It’s thought age is only partly responsible for physical decline, so don’t be afraid to keep setting fitness goals.

Food: “Make an effort to eat essential fatty acids omega-3 and -6 to help fight the inflammation that underpins many chronic diseases,” says Scoular.

“These heart-healthy fats also help keep your brain sharp and have been linked to improved cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.”

Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, speeds up now.

“After 50, you lose about 3kg of muscle a decade,” explains Feren.

“Muscle contains the protein in the body, it helps keep your immune system healthy and it can protect our bones as well.”

Protein will help keep you strong — as a guide, people over 65 need around 1.2g of protein per kilo of body weight a day.

“Go for a diet high in colourful fruit and vegetables — particularly dark-coloured — as these contain carotenoids, an antioxidant that can fight oxidative stress,” adds Scoular.

Cardio is still needed in your 60s. Picture: iStock

Exercise: It’s important you keep moving.

“Ensure you keep your muscles and bones strong with regular all-over body resistance and include some balance training [to prevent falls],” says Ryan.

Try sitting on a balance ball for 10 minutes a day or going from a lunge stance to standing to build stability, adds Petrie.

Cardio is still essential; protect your joints by trying swimming, spin classes or aquarobics.

Tips for women: Swap a long run for a hilly walk to up your heart rate without too much impact. Support healthy muscle function with magnesium, found in leafy greens, beans and dark chocolate.

Tips for men: Beat stiffness by staying active and stretching regularly.

To improve gut health, add probiotics (yoghurt, sauerkraut) and prebiotics (onion, asparagus) to your diet.

70s AND BEYOND

As you age, your body becomes less efficient at extracting nutrients from food. Appetite decreases and your sense of taste declines, bones become more brittle and you tend to spend more time off your feet.

The good news? Butter is back on the menu!

Food: A range of chemical and mechanical changes that occur in the digestive tract during the later stages of life make it more difficult to absorb key nutrients from food, such as B vitamins.

“Your ability to recognise hunger and thirst may also decrease,” says Scoular. Staying hydrated and nourished with regular meals is vital as you age — you still need fibre, quality protein and healthy fats, but you can welcome richer foods, too.

“The advice I give to an older person is often contrary to what you’re always told,” says Feren.

“I talk about increasing fats from butter, cream and oils, and aiming for foods that are going to be really nourishing, like extra-thick custards and smoothies with as much nutrition as possible.”

Make sure you set some daily activity goals in your 70s.

Interest in food tends to taper off later in life, so focus on flavours you still enjoy.

“It’s interesting that sweet is the one taste sensation that’s preserved as you age.”

Exercise: Rope in some fitness buddies to keep you hitting those daily activity goals.

“It’s great to look at things you can do as a group to stay motivated,” says Petrie.

“It can be as simple as lawn bowls, walking or even dancing classes. It’s not going to give you a six-pack, but it does release amazing endorphins into your body.”

Keeping up the movement will help you live an independent life, says Ryan, and if you need more motivation, there’s this: a review of studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that regular exercise — particularly balance work — can prevent falls in older people.

“It’s never too late to start, or get back on the horse if you had to have a break,” says Ryan.

“Keep up the balance, resistance and a bit of aerobic activity, and keep moving across the day.”

Tips for women: Playing with your grandkids counts as exercise and keeps you connected to family. Make sure you’re still getting plenty of calcium, and 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine a day will give you the vitamin D you need to absorb it.

Tips for men: Lawn bowls, tennis and tai chi are good for balance. Keep up the water (or protein shakes) to prevent dehydration and malnutrition

Originally published as Health and fitness: Food and exercise tips for your age group