I used to be very active in my local Triathlon community. That all vanished once I accepted a relatively high paying job at 27. My extensive work hours ruined my work life balance and I am unable to maintain my former fitness routine.
I’m contemplating on leaving my job in 2-3 years so I can transition to one with better work life balance. I want to be active and fit again.
Some questions:
– How difficult is it to become and stay fit in my 30s (and 40s)?
– Is it realistic and advisable to do Triathlon or Powerlifting at this stage of my life?
2 comments
Is it realistic?
Yes. The main thing to focus on is consistency and making a routine.
It won’t be accomplished by running 10 miles every now and than, but by running say 2 or 3 miles everyday. Small steps every day, not massive changes periodically.
I can’t speak from personal experience on power lifting, but there are many endurance athletes who are still active later in life. Many of my friends are approaching 50 and still run ultramarathons. One guy ran three 100 milers last year.
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I didn’t start getting into the outdoors until my early 30s. It felt great. Having a good training plan, and being consistent will get you far. I’ve been sidelined for a few years, but that was from my own stupidity and injuries/accidents, not because we’re too old for this stuff. At my peak, I was easily hiking and jogging 50 miles a week with a minimum of 15k feet of gain, while also climbing, and bike riding.
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Taking voluntary demotions, and leaving stressful jobs was the best decision I made later in life. I’m not rich, and drive an economy car, but I make enough to be comfortable and happy. It’s nice to have a lot more free time to enjoy life, and not constantly stress out on work.