FOR many of us, our 40s are a time when things start to shift.
Energy levels dip, weight becomes harder to control, and mystery aches and pains strike.
1
But not for Sarah Lindsay, a three-time Olympic speed-skater and founder of personal-training gym Roar Fitness.
Based in London and Dubai, the PT is among the Instagram influencers proving that being “fit” doesn’t have an age limit.
After turning 45 in June, she’s cracked the code when it comes to thriving in midlife, saying she feels: “Fit, strong and calm.”
Here, Sarah reveals exactly what it takes to look and feel that good – and you don’t have to be an Olympian to achieve it.
Walk Every Day
I walk most mornings at 6am, usually for around 45 minutes, which is about 6,000 steps.
It warms me up and gets my body moving, and it also helps clear my mind ready for the day.
Walking is such an underrated form of exercise – whether it’s taking a stroll at lunchtime, doing the school run on foot or meeting friends for a walk and talk, it’s a simple activity to incorporate into your day.
Eat Protein For Breakfast
I start the day with three eggs or 300g of steak and vegetables. I appreciate most people don’t want steak for breakfast – Greek yoghurt is also high in protein, so just mix with some nuts for a dose of healthy fats.
The protein from the eggs or steak helps support my muscles, plus it keeps me feeling full.
I choose savoury over sweet, because a high-sugar breakfast can cause a spike in blood glucose levels, followed by a crash, and then the need for more sugar or caffeine to pick the energy back up.
Take Collagen daily
I add Correxiko Marine Collagen Powder, £39.95 for 30 servings, to my morning coffee and evening hot chocolate.
I also take a spoonful of collagen jelly at some point during the day.
Collagen helps to support my joints, bones and muscles, plus keeps my gut health and my skin looking young.
Add Supplements
My top-five supplements are magnesium, zinc, creatine, collagen and NAD+ (a coenzyme found in every cell of the body).
These help me recover after exercise, sleep well, improve my cognitive function and reduce inflammation, which helps to stop me falling ill.
Do an Afternoon Workout
As I’ve grown older, I feel more vulnerable to injury in the mornings, so I save more intense workouts for later in the day, once my muscles have warmed up.
I will never train without eating first.
Training when fasted doesn’t make you burn more fat, but it does increase your chance of burning muscle.
Aim for 40-Minute Sessions
I weight train for 40 minutes, three times a week, doing full-body workouts.
Any more than that and I struggle to stay focused.
I always train with a plan – I don’t just wing exercise and hope for the best.
Every session has a clear purpose, with no ego lifting, just smart training that keeps me moving and living well.
On days that I do train, I have a protein shake afterwards to help my recovery.
Switch it up regularly
You have to mix up your weight training every month or so, otherwise your body will stop adapting and progressing.
I tend to change the exercises I do, the amount of weights I lift and/or the length of rest periods between exercise sets.
I’ll also change my training focus, such as strength, muscle growth, endurance, conditioning or power, so that I can keep improving, getting stronger and fitter.
At the moment, I’m doing 15 reps per set, because I am in a conditioning phase.
This means I’m improving my aerobic fitness and muscular endurance.
Increase Rest Time
I do exercises in pairs and alternate between upper- and lower-body movements.
For example, a set of squats immediately followed by a set of bicep curls.
It’s important to do compound moves, like squats, which involve multiple joints and muscles, as well as isolation moves, such as bicep curls, which involve one muscle or joint.
Your training programme depends on your health, injuries, experience and current level of fitness, rather than your actual age.
The most important thing to adjust as you get older is to increase your rest times – as you age, you need more rest days to support recovery.
If you don’t recover, you don’t improve.
Opt for Home-Cooked food
When I’m eating at home, I keep it simple.
For lunch, I have two salmon fillets, potatoes and salad.
For dinner, I eat three chicken thighs with rice and veg.
Being organised is important, because if I’m starving I’ll go for the most convenient food, whatever it is.
So having something balanced and healthy already made helps me avoid fast food.
I will have a couple of snacks during the day, such as nuts, fruit or sometimes toast.
I don’t count calories, but it can be useful if you’re trying to make changes to body composition, such as getting leaner or adding muscle.
Never Ban Treats
I do have a sweet tooth and I don’t restrict myself, which is why I never binge on sweet stuff.
Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and if I want something, then I will have it.
My go-to sweet treat is always dark chocolate. I like Booja-Booja, because it’s rich and full of flavour, so I only need a couple of chocolates to feel satisfied.
Or I’ll have a few dates or some sweet popcorn.
If you have unhealthy eating habits or if you feel guilty when you eat treats, you need to try to reframe your thinking.
This is a huge and complicated topic and very individual, so it’s difficult for me to advise.
The most important thing is to not beat yourself up about it, and to try and make a realistic plan to form new habits.
Limit Alcohol intake
Alcohol is my biggest nutritional downfall – I’ll drink champagne to celebrate, have wine with dinner, Aperol on holiday or a gin and tonic at my local pub, but I’m pretty good at having a few, then stopping.
When you realise how much more productive you feel the next day without overdoing the alcohol, it makes it far easier to stop after just a few.
It’s also a good idea to drink water between each alcoholic drink, as this slows down your drinking.
Know your Numbers
I have semi-regular blood tests to check if I’m deficient in any nutrients.
If you can’t get in shape because you constantly crave certain foods and alcohol, then it’s worth checking for deficiencies.
For example, if you’re always craving dark chocolate, it could mean you’re deficient in magnesium, or craving salty snacks might mean a sodium deficiency.
From the age of 40, everyone should be getting their NHS Health Check every five years, which measures things like blood pressure and cholesterol.
Refine your Bedtime Routine
A bit of discipline can go a long way to improving your sleep quality.
Aim to finish eating three hours before going to bed, and stop using your phone or anything else digital at least an hour before bed.
A colder room can often help you sleep better, and if you’re someone with a busy brain, journalling before getting into bed can be a game-changer to get your thoughts out of your head and on to paper.
