They say men peak at 28. As you enter your 30s your body slows down, you feel aches and pains and it’s more difficult to keep yourself fit, particularly with a busy lifestyle. So, what can you do to check you’re in reasonable shape?
Forget BMI and waist circumference, these three tests are the true markers of fitness you should pay attention to when you hit the big three-o. They’ll test your strength, stamina, flexibility, mobility and coordination, all key indicators of how well you’ve looked after your body for the past three decades and how likely it’ll stay in one piece for the next three.
Sit down and stand up
Simply drop from standing into a sitting position and then drive back up to stand without using your hands. Sounds easy? It is if your body hasn’t broken down from years of inactivity. This “sitting-rising test” was developed by Brazilian physicians to measure musculoskeletal fitness as a predictor of life expectancy. The more help you need, the more you should work on life-extending mobility drills with regular split squats and lunges.
Be able to carry your loved one
Because romance isn’t dead. This one’s all about technique. Wide stance, bend the knees, engage the core. Get a good grip around your partner’s mid back and back of their thighs. Subtly take a deep breath (it’s meant to look like a breeze, remember) to brace your torso and drive up to stand. Practise with Zercher carries so you’re confident when the mood is right for the real thing.
Perform one pull-up
There’s been too many cliffhanger endings in movies for you to not be prepared for this eventuality. One is all you need. Anything more is a bonus. To succeed you need to recruit your upper back muscles – they’re the driving force in this lift rather than the arms. Prep by grabbing a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Let yourself hang with straight arms but retract your shoulder blades to lift your chin a few inches. If you’re starting from scratch use this drill to perfect the technique, increasing the reps and time you hold the position until you’re ready to hulk your chin over that bar to safety.
So, how did you get on? Let us know in the comments section below and tell us if you have any tests to determine your fitness in your 30s.
