{"id":21376,"date":"2025-06-28T08:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T08:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/21376\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T08:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T08:49:09","slug":"6-gym-habits-to-avoid-after-40-according-to-a-trainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/21376\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Gym Habits To Avoid After 40, According to a Trainer"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s always important to stay up-to-date on ways to improve and enhance your workout routine and overall wellness. We looked into six gym habits you may be doing that are harmful after 40. Let\u2019s see if any of these sound familiar. We spoke with Luke Jones<\/b>, certified personal trainer at HERO Movement<\/a>, who feels the biggest mistake made is training like you\u2019re 25 when you\u2019re actually 40. Your body is very different in this stage of life\u2014and your workout should reflect that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main challenge for most people is recovery. It\u2019s not that you can\u2019t train hard, but your body may need a little more time between intense sessions,\u201d Luke points out. \u201cHormonal shifts, slower tissue repair, and reduced joint lubrication all mean that the \u201cgo hard or go home\u201d mentality can backfire. What worked brilliantly at 25 might now lead to chronic soreness, plateaus, or even injuries. That said, your body is still incredibly capable-it just needs a bit more care and attention. The goal isn\u2019t to pull back out of fear, but to train smarter, so you can stay consistent and injury-free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although that\u2019s the biggest bad habit, there are more.<\/p>\n

\tPushing Every Set to the Limit<\/p>\n

\"olderShutterstock<\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to pace yourself and understand your limitations.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>Pushing every set to the limit can feel productive, but over time, it can place unnecessary stress on the joints, connective tissues and nervous system,\u201d says Luke. \u201cRecovery takes a little longer as we age, and constantly flirting with burnout can stall progress instead of speeding it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Happens to Your Body When You Lift Weights Every Day<\/a><\/p>\n

\tSkipping Warm-Ups and Mobility Work<\/p>\n

\"womanShutterstock<\/p>\n

Everyone needs to warm up before a workout; not doing so puts you at risk of sustaining injury. Keep in mind, if you get injured, you won\u2019t be exercising for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cRushing into training without properly prepping the body can increase injury risk, especially for joints like the shoulders, knees, and spine,\u201d Luke warns. \u201cA few minutes of movement prep can go a long way toward better performance and fewer setbacks!\u201d<\/p>\n

4 Weekly Exercises That Build Full-Body Fitness Fast, Trainer Says<\/a><\/p>\n

\tFollowing a Plan That Doesn\u2019t Fit Your Abilities<\/p>\n

\"manShutterstock<\/p>\n

It\u2019s essential to know your abilities, including performance level and limitations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany gym-goers follow generic online programs or intense workouts designed for younger athletes,\u201d Luke tells us. \u201cBut after 40, things like recovery capacity, mobility, and injury history vary widely\u2014training should reflect that, not ignore it.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You Can Do These 4 Bodyweight Workouts, Your Body Is Still Young<\/a><\/p>\n

\tAvoiding Unilateral Training<\/p>\n

\"womanShutterstock<\/p>\n

As you age, it\u2019s increasingly necessary to assess your workout and tweak your routine. Little changes can make a big difference in your performance and results.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still plenty of room to chase the big bilateral lifts\u2014deadlifts, squats, presses\u2014if that\u2019s your thing,\u201d says Luke. \u201cBut while asymmetries aren\u2019t something to panic about, they can accumulate as we age. Incorporating more single-leg and single-arm work, and moving through different planes\u2014lateral lunges, rotations, that sort of thing\u2014can help maintain balance, support joint health, and ultimately help you get more out of your big lifts (and everything else you do in day-to-day life).\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIgnoring Recovery<\/p>\n

\"SeniorShutterstock<\/p>\n

As previously mentioned, recovery is king when it comes to a solid workout plan. Don\u2019t skip rest days and recovery sessions\u2014ever.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\u201cMobility drills, foam rolling, and active rest days often get skipped in favor of squeezing in another tough workout,\u201d Luke explains. \u201cBut building them in is essential for managing stiffness, supporting tissue health, and staying consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

If You Can Pass This Tennis Ball Test, You May Live to 100<\/a><\/p>\n

\tOver-Prioritizing Heavy Lifting<\/p>\n

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One habit that can easily get overlooked in performing workouts is prioritizing quality over quantity.<\/p>\n

\u201cChasing personal bests week after week is great for motivation, but can be hard on the joints over time,\u201d Luke states. \u201cA more sustainable approach involves rotating load, tempo, and intent to build strength without burnout. Consistency over intensity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n

\t\tAlexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Alexa <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s always important to stay up-to-date on ways to improve and enhance your workout routine and overall wellness.…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21377,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[1081,1728,1198,210,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-21376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-aging","9":"tag-exercise","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114760133112738603","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}