Less Stress And More Endurance At 40+
A double-win workout that boosts stamina and beats the daily grind.
Female brunette with towel on head after shower shaving face with foam and blade looking away.
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 2 minutes
Time to action: 15 minutes
Mantra: I give myself permission to let go of what no longer serves me (happify.com)
Main message: Better living through (changing) body chemistry
Stat: 62% of adults who exercise stress say it is very effective stress relief. (apa.org)
A lot of what makes life worth living is also what makes it stressful. Call it positive psychology, or the Ikigai definition of value, or even just ironic - there is value in feeling some stress. Just, not too much. The cortisol and adrenaline stress produced can be useful in small quantities, but too much for too long can leave an otherwise healthy body feeling overrun.
One of the ways to ensure you stay on the safe side of stress comes through increasing your endurance - your ability to level out some other spikes in your body chemistry which helps to cope day-to-day. So we’ve asked our army of PTs to put together a circuit that helps reduce stress and increase endurance, to try to make it as bomb-proof for modern living as possible. This is an outdoor workout that increases your stress-fighting capabilities hugely.
Outdoor Exercise Benefits
Just 5 minutes in the open air improves your mood and self-esteem. Remember this quick, 5-move workout is light and relaxing, aimed at altering your body chemistry back to normal, not obliterating it by going ‘beast mode’. Aim for 2-3 circuits a week to feel the benefits over the long term.
Jog for 5 minutes, then…
1/5. Prisoner squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and place your hands behind your head. Squats by lowering your body, keeping your back straight and chest up. Engage your core, and push through your heels to return to the starting position.
Jog for 2-3 minutes, then…
2/5. Forward lunge
A) From a standing position, take a large step forward with one leg.
B) When your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee is off the floor, hold for 1 second. Then return to the starting position and repeat with your other leg.
10 reps.
Jog for 2-3 minutes, then…
3/5. Inverted row
Lie on your back beneath a sturdy tree branch, grab it with an overhand grip, and pull your chest towards the bar, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep your body straight throughout the movement, aiming for a full range of motion to effectively target the muscles in your upper back.
10 reps.
Jog for 2-3 minutes, then…
4/5. Tucked-elbow push-up
Assume a push-up position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and elbows tucked close to your body. Lower your chest toward the ground while keeping your elbows tucked in, and then push back up, engaging your chest, triceps, and shoulders.
6 reps.
Jog for 2-3 minutes, then…
5/5. Plank
Get into a plank position by supporting your body on your forearms and toes, forming a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core muscles, hold the position, and focus on maintaining proper body alignment for a full-body isometric exercise.
Hold for 20 seconds.
PT WOLF
Wolf is a personal trainer who tries and tests every programme we put together. A celebrity trainer, Wolf has been a fitness journalist, practising what he preaches for over 20 years. Now in his 40s, Wolf has added muscle to his frame in every decade of his life and has an annoyingly healthy body fat percentage. He tries it before he says it, but even more importantly, he lives it every day.
