How to Stay in Shape In Your 30s

This post was sponsored by Biochem, but all opinions are my own.

You might be surprised to hear this, but I don’t like working out. I visit the gym to maintain a healthy lifestyle rather than for pure enjoyment. While I have managed to stay seemingly in shape, don’t let my slim physique fool you—my physical fitness level is not what it used to be. As we age, weight becomes harder to keep off, energy levels drop, and our bodies don’t quite move the way they once did. When I was in my 20s, I could party two or three nights a week, eat pizza at 3:00 A.M., and stay slim and trim without spending hardly any time in the gym. Well, newsflash, people: I’m not in my 20s anymore. So, I had to get serious about my health to stay in shape.

When we took off to Thailand and Singapore for a month in 2016, I never imagined that I would Eat, Pray, Love myself to weight gain and bad habits. When beer is cheaper than a bottle of water, you start to make poor beverage choices, to say the least. Now that I’m back in NYC, I’m focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and I’ve managed to pick up some good habits over the past few years to help me stay in shape in my 30s.

Diversify Your Workout

Surprise, surprise—you can’t spend 20 minutes on the treadmill every once in a while and expect to remain toned and trim. Along with feeling bored, you also won’t work your muscles or be consistent enough in your exercise to see results. I mix up my workout and combine weight training with cardio, barre, and stretching. The combination of these workouts allows me to build muscle tone and burn fat. I work my heart on cardio days with some HIIT, and condition my body to get long, lean muscles with barre workouts. Stretching allows me to improve my flexibility and relieve stress. When starting out, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the equipment in the gym. Start slow and work your way up to a hardcore workout. You can always follow along with workout videos on YouTube, too.

Diet Is Just as Important as Exercise

I’ve always considered myself a healthy eater, but I didn’t realize how important it is to fuel my body correctly. Fruits and veggies are good, but protein should be an essential part of the diet, especially if you are working out on a regular basis. To stay in shape, it’s essential to eat a balanced diet that supports your muscles. I recently started using Biochem Plant and Whey Protein Powders, both to provide my body with nutrients before a workout and to help my body recover afterward. Unlike typical protein powders, some Biochem protein powders provide additional benefits with their formulas, like supporting joint health, relieving stress, or providing the same levels of energy you would get from a cup of coffee.

Why Protein?

When we work out we are essentially breaking down our muscles. Protein, however, helps to rebuild and grow them. Your body doesn’t care about the type of protein it is getting, so I use a combination of whey and plant-based protein. Pro tip: When using plant-based proteins, make sure that they have a complete amino acid profile. This is another reason I use Biochem Plant Lean Vanilla Protein Powder. With 20g of protein per serving, it helps with controlling appetite, burning calories, and metabolizing fat while increasing energy expenditure.

How I Use Biochem

I try to find new ways to integrate protein into my everyday routine. On days when I am not working out, I add a scoop of Biochem Vanilla Protein Powder to my pancake batter—a delicious variation to my traditional recipe that adds 20g of protein to my breakfast.

Another quick way to get your dose of protein in the morning? Skip your coffee and have a scoop of Biochem Whey Protein + Energy with your favorite milk beverage. The coffee flavor is delicious, and it provides caffeine and muscle support in your drink.

Be sure to follow Biochem on Instagram and Facebook to learn more.

Sleep Your Way to Good Health

In your 30s, life gets hectic! Everyday stresses that come from a demanding job or #momlife can interfere with your sleep. Being tired is not the only consequence of not getting enough sleep; it can also slow your progress toward your fitness goals. A restful night’s sleep is an essential component to a good workout and to muscle recovery after working out. Studies have also shown that a lack of sleep is linked to weight gain. So as you carve out your schedule for workouts, be sure block off eight hours a night for some zzz’s!

Your 30s can be a tough decade, fitness wise. However, don’t let the changes in your body discourage you from living your best, healthiest life. To stay in shape consistency is key, and if you form the right habits now, you will be in shape for decades to come.

Stay fabulous,