5 Non-Negotiables That Keep Me Strong, Pain-Free, and Consistent in Midlife

If you’re over 35, you’ve probably noticed that your body doesn’t respond the same way it did in your 20s. Random workouts (or no workouts), long periods of inactivity, poor sleep, and “I’ll do better tomorrow” nutrition start to show up as sore joints, low energy, nagging injuries, or a little more fluff around parts of your body you are not looking to emphasize.

But there’s hope...and you don’t need extreme workouts or perfection to feel strong, capable, and confident in your body.

Since you do need to do something though, here are five basic habits that have enabled me to train consistently, move well, and stay injury-free since getting started in my late 30’s (almost 15 years ago!) — and they’re especially powerful for those of us navigating busy lives, hormonal shifts, and changing recovery needs.

1. Strength Training That Respects Your Joints (and Your Nervous System)

Strength training is non-negotiable as we age — and not JUST for aesthetics!, but for bone density, joint health, metabolism, and everyday confidence.

I train all major muscle groups (including stabilizers) at least three times per week, and I do push myself but I maintain some rules around that.

Instead of forcing exercises that my body doesn’t respond to well, I choose joint-friendly movements that allow me to focus on good mechanics and control and I adjust volume and intensity based on recovery.

This approach allows me to build and maintain strength and muscle without burning out my nervous system or aggravating my joints — which is key for staying consistent long term.

Tip you can use: If an exercise causes joint pain (not muscle fatigue), it’s not a failure — it’s feedback. Swap it. Consistency beats intensity every time.

2. Full Warm-Ups (Even on “Off” Days)

I don’t consider warm-ups optional anymore — I consider them insurance against unnecessary “tweaks”.

Almost every day, I do a full warm-up that includes:

• Foam rolling or soft tissue work

• Mobility for my joints

• Light activation for my core and all muscles, especially ones that will be used more that day

Often times, even on rest days, I’ll still do a warm-up as a mini workout, sometimes paired with core work and/or cardio

This gets blood flowing, improves coordination, and drastically reduces strains, tweaks, and that “something feels off” sensation.

Tip you can use: A 10–15 minute warm-up can be a terrific way to maintain forward momentum on busy days. It keeps you moving, reduces stiffness, and helps you stay consistent — even when life gets chaotic.

3. Cardio for Recovery, Not Calorie Burn

Cardio isn’t about shrinking yourself or “earning” food. It can help you loose weight but I find it’s much more valuable when used to help manage heart health, brain function, immune system function, mood regulation and recovery between workouts.

In addition, getting my heart rate up a few times per week helps nutrients reach the muscles more efficiently, and improves endurance, so I can handle strength days better and just feel less wiped out overall.

Tip you can use: Cardio doesn’t have to mean long, miserable sessions on stationary equipment. Anything that gets your heart rate up counts. Choose something you don’t hate and spend 20-40 minutes doing whatever that is (the more intense, the shorter the session, the less intense, the longer).

4. Eating Like an Adult (and Drinking Enough Water)

It’s a sad truth but at this stage of life, nutrition massively affects how you feel, move, and recover - more than most people can even imagine.

That being said, I do not believe in severe restriction and allow myself to enjoy my favorite “cheats” pretty regularly but MOST of the time (as in like 80% being the goal), in order to control inflammation, support recovery and manage weight and daily energy levels, I focus on adequate protein consumption, foods that are minimally processed, incorporating all of the major food groups and staying within a pretty regular calorie range every day to maintain – no yoyo stuff.

Hydration matters just as much for many of the same reasons so I shoot for ½ of my body weight in ounces of fluids every day (I do not include fluids that contain alcohol or caffeine in that total).

Tip you can use: Start with ONE simple upgrade: add protein to every meal or drink an extra bottle of water per day, for example. Pick the most obvious area in need of improvement and start there. Small changes are grossly underrated.

5. Sleep – My Favorite

Sleep is the most underrated performance and recovery tool — especially in midlife.

This is honestly not a tough one for me but I still try to keep it regulated by goinging to bed around the same time, doing everything I can to get 7–8 hours of sleep, honor my wind-down routine which involves a cup of tea and 20+ minutes of reading in bed to help put my brain in sleep mode.

Quality sleep is said to be the best “performance enhancing and anti-aging drug on the planet” and that’s not much of an exaggeration. Quality sleep supports hormone balance, reduces inflammation, improves brain health, and makes workouts (and daily life) feel easier.

Tip you can use: If sleep is inconsistent, focus on a consistent bedtime first and foremost. Shut off your tv, shut off your phone. Read a book, listen to some music, write in a journal, anything. Getting to bed 15–30 minutes earlier can make a noticeable difference over time.

As you have probably noticed by now, none of these habits are extreme. But they will protect your joints, support recovery, fit into real life and keep you consistent for years. Not a bad trade off, in my opinion.

So, if you’re over 35 and feel like your body is “changing", calm down, it’s not broken — it probably just needs better habits to adjust to.

You don’t need to do everything perfectly. You just need to do the right things consistently.