Preface Now is the time to exercise while knowing and loving yourself better.

Part 01 From 0 to 100 years old

Chapter 01 Things that change with age

Changes in the abilities of the character 'I'
Ability to learn movements | Balance and body control | Power and the ability to exert great force for a short time | Recovery ability | Muscle loss and strength loss | Decreased endurance

How do muscles change with age?
Changes in muscle fibers | Collagen increases, elasticity decreases | Motor neuron problems

What is the best exercise for people in their 20s and older?
Late 20s to early 30s: Still in your prime | Mid 30s to mid 40s: The time when you can tell if you've taken care of yourself or not | Late 40s to 50s: Menopause | After 60: Protect your muscles

Does exercising a lot help you live longer?

Male and female hormones

Chapter 02 If I had a handicap in my body

Diabetes and insulin

How to exercise if you have high blood pressure?
[Case 1] A young, mildly hypertensive patient with no other health problems | [Case 2] An older patient with hypertension but with good exercise capacity | [Case 3] An older patient with hypertension and significantly reduced exercise capacity

Can I exercise if I have back problems?
The Three Biggest Back Troublemakers: Sprains, Disc Herniation, and Stenosis | What to Do First When You Have Back Pain | Walking and Decompression Therapy | Are Other Cardio Exercises Safe? | Strength Training for Back Pain

My knees hurt after exercising!
What was it like before the problem occurred? | Where does your knee hurt? | Damage caused by impact and friction | When the wrong direction of force becomes the problem

Chapter 03 Things to be more concerned about than when you were twenty

Fatigue management
What happens to my body after exercise? | How to reduce fatigue after exercise | What kind of exercise should I do and how much after middle age?

Smoking and drinking
How Smoking Affects Cardio and Endurance | How Smoking Affects Muscle Growth and Strength | How Drinking Ruins Your Bodybuilding Plans

Should I wear joint protectors?
Knee pads | Back pads

Part 02: Nutritional Studies That Can't Be Avoided Even in Middle Age

Chapter 01 What nutrients should I eat?

Why Protein Is Important When You Exercise
Good Protein vs. Bad Protein | How and How Much Protein Should You Eat? | How to Eat Protein Well

Eat healthy and limit carbohydrates
Understanding Carbohydrates Easily | Fast and Slow Carbs | Carbohydrate-Based Foods Around Us | How to Eat Carbohydrates in a Healthier Way

Fat, Very Bad or Good (Feat. Cholesterol)
Not all fats are created equal | Prioritizing fats and carbohydrates | Is cholesterol a fat? | What fats are good for you?

micronutrients

Chapter 02 The Best Diet for Over 40

What is the difference between weight and body fat management?
As we age, we expend less energy | Body fat | Blood sugar and blood lipid management | Diet comes before exercise |

You won't be fooled if you just look at the nutrition facts label.
[Step 1] Check the Reference Amount | [Step 2] Check Calories | [Step 3] Check the 3 Major Nutrients | Remember that nutritional labels can contain errors | Always check the order of the "raw ingredients" in processed foods.

How much energy do I use in a day?
Components of the TDEE | How do I know how much to eat? | Applying the TDEE in practice | How much should I eat? | Diet management for each case

Sports supplements that are more necessary after middle age
Protein Supplements and Leucine - The Most Useful Supplements | Creatine - The Most Proven Performance Supplement | Arginine, Citrulline, and Red Beetroot - The Nitric Oxide Trio | Caffeine - Powerful and Versatile, but a Dangerous One | Collagen - Should You Eat This? | Beta-Alanine - The Endurance Booster

Part 03 Building up your health and physical strength

Chapter 01 Basic physical fitness and health exercise

Now it's not aerobic exercise, it's basic physical exercise
Limitations and Safety of Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise, what should I do?
LISS, Interval, and the In-Between | How to Determine the Intensity of Aerobic Exercise | How Many Calories Does Aerobic Exercise Burn?

Warm-up and stretching before exercise
Why Warm Up | Basic Full-Body Warm-Up | Body-Specific Warm-Ups | Strength Training-Specific Preparation

Chapter 02 Exercises for basic physical strength

Walking and hiking - the default for all activities and exercises
What posture should I use when walking? | Power walking vs. treadmill walking | How breathlessly should I walk? | What to prepare before walking | Setting up walking for your age | Walking with walking sticks | Is it okay to go hiking?

Running - You can do it, but be careful
Is it okay to run after middle age? | Running form | Running tips for beginners | Which route should I run on? | How to start running | If your goal is health and weight management | You should definitely try on running shoes before buying | If you are middle age or older, you should wear knee pads
Bicycles, outdoor and indoor, and even virtual reality
Standing vs. Recreational Bikes | Indoor Cycling Posture | Light and Fast vs. Hard and Slow | How to Avoid Sluggishness | Spinning or Zwift?

Swimming is a great exercise, but it's missing 5 percent.
The pros are great, but the cons are also great | Why You Should Swim Anyway

Staircase, stairwell, or stairway to heaven?
Things to watch out for when climbing stairs | Avoiding raccoon holes and climbing the stairway to heaven

Other exercises, elliptical / Zumba (aerobics) / rowing machine
What about ellipticals and steppers? | Zumba, dance sports - both fun and exercise | Rowing machines - Is it more about where to place them than the machines themselves?

Part 04 Exercises for Strength and Muscle

Chapter 01 Strength Training: Let's Start with This Much Knowledge

Choosing Strength Training Equipment After Middle Age
Bodyweight exercises | Free weights (barbells, dumbbells, etc.) | Machines and cable machines | Band exercises | Park equipment (aka.
Sansjang) | Home training equipment

Strength training is complete only when combined with nutrition.
Step 1 - Calorie Surplus and Daily Total Protein | Step 2 - When and How to Eat

What weight, reps, and rest periods are right for me?
Things to decide before starting a strength training program | How many total sets per week is appropriate? | I'm done with my workout today, how many days should I rest?

How to Divide Momentum 1 - The Non-Division Method

How to Divide Momentum 2 - The Division Method

Various strength training common sense
Strength Training Breathing Techniques | How to Hold Equipment: Undergrip, Overgrip, and Neutral | Is Muscle Soreness a Sign of Muscle Growth? | Why Do I Look So Fit Right After Strength Training?

Chapter 02 Basic Strength Training for Muscle Mass and Strength

lower body exercises
Types and Priorities of Lower Body Exercises | Squats | Lunges | Leg Presses | Hip Thrusts | Leg Extensions | Leg Curls | Calf Raises | Step-Ups

Core and Abdominal Exercises
Core Exercises for Middle Age and Beyond | Plank | Superman, Pron Cobra | Dead Bug, Hollow Body Hold | Bird Dog | Crunches | Knee Raises | Torso Twist

back exercises
Types and Priorities of Back Exercises | Deadlifts | Romanian Deadlifts | Chins (Pull-ups, Chins) | Lat Pulldowns | Rows | Back Extensions | Straight-Arm Pulldowns | Face Pulls | Shrugs

Chest and shoulder exercises
Chest and Shoulder Exercise Types and Priorities | Bench Press | Overhead Press (Military Press) | Push-ups | Dips | Chest Fly | Side Lateral Raise | Bent-Over Lateral Raise | Front Raise | Upright Row

Arm and Forearm Exercises
Arm Exercise Types and Priorities | Bicep Curls | Tricep Extensions | (Reverse) Wrist Curls | Grip Machines | Weight Rollers

Chapter 03 Strength Training for Physical Fitness and Sports

The Three Paths of Strength Training: Bulking, Strength, and Power

Strength Training for Muscles vs. Strength Training for Competition

Strength training for running, walking, and hiking
Lower Body | Core and Upper Body

Strength training for cycling

Strength training for swimming

Strength training for racket sports such as golf and tennis

Strength training for soccer

Conclusion: Investing just 30 minutes a day can change your life.

Take a break
Can exercise raise your blood pressure? | Which sex positions are easier on your back? | Can you get your protein from beans? | The melamine and amino acid spike scandal | How to get rid of age spots? | Why do we get injured more often after middle age? | Lower body exercises that even people who can't squat can do | What if you absolutely must do unilateral exercises?

[Appendix] Calorie Table by Food
Home-cooked and restaurant-style menus (rice/noodles) | Home-cooked and restaurant-style menus (soup/porridge/steamed dishes) | Home-cooked and restaurant-style menus (grilled/pancakes/stir-fried/fried dishes) | Home-cooked and restaurant-style menus (rice cakes/other snacks) | Major agricultural products | Meat and seafood

Middle Age: Why Should You Change Your Exercise Method?

As you pass your 40s, your body naturally changes.
Muscle mass decreases by 1 percent each year, and fat replaces the lost muscle mass.
Joints and ligaments are much weaker than when you were younger, putting you at greater risk for injury even with the same level of intensity.
Cardiopulmonary function also gradually declines, making it difficult to continue exercising until you are out of breath like before.
Yet, many middle-aged people still stick to the same exercise routine they had in their 20s and 30s.
Representative examples include high-intensity running, excessive strength training, and high-intensity interval training.
Exercising this way with a middle-aged body is more likely to cause injury and chronic pain than to improve fitness.
"The Essentials of Middle-Aged Exercise" breaks the stereotype that one must exercise the same way as one did in one's youth even after middle age, emphasizing that "body changes are natural, and acknowledging this fact is the starting point for middle-aged exercise."
Accepting physical changes and transitioning to an age-appropriate exercise routine is the first step toward extending your healthy lifespan.
The moment you accept that as your body changes, so must your exercise goals and methods, exercise ceases to be a painful experience and becomes an enjoyable habit!

Realistic and Sustainable Exercise for Middle Age

The author, Sufi, is an amateur athlete and journalist, not a professional trainer.
However, the author's exercise solutions are based on over 30 years of diverse exercise experience and the latest research, earning him solid trust from readers.
Drawing on insights gained from a wide range of experiences in rowing, fitness, swimming, marathons, and martial arts, this book contains the essential exercise principles and methods for middle-aged people.
For middle-aged people, it is important to maintain and improve physical fitness through sustainable exercise that reduces the risk of injury rather than high-intensity training.
The book suggests exercises that balance strength, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary function, and guides you through how to perform each movement safely.
In addition to aerobic exercise and strength training, the book also introduces exercises that are helpful for various sports enjoyed as part of daily life, such as swimming, golf, tennis, cycling, and soccer, so readers can find the exercise that best suits their physical condition and preferences through the book.
This book does not talk about short-term, dramatic changes.
When it comes to exercising in middle age, the most important thing is whether you can do it consistently rather than achieving short-term results, and whether you can create exercise habits that can be incorporated into your daily life without overdoing it.


If you're in your 40s, it's not too late. If you're in your 60s, now is the fastest time.

Starting an age-appropriate exercise routine is more than just a matter of maintaining good health; it's a crucial decision that can affect the quality of your remaining life.
If you start preparing now in your 40s, you can live a vibrant life until old age, and if you start now in your 60s, you can recover your physical strength and health.
The exercise programs in the book are designed to be easy to start, and even beginners can follow along without any burden.
We guide you through strengthening specific muscle groups first to protect your joints and adjusting exercise intensity to account for physical decline due to hormonal changes.
In particular, abdominal obesity and postural imbalance are the main culprits that rapidly reduce the quality of life after middle age, so customized exercise methods to improve these are also covered in detail.
By following the guidelines in this book, practicing safe and sustainable exercise without being greedy and taking into account the physiological and physical changes that occur during middle age, you can build a body that will not get sick or break down throughout your life.
Now, we desperately need a movement that improves the quality of life, not just numbers!