As both a health journalist and qualified fitness trainer, I know that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to working out.<\/a> However, I\u2019ve drawn on scientific research and spoken to fellow personal trainers and health experts to find out the best fitness tips to help supercharge every decade, from childhood to older age\u2026<\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n Ages 0-10<\/p>\n What with screens, schedules and safety fears, many children are simply moving less than their bodies need. In fact, a study published last year found that only 23 per cent of pre-school children in the UK meet the recommended activity <\/a>guidelines. Researchers didn\u2019t speculate as to why so few move as much as they should \u2013 but there is one science-backed tip to get children to do so more: play.<\/p>\n In fact, studies have found that free play was just as good \u2013 if not better \u2013 than structured activity<\/a> for helping children to get moving. And it can lead to huge benefits, from better developed language skills to improved attention.<\/p>\n They also enjoy it more: a survey by psychologists at Rider University in the US found that nearly 57 per cent of children say they prefer unstructured activities, such as running around, to organised games.<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Swap screen time in favour of unstructured play. That can be anything from darting about the playground and climbing at the park to using toys or make-believe games with other children or adults in the home.<\/p>\n \u201cProgress and pressure aren\u2019t important \u2013 finding something fun, exciting and enjoyable is what matters most,\u201d says personal trainer Eleanor Heaton-Armstrong.<\/a><\/p>\n The goal is for children aged one to four to move for at least 180 minutes a day, and children aged five to 10 to do at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-intense activity a day, which could look like adding a few extra minutes to the cycle home from school each day or letting them run wild with a friend on the weekend.<\/p>\n Ages 11-20<\/p>\n The teenage years are a decade when exercise<\/a> can become a habit \u2013 or something we learn to avoid altogether. According to research, those who are active in adolescence are 3.7 times as likely to be active in adulthood, so it is important to support and gently encourage this generation to exercise. \u201cThese years are formative and can shape our adult attitude towards exercise,\u201d says Heaton-Armstrong.<\/p>\n Behavioural research shows the biggest predictor of sticking with exercise later in life is enjoyment and autonomy, not intensity. Researchers of a study in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity<\/a> even suggested that a \u201cutilitarian approach to exercise, like that often found in exercise or sports clubs, could be partially responsible for the high dropout rate among children\u201d.<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Avoid pushy parenting<\/a> \u2013 let them choose how they move. \u201cHaving autonomy over our own time means we can choose something that stimulates both our minds and bodies \u2013 and we will stick with it for longer,\u201d says Heaton-Armstrong.<\/p>\n It is a good idea to let adolescents try lots of different activities, rather than pushing them to pick up certain sports or shaming them when they drop them. Find open days at local fitness centres or clubs so they can explore a variety of ways of moving, from ballet to football, until they find what works for them.<\/p>\n Ages 20-30<\/p>\n Your twenties are often the most active decade on paper, though that doesn\u2019t always mean it is for the right reasons. Surveys suggest that around 63 per cent of Gen Z exercise at least twice a week, but despite the headlines around modern-day wellness, their motivations are old school: a recent global report found that nearly half list improving their appearance as a reason to exercise<\/a>. It\u2019s not a surprise when you realise that 48 per cent of Gen Z check social media multiple times a day, according to a McKinsey study, which 50 per cent said led to a lack of confidence and 37 per cent reported led to bad body image.<\/p>\n With fitness influencers setting standards for bodies and movement, and complicated conversations around weight loss thanks to the rise in GLP-1s such as Ozempic<\/a> and Wegovy, it can be easy to exercise for reasons outside of yourself. But higher levels of physical activity are linked to better psychological wellbeing, according to a study on 18- to 35-year-olds \u2013 particularly when the motivation is intrinsic (your own desire or enjoyment, rather than pressure from outside).<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Get off social media and stop comparing your body and results. Remember that exercise is there to support your physical and mental health \u2013 don\u2019t let comparison or competition derail it.<\/p>\n Try to get to the bottom of the kind of movement<\/a> you actually enjoy. Fitness trends come and go, but there is no shame to sticking with what you love: don\u2019t run a half-marathon if you know you will wish you spent all those training hours stretching in a yoga studio instead.<\/p>\n Ages 30-40<\/p>\n By the time we reach our thirties, there is only one question that seems to be on the mind: who has time for exercise? \u201cTime can often be our biggest issue at this stage in our lives,\u201d agrees Heaton-Armstrong, noting that many people are juggling demanding jobs, a growing family and other pressures.<\/p>\n But despite what you might think, you don\u2019t need to exercise for hours every single day to improve your health<\/a>. For instance, new research shows that just 30 minutes of strength training twice a week can build muscular strength, endurance and power.<\/p>\n And when it comes to your cardio, \u201cexercise snacks\u201d are the perfect tool. These are small bursts of movement, such as climbing the stairs or doing squats, done a couple of times throughout the day for up to five minutes \u2013 and can lead to a 17 per cent increase in cardiorespiratory fitness, according to a British Journal of Sports Medicine<\/a> review.<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Keep it simple \u2013 short workouts are enough when you are juggling family and work. \u201cWhen it comes to exercise, consistency is key \u2013 a simple routine that incorporates both strength and cardio,\u201d says Heaton-Armstrong.<\/p>\n She recommends two short full-body workouts a week, which can be done at home or in the gym. Build these around the key movement patterns of pushing and pulling, across the upper and lower body. For instance, squats<\/a> (lower-body push), deadlift (lower-body pull), shoulder press (upper-body push) and bent-over rows (upper-body pull). Pair that with twice-daily stair climbs at the station or office, and you are already hitting major fitness disciplines without training for hours.<\/p>\n Ages 40-50<\/p>\n If you have reached your forties and begun to feel that the workouts you used to do no longer have the desired effect, you are not imagining it. \u201cThis is often when we start to notice that what used to \u2018work\u2019 fitness-wise suddenly doesn\u2019t,\u201d says midlife personal trainer and founder of CLC Fitness<\/a> Carly Corrigall. \u201cThe biggest tip I can give here is to move away from purely cardio-based training and make regular strength training a part of your weekly routine.\u201d<\/p>\n We hit peak muscle mass in our thirties, and without regular maintenance and growth, it will continue to decline over our life. That has an impact on your metabolism, heart health, disease risk and likelihood of injury. Research shows that women who were physically active in midlife had significantly higher muscle mass<\/a> in later life compared with those who were inactive in the decade, showing that strength training halts the natural decline of muscle loss.<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Get serious about strength training, aiming to lift weights two to three times a week. \u201cConsistency matters: getting three short, effective workouts in is going to benefit you so much more than haphazardly managing a single longer session only once in a while,\u201d says Corrigall.<\/p>\n Strength training requires resistance<\/a>. At first, that can be your body \u2013 pushing your own weight off the floor in a press-up. But eventually, it will require progressing to additional weights, either at home or in the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cConfidence can dip if exercise has been avoided for a while, so starting small and building gradually is far more effective than jumping into overly ambitious programmes,\u201d says Corrigall.<\/p>\n If you have the money and time, investing in a personal trainer for one-to-one sessions or buying a guide you can follow in the gym is a great way to move effectively without fear. It can also help with your technique, as avoiding injury is essential for creating a lasting routine.<\/p>\n Ages 50-60<\/p>\n The idea that fitness should slow down in your fifties is tempting \u2013 but it is also one of the biggest myths of the decade. Muscle and strength<\/a> are just as important in your fifties as they are in your forties, with hormonal changes that speed up the rate of muscle loss and bone weakening.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest mistake I see is people thinking they need to \u2018go easier\u2019 simply because they\u2019re getting older,\u201d says Corrigall. \u201cSmart, progressive strength training, regular cardio and a sprinkling of plyometric (jump training) are some of the most powerful tools we have in this decade to quite literally put a spring in our step.\u201d<\/p>\n But if you are training hard, this age is the time to focus more on recovery. Research shows that it takes longer when you are older for the nervous system to relax, and muscles and joints to rebuild, after tough training sessions.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThere is no decade I\u2019d say that rest is unimportant, but avoiding burnout is essential for fewer complications in later life,\u201d says Corrigall.<\/p>\n Heaton-Armstrong agrees: \u201cAt this age, we\u2019re often juggling poor sleep, stress and fluctuating energy, so recovery needs to be treated with as much respect and importance as training. Rest is where the magic happens.\u201d<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Keep pushing \u2013 and recovering. There are a few steps to focus on during recovery, including adequate nutrition. You need more of some key nutrients as you age, including protein, due to changes in how the body metabolises the macronutrient. Active people over the age of 50 should aim for around 1.2-1.6g of protein<\/a> per kilogram of bodyweight per day to aid muscle health (for a 70kg person, that\u2019s 84-112g of protein a day).<\/p>\n Muscles rebuild at rest, not during your workout, so good sleep is also important for recovery. Prioritise winding down before bed to ensure you fall into a restorative sleep by putting your phone away, dimming the lights in the evenings to signal night-time and keeping a calm evening routine.<\/p>\n Ages 60-70<\/p>\n Staying active in your sixties isn\u2019t just about strength or stamina, it\u2019s about staying connected. According to research, around one in 14 people aged over 65 is often lonely. Prioritising connection as soon as possible can prevent that from happening \u2013 and exercising together has been shown to bolster relationships.<\/p>\n The impact of being around others when your endorphins are flowing<\/a>, as well as co-ordinating with each other in movement (such as in a dance class or team sport) encourages feelings of collaboration and trust, according to University of Oxford research.<\/p>\n Not only that, but it makes you more motivated to train at a time when health complaints or aches may make it feel easier not to move. Known as the \u201cenabling hypothesis\u201d, having others encourage us improves our own self-belief and confidence about what we can do in the gym, and boosts our desire to exercise.<\/p>\n What to do<\/p>\n Keep it social for more motivation and benefits. That might look like taking your friends to the gym with you, laughing at each other in a Zumba class or even striding together for a long walk<\/a>. If you don\u2019t know anyone who wants to train, group classes are a great way to be around people while moving and make new friends.<\/p>\n Ages 70+<\/p>\n As we move into our seventies and beyond, confidence in everyday actions matters more than any milestones. Up to 42 per cent of people over the age of 70 experience a fall, which is why both Corrigall and Heaton-Armstrong say now is the time to train your balance.<\/p>\n![\"Happy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279943328.jpg\")
Build the foundations of fitness (Photo: Tang Ming Tung\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"African](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279944446.jpg\")
Exercise for fitness, not appearance (Photo: Skynesher\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279943788.jpg\")
It can be hard to find tie for fitness (Photo: Tom Werner\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Extreme](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279943783.jpg\")
Move away from just doing cardio (Photo: Thomas Barwick\/Getty) <\/p>\n![\"women](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279944786.jpg\")
Don\u2019t slow down! (Photo: Valeria Blanc\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_279944889.jpg\")
Stay fit to age well (Photo: simonkr\/Getty)<\/p>\n