Exercising in your 20s: The dos and don’ts you need to know

Exercising, whether you’re taking a walk in the park, sweating it out at the gym or doing laps in the pool, is the key to a longer, more fulfilling and healthier life. Your physical abilities are at their prime in your 20s, which is why you can jump higher, lift heavier and run faster. We tapped into celebrity fitness trainer Nam-Wook Kang (he trained Deepika Padukone) and New York-based personal trainer Samantha Ciaccia’s expertise to find out the best way to work out during this decade.

How activity and hormones affect your physical abilities in your 20s

In your 20s, hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, human growth hormone and the thyroid hormones are working together to keep you in great reproductive shape. The side benefit of this is that it amps up your muscle-building power, making every workout you do more effective. “Physically you are in your optimal decade. Your hormones are at the highest level, you have the gift of fast recovery and enjoy a sharp neuromuscular system,” says Kang.

Most women’s basal metabolic rate (BMR, or the number of calories you burn) is also the highest at this age. And increasing your physical activities, whether by taking part in sports, walking around the block or cleaning your home, can improve this level. Until the mid-twenties, the body is building bone, which burns calories by itself.

What your workouts should look like in your 20s

“You should work with a trainer to create a general workout plan that addresses all five components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition,” says Ciaccia. “I’d recommend exercising at least three times a week, with varying levels of intensity of muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. You can switch between the two, focusing on the whole body or breaking it up into upper or lower body days."

During this age, you’re likely to have the highest cardiovascular endurance because of your peak cardiorespiratory activity. “If you are naturally competitive, give high intensity workouts a try. You will get your best results in terms of performance,” says Kang. “You can try any type of sport to amplify your workouts,” she adds. Sports, like tennis or cricket employ different muscle groups while building focus and cardiovascular stamina, giving them all-around benefits. “But this is a good time to enjoy explosive and powerful activities like fast running or sprints,” says Kang. Getting the heart rate up, working till exhaustion and using all energy possible is key. “I would focus on the intensity of the cardiovascular endurance," says Ciaccia. Since you have the flexibility and the energy, this is a good time to try out new workouts or challenges, like attempting a boxing class or training for a marathon.

Strength training is just as essential. Since muscle building power is high, using body weight or weights and equipment to strengthen specific parts of the body is important. It will help gear up the body for the 30s and beyond, when muscle strength starts to wane.

What you should be wary of

Since you have an abundance of energy, overtraining is very common. “Resting is as important as training,” says Kang. Devise an exercise plan that works for your lifestyle and fitness levels. Both Kang and Ciaccia advise against lifting anything too heavy or running too fast if you’re giving up on good form in the process. “Listen to your trainer, focus on your technique and don’t get carried away,” warns Kang. “The biggest advice I give to clients in their 20s is to not shortchange your form. Movement quality and form is vital during this time, because it will carry over to your 40s and 50s. when your body may not be able to compensate as well," confirms Ciaccia.

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