Starting again

Starting exercise again after 40

Starting again after 40 is one of the most worthwhile things you can do, and your body still responds well to training at any age. What changes is mostly pace: recovery takes a little longer, so the smart restart is slower and steadier than the one you'd have done at 25.

By Bjørn Lundell, founder of Oreuma · 11 October 2026

Why strength matters more now

From around age 30, most people slowly lose muscle, roughly 3 to 5 percent per decade, and it tends to become noticeable by 60. It happens faster in people who are less active. Regular strength training is one of the best-studied ways to slow it down, and bodyweight exercises at home are a perfectly good place to start.

What tends to change after 40

• Recovery takes longer. Soreness may hang around an extra day, so leave a day between harder sessions.
• Joints want a proper warm-up. Five minutes of easy movement before you work makes the rest of the session feel better.
• Old injuries have opinions. A knee or shoulder that complained years ago may need an easier variation. Choose the version that feels good, and skip what hurts.
• Life is busier. Work and family leave less room for long sessions, which is one more reason to keep them short.

How to restart

1. Start at about half of what you think you can do, for the first two weeks.
2. Two or three short sessions a week, with a rest day between.
3. Skip jumping at first. Add it later if you enjoy it and your joints agree.
4. Include all the basics: squat, push, hinge, core and some mobility.
5. Progress slowly, only after several sessions felt comfortable.

If you have a heart or lung condition, are pregnant or recently gave birth, or are coming back from an illness, injury or surgery, check with your doctor or a physiotherapist before you start. Stop if something hurts sharply, and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness.

How Oreuma fits

I built Oreuma after falling off my own training one too many times. It sizes each session to how long you've been away and halves the volume after a long break. You can also mark knees, wrists, shoulders or lower back as areas to go easy on, and it leaves out exercises that are hard on them. Sessions grow only as you keep completing them.

Sources: Sarcopenia, Office on Women's Health (womenshealth.gov)

More on starting again

• Getting back into exercise
• Why you keep quitting
• Workouts without streaks
• How long it takes to get back
• Do short workouts count?
• After the holidays
• What Oreuma does after a break