Being a gay man in his 30s is not a fun thing, especially now that we’re bombarded with perfect twin bodies and buff bears. If you don’t fit into the definition of a perfect male body, don’t worry. First of all, these standards are unreasonable and harmful to the gay community. Secondly, you can do a few things to improve your fitness—but do it for yourself and your health, not to satisfy the male gaze. Need a few reachable and reasonable fitness resolutions to mark your New Year? Try these out:
Ditch sugar
If you want to improve your fitness, grow some muscles or lose those extra few pounds, unfortunately, you must pay close attention to your diet. Now that you’re in your 30s, you can’t eat like a teen jock anymore—those calories will stick. And you don’t have to do anything extreme like eat just chicken, rice and broccoli for every meal. It’s enough to ditch sugar and replace it with more protein and fiber. These nutritious foods will feed your body right and ensure you reach your goals. Limiting sugar to cheat days or special events only is a great fitness resolution.
Finally get a personal trainer
Getting fit in your 30s is much harder than doing so in your 20s. Your metabolism is slowing down and your muscles are slowly deteriorating. So, to get in the best shape of your life, you might require some help from a professional. A personal trainer will not only prescribe you a workout regimen and diet but also be there to push you to your limits and ensure you start and end every session on a good note. You don’t want to injure yourself—injuries in your late 30s can last a lifetime. Plus, you’ll have a hot body by your side to use as inspiration!
Exercise daily
You don’t have to hit the gym every day (that’s actually discouraged if you want to put on muscle as well as lose weight), but getting some activity every day is great for your fitness. On the days when you’re not exercising at the gym, you can do some light exercises with bumper weight plates at home. You can also do some cardio and take a light walk or use your home gym equipment to stretch and still activate your muscles a little. Being consistent is the key to creating healthy fitness habits.
Try a new workout
Many guys tend to slow down when they hit their 30s, but don’t let that be you. Doing the same things over and over can be boring, even when it comes to exercising. So make a resolution to expand your fitness horizons and try a new activity. You can join a gay man running group or volleyball team, check out rock climbing or take up swimming. Spice up your 30s and you’ll see many beneficial results not necessarily concerning your fitness and weight.
Start a fitness journal
If you’re very serious about improving your fitness, make a resolution to start a fitness journal. This log of your exercises, reps and rounds, as well as your times, will help you follow your progress, tweak your sessions and reach your goals. Keeping a fitness journal is very motivating and useful. If you see the scale going down, you can revisit your nutrition in the past few weeks, and if you see your bootie getting rounder, you can see what exercises brought you these results.
Drink more water
Gays are notorious for their love of iced coffee and margaritas, but try to introduce more water into your daily liquid intake—this is the only liquid that actually counts and provides you with hydration. Since you’re in your 30s now, you need to reduce sugary drinks to minimize empty calories but also keep your skin and hair hydrated and plump. It doesn’t mean you need to settle down and forget about mimosas—just grab a good reusable water bottle and make sure to drink plenty of H2O. Half a gallon a day is a good resolution.
If you need a few New Year resolutions to add to your list, use these ones. If you stick to them, you’ll feel and look better than any other gay guy in his 30s.
QUEERGURU Lifestyle Editor PETER MINKOFF is a gay health and lifestyle writer at QUEER VOICES magazine. Besides writing, he worked as a freelance fashion stylist in Europe and Australia. A true craft beer and soy latte aficionado, he loves spending his days at the beach and visiting second hand stores on a daily basis. Follow Peter on TWITTER for more tips.
Labels: 2021, fitness, Lifstyle, Peter Minkoff
