Stay Slim & Healthy In Your 30s

A more beautiful body after 30? Believe it! Here’s how to get toned and knock off pounds in your 30s.
How many friends have you heard complain that once they hit their 30s, the number on the scale started to creep up? The bummer truth is that weight becomes easier to gain and harder to lose as you get older, thanks to changes in your body—and your lifestyle, too. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with extra pounds. To reclaim your slim self, follow our targeted strategies. 

"Women generally tend to lose about 1 percent of their muscle mass each year starting around age 30,” explains Riva Rahl, MD, medical director of the Cooper Wellness Program in Dallas. “That gradually slows your metabolism.” And because about three-quarters of women in their 30s have had at least one child, you may be juggling young children as well as a career. 

Translation: You barely have a free moment to brush your teeth, much less focus on getting to the gym regularly. Happily, though, you can fight back—and win.

Pick protein
Because strength training is crucial for keeping your metabolism humming this decade (it’ll help you hang on to that lean, calorie-burning muscle mass), you need to get enough protein to fuel your muscles. Plus, protein will help ward off hunger and even boost your metabolism, says Jim White, RD, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. So work a little in at every meal and snack—have some yogurt, a tablespoon of peanut butter, or some low-fat cheese.

Be dairy-happy
Calcium is very important now, because the bone loss that starts during this decade will only continue over time. Plus, research suggests that incorporating calcium-rich dairy into your diet can help you burn more fat. Aim for 1,000 daily milligrams of calcium—and spread it out, because your body can only absorb 500 milligrams at a time, Dr. Rahl says.

Get intense
What 30-something woman has an hour to spend at the gym? No worries. To get the most bang for your time-starved buck, try interval training—alternating short bursts of high-intensity exercise with short recovery periods. Women who did intervals for 20 minutes crushed three times as much fat as those who worked steadily for 40 minutes, a study from the University of New South Wales found. Try it on the treadmill or elliptical, or during your morning walk.

Strengthen your core
The average woman is 25 when she first gives birth, so by your 30s, you may be recovering from at least one pregnancy. Use some basic Pilates moves to help pull everything back in—research has shown that they’re more effective at working your tummy muscles than crunches. Try the Roll-Up, the Criss-Cross, and the Teaser.