When Fitness Grows Up: Redefining Strength in Your 30s
In my teens and 20s, fitness was all about one thing: more. More weight on the bar. More proof that I was strong. Then, in my mid-20s, my focus shifted to losing weight, where I became obsessed with calorie counting, step counts, and seeing the graph on MyFitnessPal have a downward slope. A few years after that, in my late 20s, the obsession shifted again. I wanted to be fast. I strived to conquer long runs, chase personal race PRs, and discover what I was capable of in terms of endurance.
It was fun. It was intense. It was who I was at that time.
This year, it's safe to say fitness has looked completely different.
2025 has been a year of change. I went back to school. I started Architecting Wellness. I moved. I lost my grandfather. I’ve taken a hard look at where I’m headed, what matters, and how fitness fits into all of it. This is the first blog I’ve written for Architecting Wellness since my grandfather's passing, and it still stings knowing it's going to land in his inbox, even though he’s no longer here to read it. That said, I know he’d be proud I’m getting back on track.
Lately, my approach to fitness has shifted. I’m still competitive (can’t turn that off), I'm going to keep pushing myself in strength, signing up for races, and other fitness pursuits. However, I’m thinking more about longevity and enjoyment these days rather than maxing out my numbers. I want to feel good. I want to train consistently. I want to be able to do this for decades, not just for a season. There was a season when I worried about my fitness declining when life had other overwhelming demands. I'm happy to say I've made progress in working through that.
That's been able to happen through accepting that I’m not always going to be at my peak strength, lowest body fat percentage, my fastest pace, or my highest VO₂ max — especially when life throws curveballs. I hope there are times in my future when I do hit those peaks! But, I know hitting those peaks involves components that are likely out of my control, and everything outside of the gym or track has to go smoothly also.
There’s something freeing about not chasing perfection. About realizing that fitness can evolve with you, and still be just as meaningful.
So if you're in your 30s (or just in a different phase of life) and things are shifting… same here. It doesn’t mean you’ve fallen off. It means you’re growing.
This is where fitness becomes a lifestyle, not just a phase or a quick fix to chase a goal that lasts for a little bit.
Stay safe, stay healthy!
Martin Foley - Founder, Architecting Wellness
