The authoritative resource for explaining modern vocabulary, Urban Dictionary, defines washed as simply: “You used to be the shit, but now you ain’t shit.” By this broad and damning definition, we can deduce that it is something that happens to everyone. At some point, you are the shit, and it is possible that you remain the shit for a very long while. And then one day, without warning, your back starts hurting and just never stops.

Oftentimes, one of the first things to disappear is that youthful, effortless dedication to a fitness routine. Perhaps you picked up a few injuries over the years. Perhaps you are weighed down by the adult responsibilities that creep into your life; perhaps you are weighed down by the time you spend avoiding the adult responsibilities that creep into your life. For one reason or another, many of us conclude that at some point, working out just became a bit too much.

Josh Adamson, a Nike Master Trainer and co-founder of Toronto’s Lift Crossfit Corktown, does not agree. His oldest client was a sprightly 86. “Her name was Nancy,” Adamson remembers. “I used to do weight training with her, to help strengthen her bones. It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 86. I have people of all ages do the same routine.”

Jennifer Lau, also a Nike Master Trainer and co-owner of Fit Squad, rejects the notion that workout regimens erode—or should vary all that much, for that matter—with age. “I don’t always see 20-year-olds who move that well,” Lau says, laughing. “They’re not always the most mobile.” Since modern life presents enough obstacles to keep us from going to the gym, I asked Adamson and Lau for tips on staying enthusiastic about this habit—even as our time as the shit, uh, runs out.

Have a proper stretching and warm-up routine

One reason people shy away from working out as they get older: The recovery process seems so much harder. “You don’t bounce back as easily as you did when you were younger,” Lau says. “We take things for granted in our 20s. You have to put more emphasis on stretching.”

“I’m 33, and my body, my knees, my shoulders, my elbows—none of it feels the same as when I was 23,” Adamson says. “Nowadays, I have to stand up for 10 minutes just warming up my body before I exercise, or I’ll probably injure myself. Get your body moving, get a little sweaty, let the blood flow. Run a kilometer before you start.”

Ask for help

Lau recommends that those easing back in invest in a physical assessment first. “You have to take into consideration your injury history and movement patterns of your body as you set goals,” she says. “Usually, your bone structure won’t be as resilient.” In other words: It’s going to take a little more time to build the type of strength you want.

An assessment will help you plan to increase loads on your body at a safe, responsible pace. “If you can’t straighten your arm above your head, you have no business doing an overhead press,” Adamson says. “So, work on your movements first, or you’ll just perpetuate improper patterns and set yourself up for injury. You want to make sure there’s progression in your programming.”

Keep it simple

Surely you remember the period at which you were in your best-ever shape. Perhaps you pine for it still. “Ask yourself: When was the last time I was that fit?” says Lau. “If it was back in college, well—you’re 50 now.” Try adopting a simplified approach that focuses on just a few specific movements. Non-bodybuilders needn’t worry about incorporating every imaginable exercise into their routines; you, at this point, are presumably not a bodybuilder.

“There are three movements everyone should do,” Adamson says. “First is the squat—the King Kong of lower-body movements. For the upper body, you want to focus on chin-ups. And third: the deadlift.” Making these the building blocks of every program, he says, will help you lift the greatest amount of weight—inside the gym and out.

Another common pitfall: Don’t just hit the treadmill in an effort to ward off belly fat. “When you do a cardio workout, your body will burn calories for up to two hours afterwards,” Adamson adds. “When you do strength training, you body will burn calories for 24 hours. It’s a much more effective workout for leaning out and gaining muscle mass.”

Watch:What’s in the fridge?

Many people go back to the gym because they want to look better. Many of these same people do not re-evaluate their eating habits, which is not a good approach. “You can’t out-train a bad diet,” Adamson says. “You can’t train three times a day, seven days a week, and then go smash pizzas and ice cream and wonder why you still don’t have abs. I’ve had people cut out exercise altogether and just focus on their nutrition—because if your nutrition isn’t on point, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise.”

Lau notes that this is especially true for women, who are more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies—calcium is a common one—as their appetites decrease with age. “It’s about education. You need to understand things like carbohydrates versus fat, and what a macro is,” she says. “What you put in your body is going to help you achieve your fitness goals and positively affect your everyday life.”

Your excuses are lame

Adamson has heard all of them, and is interested in none of them. “Time is not an excuse for me,” he says. “Look at people’s screen time. Don’t fucking tell me you don’t have time when your screen time on Instagram is five hours. If you want to be in good shape, it needs to be one of your priorities.” Family and work might still come first and second, he acknowledges—but he suggests finding a way to make it third.

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Lau offers a friendly reminder that “working out” doesn’t need to take the form of a trip to a gym for a specified period of time. “Tailor your program to include more workouts at home, or shorter sessions at the gym that fit in to your daily work and life schedule,” she says. Is your house equipped with a floor? That’s a good place to start!

Think long-term (very long-term)

For those who never committed to a routine and fear they’re too washed to find one, Adamson has a message: You are wrong. “It’s never too late,” he says. “I’ve had people come up to me in their 50s to start weight training, and they get get results.” The earlier you take that leap, the better your chances are at making things easier as your washed credentials grow stronger.

Even if restoring the ripped physique of your twenties now proves beyond the reach of what is possible, Lau cautions that it’s much more important to focus on how you feel than on how you look. “If you train better, you’ll sleep better, your energy will be up, you’ll feel stronger and lighter on your feet, and you can chase after your kids without panting and feeling like you’ll have a heart attack.” she says. As always, it’s the little things that count.