49-year-old fitness trainer who looks DECADES younger reveals the exact workout plan she follows to shave 10 YEARS off her appearance

A 49-year-old trainer has revealed the exact exercise plan she follows to stay in shape and look 10 years younger. 

Tracy Campoli, founder of the Total Body Transformation program, has more than 205,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, where she shares fitness and lifestyle videos. 

The content creator, who has been a certified trainer for more than 25 years, recently opened up about how she changed her approach to working out as she got older. 

'We can all agree that after 40, things start to change, and oftentimes not for the better, especially when it comes to our body and, specifically, wanting to get fit,' she said. 

Fitness trainer Tracy Campoli, 49, detailed the exact workout plan she follows to look 10 years younger in a new video shared on her YouTube channel 

The former dancer explained that the workouts she used to do in her 20s (left) no longer work for her now that she is in her late 40s (right)

'I don't do longer workouts anymore. I keep it to 30 minutes, especially when I'm doing cardio,' she said. 'That's it. That's enough'

'Those workouts that you likely did and really enjoyed and saw amazing results in your 20s, they're probably not giving you those same results now that you're in your 40s.'

Campoli went on to outline the things she does to stay fit as she approaches 50, saying she does a variety of workouts for 30 minutes at a time.   

Stop doing long workouts 

Campoli first advised against doing 'long a** workouts,' saying they are unnecessary and could inhibit your results. 

'I don't do longer workouts anymore. I keep it to 30 minutes, especially when I'm doing cardio,' she said. 'That's it. That's enough.'

The fitness guru admitted that when she was in her 20s, she thought her workouts had to be at least 90 minutes long for them to be effective, but she now knows that's not the case. 

'Research and science have really shown that 30-minute workouts are more effective than those longer workouts have ever been, and there's a reason behind that,' she explained. 

'In the first 30 minutes, that's when you have the most energy. You're more willing to really give it all you got, and you can really challenge yourself more. So the most benefits that you receive from a workout are in those first 30 minutes.'

Campoli said if you are someone like herself who is 'super busy' and has a 'really full life,' you should be thrilled to know you don't have to exercise as long as you thought. 

However, she clarified that this doesn't mean you shouldn't take an hour-long dance class that you love or book a 60-minute session with your trainer.  

'What I am saying is if you are constantly doing these 60-minute [or] 90-minute workouts and you're not seeing results, I want you to just try it on for size,' she said.

Campoli added that you should be paying attention to how your workout makes you feel when taking note of your results. 

'Do you feel more energetic? Are you feeling more uplifted? Are you feeling a more general sense of well-being? Think of those as the benefits as well,' she said. 'It's not just about our muscle tone. It's also about how we feel.'

Campoli recommended mixing up your workouts to ensure you don't plateau and you stay interested in what you're doing 

The Total Body Transformation founder said she likes to do HIIT and Tabata workouts when she is doing cardio

Campoli explained that Pilates tones your core and midsection, but is 'easy on the joints' 

Incorporate HIIT or Tabata workouts into your routine

Campoli explained that she likes to do either high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or Tabata, a more intense style of HIIT training, on the days she does cardio. 

'These workouts are really tailored to give us the most bang for our buck,' she said.

When doing a HIIT workout, you alternate between short periods of intense exercise and brief recovery periods.  

Tabata, a more specific type of HIIT workout, involves 20 seconds of pushing yourself to the limit followed by 10 seconds of rest. 

'It doesn't also mean high impact, the trainer noted. 'So if you're saying. "Well, Tracy, I've got knee injuries." No, no, no, I didn't say high-impact. I said high intensity.'

Campoli explained that you will continue to burn calories after doing a HIIT workout, which is important because your metabolism starts slowing down in your 40s.  

'It's really important that you're giving it all that you got, and that the rest is built in so that you're not wreaking havoc on your hormones,' she said. 

Do a variety of different workouts 

Campoli recommended mixing up your workouts to ensure you don't plateau and you stay interested in what you're doing. 

She said doing a variety of exercises also challenges your body more and ensures you're following a well-rounded program.

Campoli shared that she likes to do Pilates workouts each week, noting that it's something you can do well into your 80s.

'It's easy on your joints, but it's also really focusing on your core and midsection. The core is the center of all movement,' she explained. 'So whether you like running, you like boxing, you like dancing, this is what matters.' 

Campoli shared that when she wakes up every morning, she stops and asks herself: 'What does my body need?'

The trainer said that when she is feeling stressed and cranky, she will sweat it out with a HIIT workout. On days that she needs gentle movement, she does yoga-inspired exercises

There are also days when Campoli will just go for an hour-long walk and enjoy the Miami sunshine

Listen to your body

Campoli said that when she wakes up every morning, she stops and asks herself: 'What does my body need?'  

'This is really important because we have different little creaks and aches and pains... our body just changes over 40,' she explained. 'I don't force myself to do things that I really don't feel that I have the capacity to do.'

The trainer said that when she is feeling stressed and cranky, she will sweat it out with a HIIT workout. On days that she needs gentle movement, she does yoga-inspired stretches and exercises. 

If she needs an energy boost, she will hop on her rebounder to rev up her lymphatic system. There are also days when she will just go for an hour-long walk and enjoy the Miami sunshine. 

Campoli insisted that 'it's not cheating' if you deviate from your scheduled plan in favor of a workout that will give you what you need that day. 

'These little things, they seem small, but I'm telling you [if you're] over 40, they make a huge difference in your fitness and in your mindset as well,' she said. 

Incorporate pleasure into your workouts 

Campoli's final tip was to find workouts that bring you joy most of the time.   

'I make sure my workout is actually something that I feel pulled and called to do,' she said of her approach to fitness. 

She admitted that she hates running and doesn't enjoy boot camp-style training or instructors who don't say anything and just stare at themselves in the mirror.  

'I always look for workouts that make me feel good, that make me smile, where I understand what I'm doing,' she said. 

However, Campoli noted there is a difference between a challenging workout and one that you truly don't enjoy.  

'Let's face it. Who loves doing like eight million squats? I don't, [but] I love how my butt looks when I'm doing a variety of different squats,' she explained. 

'I love the results that I feel. I don't love every exercise in Pilates, but I love how I feel when I walk out of that class.'