Bragging Rights

When I asked my sister, who was 58 at the time, to do a triathlon with me and she saw the price, she suggested a spa day instead. I told her she could, but she wouldn't have the bragging rights of being a triathlete. I was glad she chose to do the triathlon.  She loved it and also got the bragging rights.  It's the same with burpees. They may be a bit scary, but wouldn't it be nice to tell your friends and family that you did 100 burpees during a 40 minute workout? That's called bragging rights and the bonus is you get more fit!

why I advocate for exercise

At just over 50, when I began strength training, I started feeling younger. I got more flexible, which to me was a huge factor in feeling younger. In the beginning, it was a super challenge to get on the floor and then get up.  In time, it got easier and easier.  I was able to sit cross-legged comfortably!  I could get out of bed quickly as opposed to slowly due to a stiff back.  I still like jumping out of bed in the morning!  During the last few years, I've had some health/surgery issues and exercise has helped me greatly.  I felt then and I feel now that I found the true Fountain of Youth.

As I always hear, you get nothing from nothing. You have to give in order to get. I promise you that if you can get on a consistent schedule of exercise, even 30 minutes a day,  you will also feel powerful changes in you.  I do know some people who are unable to exercise.  I also know many people who can and don't.  I'm so very thankful that I can and consider it a gift.   

there's Nothing wrong with starting at the beginning

We all have to start at OUR beginning level.  Exercise is personal.  You are only in competition with your last workout.  As I couldn't even do a sit-up in my first personal training session, my trainer had to get my core strong enough to do them.  I remember not long after when other new members came and they did what was once so challenging for me and I had "upgraded" so much that it was easy.  This will be you when you show up consistently.

Don't let a pricetag get in the way of your health

I had been a member of a franchise gym during my years of swimming.  When I changed to the other side, the machine side, I was lost and bored.  Even looking back all those years ago, I didn't get much value.  Then I found a coupon for a free two weeks at a new boutique gym near my house.  I tried it and on that first day, I was hooked.  I knew it was right for me and I knew I'd be back.  I had no idea how much it would change my life.  When I got home, I saw the price tag.  Let's just say the monthly cost was 4/5 of the annual cost for the franchise.  However, I wasn't getting anything out of that franchise.  I had my talk with God and told Him that He sent me this coupon and I would do the work, but I needed help in paying for this.  I still couldn't believe I was going to do this.  I was there for 4 years until it got too busy for me, which was a good thing as many lives were changed.   The bottom line to this story?  Don't let a pricetag get in the way of your health and fitness.  If it feels right to you, do it and the money will come.  Spending money when you have no value is wasting money.

No excuses.  Exercise should be non-negotiable

We do so many things in our days that we don't like doing such as laundry (folding and putting it away), showers, cooking, cleaning and even brushing our teeth.  We do this because we know we have to.  It should be the same with exercise.  Exercise is the #1 thing to take care of you and only you can do it for you.  Don't negotiate with exercise.  It needs to be done.  Pick a time of day that you can consistently show up.  When I first started at the boutique gym, I would change into my workout clothes before leaving work because I knew that once I got home, I was not going to leave that night.  Now I stream my exercise videos and while I had NEVER been a morning person, I became one so I could be sure to get it in as I did not know if it would get done when I got home from work.  Yes, I get up early and my body loves it!  Don't procrastinate and don't blow it off.  Quit listening to your brain say that you don't want to do it.  Get it done early and you're good for the day. 

it's never too late to start!

It is NEVER too late to start something new and exercise doesn’t discriminate.  I was 51 when I started what I call "true exercise" and couldn’t even do a situp.  Studies have shown that even people in their 90s that don’t normally exercise benefit from a 1-lb. dumbbell.  With consistency, you will amaze yourself with what you can do in a short amount of time. 

If you answer yes to any of these questions, consistent exercise can help:

• Can’t get out of a chair without your arms or it hurts
• Feeling stiff
• Balance problems
• Have back pain
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Injury

Don't be discouraged if you are over 50 and have never exercised.  I have a client who started strength training at 65 and within a few weeks, he was hooked. We all have to start somewhere.  The great thing about exercise is it’s personal, meaning on one can do it for you and no one but you knows how it feels.  You are only competing with yourself each day.  Yes, you will be a bit sore for a couple of weeks if you have not worked out.  That’s normal.  Be sure to work out the next day to relieve the soreness. If you wait until you’re not sore, you will have that soreness longer.  In other words, suck it up, Buttercup!  Your body will thank you!

my first transformation picture

I took a chance and bought a year of Beachbody in October 2017 for $99.  I had been exercising at the local franchise, but this sounded like a great deal and it was!  The way this works is you stream your workouts on your TV, computer or phone.  We have thousands of videos from great trainers.  There was a problem though---the workouts were HARD! I would start a program and not finish it---over and over again.  

The next year, I received an email from my coach (didn't know who she was) asking if I wanted to be a Fitness Influencer.  I jumped at the chance!  She is the one who guided me to my absolute favorite program and told me how to do it.  That opened a whole new way of working out and also helped me make it a habit.  It also opened me to so many different types of programs and when I start a program, I enjoy finishing it as each program changes you in different ways.  Besides, it's always exciting to press play on that last day and finish.

The first picture above is the month I started as a coach (now Bodi Partner) and the second is after I completed that first program back in January 2019.  Looking at that second picture, I was shocked!  I was post-menopausal and though I tried, I couldn't lose any weight, but the pictures don't lie, especially when I don't use Photoshop! The tree pictures on the bottom are my favorite:  March 2018 to June of 2020.  I love this comparison picture because though I thought I looked pretty good in the middle, the last one was another shocker; I was in much better shape than the middle one!

nutrition tip

While exercise is more important to me, I have learned that nutrition plays such an important part of our lives in terms of health.  For example, a few years ago, both of my knees gave me a problem.  I had surgery on one and the other healed by itself.  However, during that time, my body became inflamed.  My wrists and elbows hurt and were weak, an old rotator cuff problem came back.  My doctor wanted me to go to a specialist and that's when I looked up anti-inflammatory foods.  I settled on berries and at first ate 2 cups a day, then went down to one.  Within a very short amount of time, the inflammation was gone.  I still eat berries...just to be safe.  Nutrition is important if you want to lose weight and be healthy.  

We have two great nutrition programs:  one with colored containers and the other with a Plate-It system.  I like the Plate-It system so I don't have to weigh or count anything.  Something she said today was very good.  We all most likely have a food that we can't control.  Is it chocolate or chips? Ice cream or cookies?  Whatever it is, the best thing to do is keep it out of your house!  My problem is my husband who absolutely loves junk food, both sugar and chips.  I have learned to stay away from his food--most of the time.  I try to fill up on the good stuff so my sweet tooth doesn't get the best of me.  He shops for his breakfast of coffee cake and I shop for my veggies.  Somehow I make it work for me.  This plan's main mantra is Water First, Veggies Most. Believe me, it works! 

 If you are unsure of what to eat, the best thing is to eat real food, not fast food, not boxed food, but real food that no one has changed.  More protein in the morning and less at night.  Be sure to have some fiber-filled carbs as well such as fruits and grains.  Protein keeps you full, fiber-filled carbs give you energy and veggies fill you up with not a lot of calories.

Balance

Balance is super important, especially for people over 50 and more.  Did you know that our bodies have balance muscles?  I helped my mom when she was 89 years old and her balance was great until she stopped working at it.  To help with your balance, try to step up alternating your feet, such as with a stair.  Foot up, foot down, other foot up, other foot down.  Doing this sideways will help as well.  You may only start with a 2" stepper or a book, but soon you will be able to hold your balance more.  I find it helpful to focus on the smallest target eye or just above the eye. Try it and see what works for you!  Also, try to keep your core tight while balancing.  Squeeze your butt and tighten all the way up.  When these get easy, see how long you can stand on one foot.  You may want to do this by a wall of have a place to hold onto, just in case.  You will have your good days and bad days, but with consistent practice, you can develop and keep your balance.  A great tool that I love for balance is the BOSU Ball.  It is my favorite piece of exercise equipment which I use for balance and core, and yes, I do my burpees with it.

 5 ways to start and keep an exercise habit

• Pick a date to start and, if possible, the same time every day. Make it non-negotiable.  There are certain things you might do for yourself that you really don’t like such as brushing/flossing your teeth, cleaning, laundry or even going to work daily.  You do them because you know you have to.  You should think that way about exercise too.  Just get it done.  The good news is that only 30 minutes a day is good, as long as you challenge yourself.

• Don’t give yourself a chance to not do it. I was never a morning person, but if I wait until after work or later in the day, I can’t guarantee it will get done.  Whatever is going on in my life, I get up as early as I have to in order to get my workout in.  Yes, exercise turned me into a morning person.  This took a bit of time, and was well worth it!

• Don’t listen to your mind when it is not in the mood. The body doesn’t care what mood you’re in as long as you challenge it.  Some days will be better than others.  It’s those “other” days that will test you.  Again, don’t listen to that voice in your head.  Just go and exercise.

• Take Pictures! Pictures tell you so much more than the scale.  You can also take measurements as they will most likely go down before the scale does.  I love my “comparison pics” as well as any pictures before 2019 as I look so much better in the later ones 😊.  Try to take body pictures once a month.  They may surprise you!

 FOAM-ROLLING - well worth getting into

Many people don't foam-roll because it hurts so much when you start.  When you are over 50, it's super important because that's when we really feel the knots (aches, pains and lack of mobility).  The reason it hurts is because just in everyday movement--and lack of movement-- our muscles tend to knot and when you put any pressure on those knots, it's not a happy feeling.  When you can foam-roll consistently at leat 3-4 times a week, it will start to feel better and better.  There are also different densities of foam-rollers from a lighter touch to very dense and hard.  You also have control over how much pressure you want to use.  If it hurts, ease the pressure a bit.  If your hand starts feeling numb, you've hit a nerve so move a bit.  If it is excruciatingly painful, you may want to see a chiropractor, physical therapist or  doctor.  I have used them all and have been able to use the most dense/hard one for the last couple of weeks.  It helps with your mobility and movement.  My suggestion would be to search it out on YouTube so you know what and how to do it.  As with using anything for your body, you want to correct way to use it or you can hurt yourself.    

Happy Foam-Rolling!