Ten Steps To Fitness After 50 by:JoAnn Sardo
Practical Guidelines to Making the Best Choices
You've reached 50. If you're like me, it was (and is) a milestone age. More than a number, it's a warning bell constantly ringing in your head. It's the word "halfway" resonating in your brain. And it's a lie, because we all know that unless every single one of us lives to be 100, we're already more than halfway through with our lives.
Morbid to think about? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I used this milestone age as a reason to review my fitness. On every level - body, mind and spirit. It's the wake-up call we've been waiting for. Change your life. Change your habits. It's not too late to ensure the rest of your life is a fit, happy, healthy, productive one. Now is the time! Follow these 10 practical steps to maintaining a healthy fitness level now and in the future.
1. Maintain a positive mindset. This may sound easier than it is. As I've aged, there are a few more aches and pains each morning. It takes just a little bit longer for things to start moving. Change it today! Get out of bed every morning with a positive affirmation of how you want to feel. Here's the one I use: "I wake up every day amazingly, resoundingly, refreshingly ache and pain free." Now that works for me quite nicely. You may not have aches and pains. Your issues may be more emotional, so adjust the saying to fit you and what you need. You are the master. You are in control. Take control each morning as soon as you wake up. Repeat your affirmation each and every day before you even get out of bed.
2. Stretch out every morning upon waking. Let's face the facts here. There are undoubtedly a few kinks in those old bones after spending a night in comfortable repose. Stretch yourself out - reach to the ceiling and then down to your toes several times before you even leave the bedroom. Keep repeating the positive phrase you created for yourself and you'll be done with the stretching before you know it.
3. Walk. Walk. Walk. Schedule your day to accommodate a 30-minute power walk each and every day. It may not be easy, but you and I both know you can find the time. Maybe it means watching one less reality show. TiVo it and watch it just before bedtime if you're that crunched for time. Maybe it means getting up 30 minutes earlier. We both know it's doable. Being outside in the fresh morning air for 30+ minutes each day has made a huge difference in my overall disposition. If mornings absolutely won't work for you, then schedule it in at night. Walk as quickly as you can. I'm not suggesting jogging, unless you really want to jog because that's more stress on the knees and joints. But if you're already fit enough to jog, then go ahead. I'm a walker. Sometimes it's just me; sometimes it's me and my IPod spending quality time together.
4. Plan your day. If you walk in the morning (which is the practical thing to do), then plan your day while you are walking. Walking in the morning is the practical thing to do because then, any other type of exercise that you do during the day is a bonus. The power walk has been done. And you'll feel better if that's how you start your day. Most of us know there are some basics that must be included each day as part of our routine - work, kids, meals, etc. Mentally walk yourself through the day as you plan it. Know the outcome. Know what you're going to do and what you need to do to get it done. You're 50 now. You may be doing things just a little slower than you did 10 years ago. Take that into consideration.
5. Eat breakfast! This is key. Do not skip meals. Common sense tells us it's a bad choice to make. We may not be hungry at breakfast, but if we skip it, we'll eat something very bad later in the day out of desperation. And we'll think because we skipped breakfast, it's okay to eat that muffin or doughnut. It's not. My breakfast of choice is cereal with a half of a banana in it. And not the sugar-laden cereal that kids eat. They shouldn't eat it either. Cheerios, Special K and something with nuts. I just finished a box of Special K Cinnamon Pecan and it was delicious and nutritious! I also prefer my cereal dry, but I have a glass of fat-free skim milk with the cereal. It's a great way to get Vitamin D into your system. And take that half of a banana with you to work or wherever you spend your day. It makes a great snack.
(Okay, we're halfway through my 10 practical steps to fitness after 50 and they're not so bad, right? You can do this right? Yes, you CAN do this!)
6. During the day, treat yourself to sugar-free gum or candy to keep your need to be chewing something at bay. My chewing treat of choice is Extra Fruit Sensations gum. Strawberry Banana is my favorite. It only contains five calories per piece and it really does help stop the craving to eat. If it's candy you crave and it's chocolate you need, try Stouffer's coconut chocolate pieces. They are sugar-free and absolutely delicious! The bag says that three pieces represent one serving. Do yourself a favor and just eat one piece. It should be more than enough.
7. Drink water. There is no more practical fitness advice than that. We've all heard that we need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to keep our systems cleansed and our hunger cravings down. So stop fighting it and just do it. If you spread those eight glasses out over the course of your waking hours, then you'll need to drink one 8-ounce glass of water every two hours, assuming you sleep eight hours each night. Really? How difficult is that? Do that for a solid week and see how much better you feel and how much better your system works. You will be amazed at the results.
8. Eat a light lunch. Easier said than done, right? If you are at work and your job is stressful, like me, you will feel as if you deserve that roast beef sandwich or burger with fries to alleviate the stress you have endured in the morning. Don't give in to it! The resulting fatigue at three in the afternoon can't possibly make up for the brief moments of joy you experienced while downing that lunch. And you don't have to eat salad for the rest of your life. Mix it up. Have a cup of soup, preferably something with vegetables in it. Or enjoy a serving of cheese and crackers accompanied by vegetables of your choice. I prefer raw broccoli or carrots. Have them with some type of low-fat spread or dip if you don't want the cheese. It's an easy meal to prepare and it's quick to eat, which brings me to
9. Getting out of the office at lunch. After you eat your delicious, well-proportioned meal, take a walk! So what if you already took one in the morning? There's no law that says you only get one each day! If your morning in the office (or anywhere) has been stressful and you feel stagnant, change your physiology! It once again makes a huge difference in your overall demeanor. Fresh air combined with moving muscles is a win-win situation every single time. If it's a little chilly, so what? Dress accordingly and you'll have no excuse. And in the overall tone of these tips, it is the practical thing to do to maintain your ideal fitness level.
10. Okay, here's the last big practical tip that I've got. It's actually two tips because I said we could do this in 10 tips. Eat a practical dinner - meat, vegetable, starch and water. Or fish, vegetable, starch and water. Done. Remember the practical rule of portions - the piece of meat or fish should fit neatly in the palm of your hand. That is how we measure the average portion size, give or take a few ounces. Finally, do not eat after 8 p.m. This one is critical to follow. Your body needs time to digest dinner before you retire for the night. Give your body the time it needs by not eating anything after 8 p.m.
Following these 10 steps consistently will make a difference in your overall fitness, regardless of your age. It's geared toward people over 50 because like me, I need to know that I don't have to work out strenuously for two hours each day to maintain a decent fitness level. First, I don't have two hours each day to do that. Second, there are other activities that I enjoy that provide exercise such as hiking and biking. It helps if you have activities like that and you enjoy them regularly. Remember, it's up to you to make the most now that you've reached that milestone "halfway" mark. The choices are yours. Making the best ones really can make a difference. You will feel better. You will look better. You will be better. Get started today. Visit
http://www.practicalfitnessforlife.com and learn even more ways to improve your physical fitness, emotional well being and overall health.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to take the place of any physician's advice or any medical advice you may have received previously.
For more information, visit
http://www.practicalfitnessforlife.comAbout the author
JoAnn Sardo is a freelance writer and editor. Her self-help motivational web site can be found at
http://www.practicalfitnessforlife.com where viewers can find a variety of products and services to help improve the quality of their lives. Ten Steps to Fitness after 50 is copyrighted to JoAnn Sardo and can only be used in its entirety, including byline and website address.
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