At any stage in life getting fit and healthy can feel overwhelming, intimidating and if not done correctly then debilitating.  Any new brutal exercise regime can lead to injury. But over the age of 40, it can feel like a Herculian task – or perhaps a ‘Megaran’ task – the wife of Hercules!

It really doesn’t have to be. Whilst I completely appreciate you have a very busy schedule and the thought of looking after one more thing – your health – seems impossible.  I wanted to write this blog to show you that it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.  Plus I wanted to emphasise why women over 40 need to concentrate on themselves now more than ever and explain why it is important that you do consider yourself, and even gently point out how it will affect not only your life but also your loved ones you love and adore.

So first, take a moment and consider why it is important to get fit over the age of 40.  And why you should (and must) avoid the crazy diet plans, exercise routines and starvation protocols that exist for our age group

– many protocols include being able to go upside in a door frame!!!!

Why it’s important to get fit over 40

I am sure that you appreciate as you get older, you are more prone to diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Thankfully there are natural ways to prevent these sorts of problems, they are after all lifestyle diseases.  By focusing your attention on your lifestyle and your habitual behaviours you can transform your life, it isn’t inevitable that you will become ill with one of these diseases.

You know that improving your daily movement and increasing your exercise will help you stay stronger, fitter, happier and healthier, but what else?  Whilst you know that exercising will lower your blood pressure, which in turn reduces the strain on your heart, the question remains what else can you do?

And why is it so important after the age of 40?

What happens to your body when you reach 40

Your body (mind and stress levels) all change as you age.  To start with you are unable to synthesis protein as easily or repair as quickly, plus your balance starts to ‘adapt’ – you know what I mean standing on one leg to put your socks on suddenly becomes a new adventure.  But what else happens to your body when you reach 40?

Here are some of the bigger changes you will have noticed, drop me a line and let me know if you noticed any more

• The most common symptom is fatigue.  The feeling of exhaustion and not being able to get through another day without crashing. The fear of burnout or chronic fatigue feels like a real concern.
• Lack of sleep leads to more stress and greater insomnia. A vicious circle.
• You become more stressed and heightened by every disturbance and issue at work and at home.
• You are more sensitive to any discord around you and try even harder to keep the peace in order to save your own sanity.
• Then reduced sleep further messes with your hormones, and in particular your cortisol levels
• The increased cortisol levels signal to your body to store more fat, especially around your belly
• The fat that sits around your belly as visceral fat also means it sits around your organs.
• Then the big 4!  The big 4 menopause symptoms start kicking in over 40 which include hot flashes, night sweats, depression and anxiety as a result of changes in hormones

The way you have lived your life up until the age of 40, no longer works. You can’t keep doing what you’ve been doing. Life and your body have changed. A different approach is needed.  An approach that takes into account your hormones, stress levels, your lifestyle an approach that nurtures you and works with your body.

So on a positive note, women who have a healthy fitness habit and nourish their bodies will have a smoother transition into menopause. If you are interested in finding out how you can reset your body over the age of 40, gently then read my blog: how to reset your mind and detox your body

The challenges women over 40 face when it comes to their fitness

When you turn 40, your metabolic rate slows  – your metabolic rate is the rate in which you burn calories. Which means that you are more likely to add weight when you didn’t before.  You may have noticed that the ‘odd’ pudding no longer simply disappears, your tummy becomes a little rounder.

So not only are you struggling with changes in your brain fog, fighting tiredness, increased feeling of stress and anxiety and other menopause symptoms, there are also some significant physical issues as well, including:

• A reduced metabolic rate – which means you don’t naturally burn as many calories as you once did. The extra pudding lasts a lot longer on your belly!
• Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age.
• You’ll increase the percentage of fat in your body if you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time.
• Fitness and nutrition routines that previously worked for weight loss and muscle gain, will stop working.
• With menopause and the changes in hormones, women will become more prone to stress-driven eating.
• These factors mean that women suffer from hormone fluctuations and middle-age spread.

Don’t forget nutrition and nourishment are very different for a 40-year-old woman than a 25-year-old man, I talk a lot about this in my best-selling book, Gorgeous!

If you want to make nutritional changes but feel overwhelmed and confused by conflicting information and you’re left bewildered where to start then pick up a copy of Gorgeous!

Get Your Copy Now 

There is a lot of conflicting nutritional information out there, it’s confusing.

And whilst some busy women simply give up, there isn’t enough time in the day to do everything, especially those habits you feel less inclined to give up. What you really need is someone who will hold your hand and help guide you to make the positive changes you need to have a life full of energy and vitality that will push you through the next 50 years.

All you need is one expert to guide you and cut through all the noise.

Whilst there is so much conflicting information cutting through this and finding what will work for you is why a Health Coach will give you a personalised plan based on you.

The benefits of starting a fitness regime

A different approach to weight loss that doesn’t push your ‘burnout’ buttons.  Don’t try a harsh diet, or a crazy exercise goal instead start gently with low-impact exercises or low weights and include lots of stretches before, during and after your workouts.

You will need to balance your exercise with 3 different types – cardio for your heart, weights for your muscles and mind-body to help restore mental balance and equilibrium.  If you are interested in reading more read my blog 3 types of exercise

The perfect exercise balance for women over 40 needs to include 3 components:

• Cardio workouts, for example, any exercise that gets you out of breath
• For mental equilibrium as well as stretching to avoid injury- mind-body disciplines like Pilates.
• Resistance training is essential as we age and lose muscle tone. Exercise like Pilates with weights or BodyPump are great. As you reach the age of 40+ strength and resistance training becomes key to adding new muscle mass and maintaining good overall health and bone density, as well as toned upper arms.

Increasing your exercise and training – over 40 – will help you to:

• Build muscle tone and increase your ability to burn calories so that you will lose weight, by increasing your metabolism which will burn more calories.
• Develop strong bones by stressing your bones, strength training will increase bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
• Enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to accomplish everyday activities easily.
• Building muscle will contribute to better balance and therefore reduce your risk of injury and falls.
• Resistance training will control and manage and reduce the symptoms of chronic conditions, such as arthritis, back pain, obesity, heart disease, depression and diabetes.
• Research shows that regular aerobic exercise will improve thinking and learning as well as your creative problem-solving.

How to start getting fit (when you haven’t prioritised it before)