October 2024 - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Try the Winter Arc challenge for focus on health and well-being

Days are really getting short now. I wake up in the dark, and it’s dark again by suppertime. It’s easy to say, “Why bother?” and go eat that lasagna. The whole pan of lasagna. It’s the lull before the holiday storm, when candy goes on sale but before the big Thanksgiving push is on when all the recipes you see are for “healthy sides.” If this sounds all too familiar, you can join me in hopping on the newest trend – the “Winter Arc” challenge. Use these cold, dark months to refocus on health and well-being.

Focus on health and well-being

I know I need the Winter Arc challenge. My sister and I are transitioning our website to a more modern ecommerce platform. We got our domain name 20 – yes, twenty! – years ago and it’s not transferring smoothly. The company we purchased the name from was acquired and merged several times, and settings changed without our permission or knowledge and it, just, not good. So I need to refocus on my well-being.

What’s needed for calm?

First, I have to figure out exactly what I need to do to feel calmer and more centered. I’m not missing too many workout sessions, so that’s good. My nutrition is the same as always. My diet is completely boring. I eat the same things almost every day, with some variations for dinner. Don’t follow my lead on that, because you don’t want to be boring. For me, it’s easy. It tastes good and is nutritious. But I completely advocate adding variety.

Meditation for mindset

So, what’s left? Mindset. I said a few months ago that I was going to add more meditation breaks to my day. And did I? No, sadly. So to refocus on health and well-being, I’m committing to more meditation. I’m getting out my Get It Done worksheet, creating my goal and scheduling meditation breaks on my calendar. And this will be one of my non-negotiable tasks each day. My meditation breaks won’t be long – no more than 5 minutes at a time.

A positive mindset, which is impossible when you’re under stressed, has been shown to improve health on its own. And positivity and optimism adds to our resilience.

So I’ll schedule my meditation breaks – mostly I’ll close my eyes and listen to a short guided meditation. And in a couple of weeks, I’ll reassess and figure out if this has helped to refocus health and well-being.

Feel more energized even when there’s more to do

How to feel more energized through the day

Many days I’m working away on a project and at some point in the afternoon, it feels like I hit a wall. Do you feel that way? If you do,we’re not alone! Many people run out of juice at some point in the afternoon. Even if we start strong, we’re exposed to many stressors during the day that take a toll. And even though your motivation is strong to continue the work, if you feel like you have to curl up and take a nap, the work is not going to be your best. But, don’t feel like you have to go on feeling drained and out of sorts. And not by grabbing a candy bar at 3:00, either. Here are some ways to feel more energized throughout your day.

Eat more balanced meals

If you’re a grab-on-the-go type of person, it may be time to rethink your eating routine. When you combine protein, carbs and healthy fats for all three meals during your day, you’re set for optimum energy. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, says, “The key to an energizing diet is getting the right ‘fuel mix’ at each meal.” One quarter of your plate should be whole grains, another quarter protein and the rest colorful produce, topped with a healthy fat. That way your body has the nutrients it needs to be energized all day, avoiding spikes and crashes in your blood sugar. So your energy will be stable through the day.

Take breaks

Sometimes I can work on a project for hours at a time without looking up. That’s great for the work, but when I do finally get up, I feel stiff and groggy, and my eyes have trouble focusing. When I know I’ll be in the groove I have to set a timer to make sure I take a break. The alarm on my phone works great for this. That break can be just a few minutes, but when I get back I definitely feel more energized. Even if that break is just going to the washroom or taking the dogs outside.

Move!

As I’ve written before, it seems counter-intuitive that exercise will give you energy, but even Harvard Medical School says it’s true. Your muscles produce mitochondria when you exercise, which allows your body to use the food you’ve eaten as fuel. So, more mitochondria means more fuel and more energy. A couple of days a week I exercise in the late afternoon, when my energy level is at the lowest point. After my workout on those days I actually do feel more energetic. Strange but true.

Those are just a few ways to feel more energized. On days when I have to keep working in the late afternoon, I also like to have a little snack of a few almonds or peanut butter on celery. It keeps me going until dinnertime.

Do it for your future self

This is for whatever it is you don’t want to do today. Don’t want to exercise? You don’t want to eat nutritious food? Or you don’t want to work on that project you’ve been putting off? I get it. Some days it’s all too tempting to stay under the covers, eat chocolate and chips and binge Emily in Paris or whatever show you’re into. But think about how you’ll feel tomorrow. And all the tomorrows after that if you don’t show up for yourself. It’s easier to not do the things. But those things will stay the way they are. You’re not going to get the benefits from exercise. Your body will not get the vitamins and minerals from the healthy food. And you’ll still have that project hanging over your head. Do it for your future self.

How your future self will feel

Think about how you want to feel in the future. For me, I want to feel no pain, or at least less pain. Also, to be able to stand tall and not hunched or with rounded shoulders will be good. I’d like my legs to be able to hold me up, and my core to be strong and stable to share the load. I want to breathe freely and not get winded when I walk. Does this sound good to you? For our healthy aging, this doesn’t seem to be an outrageous goal.

The food we eat is reflected on the outside

What goes into our bodies should be good for the outside as well. The food we consume has an affect on our bodies – inside and out. Our skin reflects the good nutrition that goes in. We feel better when we eat nutritious food. Of course, I’m not going to say no to a piece of good chocolate, but on the whole I try to maintain a healthy diet.

Working toward a goal keeps us resilient

When we work toward a goal, even just for a little bit every day, we’re being optimistic for the future. We’re happy when we have an objective. And creating achievable goals keeps us focused on that future. We want something to have happened to make a better future for ourselves. That’s what goal-making is about. And if you’ve set goals in the past but not achieved them, then download the Get It Done G u ide. It’ll help. Seriously.

So keep on working toward goals. Exercise regularly. And eat good food. It will show in your future self.

Get uncomfortable to get motivated

Discomfort is only uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable. Get uncomfortable.

Get uncomfortable to achieve your goals

And that’s another way of saying that you should get uncomfortable so that you can achieve your goals. Discomfort happens when you reach for something that’s beyond your grasp now. Like running. When you start running, even after warming up with some stretches and walking, it feels odd and uncomfortable. But when you keep on doing it, even during the same session, running becomes more comfortable. You get used to the motion. The first few times the motion may not seem completely natural (for me, it’s still not natural), but it’s not as uncomfortable any longer.

Embrace discomfort to grow

Some athletes embrace the pain they feel when training, so that they can move past it and improve. I don’t relish pain of any sort. The most I want to feel in my workout is discomfort, and even that is a stretch. But the idea is the same. In order to grow in any endeavor, many feel that it’s necessary to challenge yourself. The challenge can then lead to increased motivation to succeed. In fact, Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, reveals that students with a growth mindset, that is the belief that they can grow and develop, outperformed their peers with a fixed mindset.

Challenge yourself and succeed

It’s not just in learning more that we succeed by challenging ourselves. In the running example, we can grow – that is, run faster and longer – by pushing ourselves a little more each time we run. That is, get uncomfortable a little more. At the end of a few sessions, that little push becomes more comfortable, almost natural, and then we can push even more. Challenge ourselves a little more. This starts with a single push of the up button. When I’m at the maximum speed I did last time and it doesn’t feel too bad, I just push the increase speed button one time. Increase my speed by just one tenth of a mile per hour. Not too bad. Not even too noticeable, in fact. And I don’t sustain that for long – just a minute, maybe less.

I’ll keep the same maximum speed for a few days until the increase is indiscernible. And then I’ll do it again. It does help to journal my workout – my average speed, maximum speed, how it felt, when I feel I can push it again. If you just want the bare bones of a workout tracker, download the Basic Workout Tracker today. If you want more, check out the Fitness Journal and Tracker which has pages for nutrition and, my favorite, goal planning and tracking!

Challenge yourself more to achieve more

So, get uncomfortable. And soon the concept of pushing beyond boundaries becomes the norm. Then you can push more. Challenge yourself more. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. It doesn’t happen overnight. But it will happen. You’ll become more resilient. When things in your life go sideways, you’ll think, I’ve achieved so much, I can push through this. And your resilience will make you more optimistic and ultimately happier, which means good things for your healthy aging.

Get uncomfortable. And you’ll go far.