January 2026 - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Breakfast is still the most important meal

3 reasons to eat breakfast

My sister isn’t going to like this article. She’s a non-breakfast eater. Always has been. Her system rebels when presented with food first thing in the morning. So, Hope, I’m sorry. But here are 3 reasons to eat breakfast.

First, you’re messing with your gut microorganisms’ circadian rhythm, according to Dr. James Kinross, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Imperial College London. I didn’t know that our gut flora had a circadian rhythm, but, apparently, they need food to wake up and do their thing for us. The time and contents of our breakfast do more to shape the gut flora than other meals, due to the long overnight fast we put them through.

Second, our breakfast helps those microbiota regulate our blood sugar. When we eat breakfast, our blood sugar remains regulated even after lunch. Dr. Kinross says that this is especially important for those with type 2 diabetes.

Plus, those who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. And that’s important for people who are trying to lose weight. Trainer Dalton Wong sees that in many of his clients. And nutritionist Jenna Hope says that breakfast is especially crucial for women. Your breakfast helps stabilize your hormones through the day. It turns out that breakfast is still the most important meal of the day.

So, what should you eat for breakfast and when is the best time?

Dr. Kinross says that your breakfast should include plenty of protein and fiber. Protein (20 – 30 grams) for energy and fiber to give those gut microorganisms stuff to munch on.

And, while pouring a bowlful of cereal may be easy, nutritionist Hope says it’s not the best choice. Sugary cereals may give you lots of energy to start, but you’ll crash and burn before lunchtime. Hope says that your breakfast should be about one-fifth of your total calorie intake for the day.

As for timing, Dr. Kinross says that eating breakfast within two hours of waking is best. To make our little gut microorganisms’ circadian rhythm happy, fasting for 12 or more hours overnight is ideal.

Those 3 reasons to eat breakfast sound like common sense to me. And, as we’ve discovered, eating right is the first key to healthy aging – even more important than exercise.

If you’re wondering about me – I eat the same boring breakfast every day at about 7 am. Some cottage cheese and a tomato, with some golden paste (coconut oil, turmeric and ground black pepper) mixed in. It seems to keep my gut’s microorganisms happy most of the time.

Motivate yourself by doing

That couch is calling. Along with the heated throw. The last thing I want to do is get started on a big project that will keep me at my desk for hours and days. But it’s an important project, and one that’s needed. But I really can’t face such a big project without some motivation. Ever feel like that? You’ve got a worthwhile project, but it feels overwhelming, so you put it off. There is a way to get yourself out from under that heated blanket. Get started. Motivate yourself by doing.

And for those of a certain age, it’s even harder to get off the couch. But it’s possible, and we’ll look at some ways of getting started. Remember that planning is for the strong.

How to get up off the couch

First, consider the rewards of that big project. Like planning a trip to Greece for next year. Think of the bright blue skies, the dazzling white houses, the picturesque villages, the deep aqua sea. Makes me want to go, myself. Okay, I want to go. I can’t wait to bask in the glorious sunshine.

So, the big reward is worthwhile. But the project is still overwhelming and you can’t see a finish line. But that’s not important now. You’re creating more intrinsic motivation by understanding all the rewards of the process. You’re making yourself want to continue with the project by seeing the benefits along the way.

Steps to make your dream a reality

The next step will require paper and pen. Think of the steps that you’ll need to take to make this dream a reality. Don’t worry about how to make it all happen yet. That comes later. So, you’ll need to nail down dates with the family, get visas, figure out what cities to see, what clothes to bring, and make sure that you’ll be able to do all the walking.

The juices are flowing. You’re witnessing how to motivate yourself by doing. You can’t wait for the next step.

Now for the details

Now is the time for the nitty gritty. The details. As before, visualize all the benefits of each step. That visa application will get you to the Greek islands. Today’s walking workout with increased incline will get you up those rocky hills. Now you understand that you motivate yourself by doing.

Resilience grows with little habits

You don’t need me to tell you that things are tough these days. It’s hard even waking up and facing a new day. It’s tempting to get back under the covers and withdraw from the world. But that’s the way things are now, and the more we can do for our own resilience, the happier we’ll be. Former Navy SEAL Mark Divine suggests that the rituals we do every day can help. Our resilience grows with little habits that are part of those rituals. Like brushing our hair a certain way. Or making the bed at the same time every morning.

And it turns out that a study from MIT supports Divine’s claim. We all know that it takes many repetitions for something to become a habit. Do something every day for about a month. The MIT study shows that making small changes with consistent positive reinforcement helps the process. “The brain has an absolutely fabulous system for getting reward signals. The system is so sensitive that researchers have seen nerve cells fire in response to a single word, evoking a craving long after a habit has been kicked.” This means that once a habit is formed, it sticks. And that’s why it’s so hard to break habits, even bad ones, like smoking. The brain associates the action of the habit with the reward that it received – even if it hasn’t received that reward recently.

So, healthy habits that we practice continually through the day can condition our minds and body to be calm, maintain a neutral perspective, and consider our next actions clearly. These habits serve us well in times of stress. We can better deal with that stress and not overreact. But how to create those healthy habits? I’ve talked about creating an exercise habit before, because folks seem to have the most resistance to that. It’s easily doable – I’m not going to say it’s easy, because for many, it’s totally alien. But it’s doable. Find a program that you don’t hate. Schedule it on your calendar. Prepare for that very important date with yourself. And show up.

When you create healthy habits for yourself, your resilience grows. It’s, of course, essential for your healthy aging. And you’re happier and more optimistic. You’ll be courageous in a way you never envisioned.

Goal for the year: do more squats

I know – most of us hate squats because we have bad knees. I know I do. Experts say the squat should be the number one exercise we seniors do. Let’s explore the why first, and then the how to make this our goal for the year..

The benefits

Squats will give you legs that can go forever. If we want to be able to walk from a distant parking space to the store, squats will give that gift to us. No more wasting time circling, looking for a close parking spot. Our legs will be strong enough to carry us wherever we want to go. Trips to Disney with the grandkids? You’ll be able to outwalk them through the parks. Hiking trips with friends? No problem. And if you’re used to seeing new cities from a bus window, you’ll be able to take walking tours instead pretty soon.

When you do more squats, you’ll be strengthening your thigh muscles and protecting your hip and knee joints. Exactly what we all need. When you do squats correctly without overextending, you will be improving muscle tone. You’ll experience that when you’re able to get out of low-slung chairs and sofas. No more struggling to stand up.

And you may live longer. Studies have shown that people with stronger quadriceps muscles (the ones on the front of your thighs) tend to live longer. Another side benefit – the way your legs look will change. You’ll actually see muscles. And that’s kind of cool, especially for us older folks. So that should be our goal of the year: do more squats!

Here’s how:

How to do a proper squat. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. If you have hip issues, it’s OK if your legs are a little farther apart. Point your toes slightly outward. If you’re nervous about this, face a kitchen counter to start and hold on.

Bend at your knees and push your hips back like you are about to sit in a chair. Keep your back as straight as possible, chest up and heels planted on the floor (you can even try lifting your toes in your shoes). Tighten your core. Keep your weight evenly distributed. Make sure your knees don’t extend forward over your toes, because you can risk hurting your knees. You should be able to see your toes beyond your knees when you squat. There’s no need to go deep, because standing up is the more important part of the exercise.

To stand, push the ground away with your heels and exhale.

Aim for 2 sets of 8 squats each to start. Go at a slow pace – 2 seconds down, 2 up. And incorporate squats into your workouts 3 times a week.

As you get stronger, let go of the counter. You can hold your arms straight in front of you as you squat and at your sides as you stand. Or, if you tend to hunch over, cross your arms in front of your chest to help keep your back straight.

When you can successfully do 2 sets of 15 squats, try holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Start with light ones.

There are lots of variations, but start slowly and build up. You’ll be able to get out of that chair without using your hands in no time.

Start every day happy

Especially when the days start out dark and it’s dark before suppertime, starting your day in a good mood can go far to maintaining your optimism all day. So here are 5 ways to start every day happy from happiness experts:

Grow a healthy habit

Choose a healthy habit and link it to something you already do every morning. Habit linking is the easiest way to grow a healthy one. As an example, if you make your bed every day, combine making your bed with a couple minutes of meditation.

Eliminate screens from your sleep room

Scrolling is a sure-fire way to disrupt sleep and kill a good mood. If you don’t have your phone in your bedroom, then it will be a while before the good mood is gone. So, protect your sleep hours and don’t pick up your phone until after your morning rituals.

Talk to yourself

Psychiatrist Murray Zucker, chief medical officer of the health care platform Happify notes that many people talk to themselves in their head. Continue to do that, but make it a positive conversation. And use your own name while you’re giving yourself a pep talk. Give yourself a lift.

Reach out to a friend

And after you’ve done your usual morning routine, reach out to a friend. Just say hi and tell someone you’re thinking about them. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out conversation. But maintaining your social connections is essential for happiness. Or, as research suggests, sending good thoughts to someone can also improve your mindset, optimism and happiness.

Be thankful

Studies have shown that a daily gratitude practice increases optimism and resilience. It can even improve physical health. Whether you write in a gratitude journal, drop a note in a “Thank You” box, or simply think of things and people you’re grateful for, you’ll start every day happy.