Fitness Archives - Page 5 of 26 - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Positivity is overrated

Don’t develop a positive mindset, develop a belief mindset

Positivity is overrated. It’s really not a good thing to be a Pollyanna. It’s not enough to be positive. Pollyanna was just a book (also the main character. Pollyanna is a novel by Eleanor H. Porter, published in 1913). These days, a “Pollyanna” is someone who finds the positive in everything and finds something in every situation to be glad about. The last few weeks I’ve been talking about mindset, and how you can change your own to help you become more resilient and even achieve your goals. So you might think that all you need is a positive mindset and you’re on your way to rainbows and unicorns.

No unicorns yet

But getting to the finish line takes more. Yes, you need a positive mindset, but you also need a deep-seated belief in yourself and in what you’re attempting to achieve. Your mindset is more than stating that you’re being positive. Or even that you believe in what you’re doing. It’s your taking action every day toward your goal, in keeping with that mindset.

If you have a goal to be active every day, then saying to yourself, “I know I can move every day!” doesn’t really accomplish a whole lot. But, if every morning you wake up and walk for 20 minutes, that’s not a huge investment in time, but it lays a solid foundation for success in achieving your goal. It also goes a long way toward your healthy aging – putting your health first – and toward improving your resilience. You’re demonstrating that you do what’s needed every day to achieve your goal.

Positivity had no place when Tango was young.

My dog Tango started out as a reactive, biting, snarling, shark of a puppy. He was 11 months old and hostile to everyone and everything except me. Tango let me do anything to him. When I first met Tango at his breeder’s home, I had no idea of his real personality. It was a controlled environment and so I didn’t realize until I brought him home what a challenge he would be. I had plans for Tango – we would train and compete in Agility and he would be fantastic.

So I brought Tango home, full of positivity and dreams. And then reality hit. No Agility training for Tango – at least not until he was able to go out in public without trying to lunge at and bite everything in sight. I had to shift my beliefs. Tone down that positivity.

Deep-seated belief leads to work

I still believed that I could turn Tango around. So we trained. And trained. For months. I went out with him, getting him used to the world, or my corner of it. I shifted my mindset from blind optimism and positivity to belief that it was in my little dog to be a great partner. I paired that belief with a realistic plan of individual training and then group classes. That plan was ever-changing, depending on what Tango and I needed for the next few weeks.

And with that shift came new challenges. I was able to try new things and introduce new places to Tango. The group classes were always challenging since I had to be ever-watchful. But I believed that we could still be successful and so we persisted.

Reality now.

Positivity is overrated, but belief and working at it every day brought the goals to fruition.

Flash forward to today. Tango competed in both Agility and Rally (a slightly slower dog sport) through the Master Classes. The photo is of Tango competing in Agility. He got more ribbons than I want to count, and more titles than any other dog I’ve owned. He’s sixteen now, and spends most of his days snoozing in a comfy bed.

But if I hadn’t had the deep-down belief that we could actually do it, Tango might not have made it past his first year.

Positivity is overrated on its own. But pair positivity and belief, and a willingness to work at the goal every day, and there’s no telling what you can achieve. It worked for Tango’s reactivity and it will work for your fitness goals.

Worry is a waste of time

Worry is a waste of time. And yet we can’t help ourselves. I’ll include myself in this group. I’m a worrier. Most of the worry is nebulous and not about anything specific. Some worry is about whether or not a certain event will occur. Sometimes I even worry about the weather. None of this worry is productive. The worry is omnipresent. And it’s not good for us.

I worry about storms

Worry causes our anxiety to spike. And we know that anxiety is not healthy. An article in Harvard Health Publishing states that when we’re under stress, we’re prone to headaches, nausea, muscle pain, and other ailments. There is nothing actually physically wrong with us, but we’re manifesting these symptoms. And stress over the long term can cause your blood pressure to rise and loss of sleep.

My favorite method to relieve stress

I’ve written about various methods that can calm stress and address anxiety. My favorite is still my fitness routine. When I’m exercising, I have a half hour or forty minutes that I have to pay attention and focus. I can’t let my mind wander.

Let them … what?

A new trend on addressing stress comes from best-selling author Mel Robbins. Her “Let Them” theory, which is not new, helps us believe that we have no power over others. They’re going to do whatever it is they’re going to do and we can’t influence their actions. We only have power over our own actions. How we react to others is the only thing we can influence.

The more we let others do their own thing, the healthier it is for us. Worrying about what the other guy is going to do is not going to persuade them in any way, and the only result of that is to make us sick. Worry is a waste of time. This is a powerful mindset. Accepting that you can’t do anything about what others do can help you make room for a more positive mindset.

If there’s something to do, do it. Otherwise be like Elsa.

When we start thinking about the world situation, or the weather, or what your crazy neighbor will do (we’ve been lucky enough to not have too many crazy neighbors), just ask yourself what you can actually do about it. If it’s nothing, then ask yourself how you can prepare for whatever outcome you’re most anxious about. And do that. Or, be like Elsa in Frozen and let it go. Your blood pressure will thank you. You might sleep better. And you’re doing more for your healthy aging and your resilience than sitting and worrying about what might never come to pass.

Change the narrative

My new watchword is to do something every day that makes you happy. I don’t like to feel sorry for myself. But my birthday’s on a Tuesday this year – the busiest day of the week for me, when I don’t get home until about 9:30 in the evening after teaching a dog class and then training my own dog. I enjoy relaxing in the evening, so Tuesday is not my favorite day of the week. But instead of telling myself that it’s a bummer that my birthday is on a Tuesday, I’ll change the narrative and tell myself that every moment is an opportunity to look back and enjoy my life.

Where’s my happy place?

Now, I have it pretty good in life. Yes, there are some concerns, but (knock on wood) I’m amazingly healthy overall, we have food on the table and a roof over our heads. My dogs are thriving (also knock on wood because 2 are elderly) and I enjoy training them. But for this birthday I’m feeling low, and reminding myself of how grateful I am for everything I have is not helping. So I have to go back and remind myself of an article I wrote a while ago. You only need one thing to enter your happy place: a mindset shift.

Mindset influences actions

I’ve noticed that my mindset influences my actions. If I’m feeling low, my sister starts asking me if everything is okay, which annoys me and worsens my mood. So, when she starts asking, I know it’s time for me to take a look inside. Dr. Jacob Towery, adjunct clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at Stanford University, says that our mind influences our actions. And that mindset is malleable and can be changed.

Dr. Towery assures, “the good news is mindsets are highly changeable, and if you are willing to learn the technology of changing your mindset and defeating your distorted thoughts, you can have significantly more happiness.”

Change your mindset, change your life

The key to changing your mindset is to question your thoughts that are self-defeating and work on creating new narratives that are more self-serving. That positive mindset goes a long way toward building your resilience.

So, on my birthday I’ll change the narrative and view every moment of that Tuesday as an opportunity to smile and say, “Thank you” when someone wishes me a Happy Birthday. And I’ll work on enjoying that.

Failure is an option

Despite what we may believe, failure is an option, and sometimes it’s a good one. None of us wants to fail at anything, but it happens. And in many instances, we should embrace it. In fact, in a recent article in Entrepreneur Magazine, the author states that failure is essential for personal growth. And Stephany Kirkpatrick, CEO and Founder of Orum, sees “failure as a superpower.”

One thing I’ve found through life is that there’s usually more than one way to get anywhere. Except in the Florida Keys. Driving through most cities, there are multiple routes you can take to your destination. A couple of years ago my sister and I were on our way to our cousin and there was a huge backup on the highway. It turned out that it was closed due to the Vice President’s motorcade. So we found an alternate route.

In the Florida Keys, though, there is one main highway. Route 1 takes you from mainland Florida to Key West. There is no other road. My sense of direction is so bad that I once turned the wrong way from my hotel to my destination. Fortunately, I figured it out before I got to the 7-Mile Bridge and was able to turn around. This is, literally, a bridge that’s 7 miles long from Marathon to the Lower Keys with no entrances or exits until you get to the other side.

When you’re working toward a goal, sometimes the actions you take toward an intermediate step don’t work. When that happens, it could be beneficial. It will make you think about that goal and how to get there. When the obvious path doesn’t work, if you still want to make that goal happen, it’s time to get creative and figure out an alternate route. And your new path may be even better.

To figure out your new plan, step back and approach the problem from a different angle. Or even try going backwards. Start at the end point and reverse-engineer the process.

When you’re forced to switch gears and rethink your plan, you’re actually wiring more adaptability and resilience in your brain. You’re better able to face other obstacles that may be in your way. You could be doing more for your healthy aging than if your initial plan had worked.

The key to achieving a goal is to create a plan and stick with it – until that plan no longer works. Recognize that your initial plan is not the best one and develop a new one. Your new plan may get you to that finish line in an even better position than if the original plan had worked.

It’s okay when you don’t know something

How to push on with your push-ups when you don’t know how

Let’s say you’ve set a fitness goal – like doing 10 regular push-ups in 6 weeks, and you currently can do 6 from your knees. That’s a great goal. It’s specific and probably achievable. You’ve set your intermediate goals, scheduled your workouts and got started. (If you’ve got visions of where you want to be but no idea of how to get there, download the Get It Done Guide for tips on setting your own goals!) Week 2 you can do 20 push-ups from your knees but can’t seem to progress to even one on your toes. What’s going wrong? How do you know when to ask for help? And realize that it’s okay when you don’t know something?

No shame in asking for help

There’s no shame in looking for additional help. When a goal is meaningful to you and you think that you’ve set all your benchmarks in place, but you feel like you’re swimming in place, it may be time to look for help. You can have all the motivation in the world – you really want to be strong enough to do those push-ups, but if it’s not happening and you’re getting frustrated, it’s time to seek outside answers.

Different ways to figure things out

It’s important to know, too, that asking for help or seeking outside answers is beneficial as well. When you shift your mindset from, “I’ve got to get this done!” to “I have to figure out a way to get this done!” then the challenges you face become opportunities and not roadblocks. When you learn about new ways of doing things, you enhance your own evolution. Continuing to learn will increase your resilience, and improve your outlook. What you saw as a failure previously, you can now see as additional motivation.

Pros have help all the time

None of us knows everything about anything. It’s okay when you don’t know something. And asking for help is a sign of strength. You’re smart enough to recognize that you don’t know something and humble enough to find the answers to your problem. And every professional athlete has a coach, a trainer, and other professionals helping them on their journey.

Intermediate push-ups steps

But back to our push-ups. From my own research, I learned some great ways to progress from knees to toes. They include push-ups on one knee, one straight leg. Also, doing push-ups leaning against a wall helps develop the upper body strength we need. And the plank exercise – from either the forearms or hands also increases our upper body strength. Remember to keep your core tight – always! – and your back straight. Don’t try to bend your elbows too much, either, especially at first!

Playing games to boost fitness

Every evening after work I play games – do puzzles, actually. There’s Sudoku, a picture cross game, and another painting game. Sometimes I fit in a game or two of Spider Solitaire as well. I love my puzzles. After lunch, I play a hidden object game. I tell myself it’s to exercise my focus away from the floaters in my eyes, but it’s really fun. I love my games. And the last few years, lots of people are playing games to boost fitness.

Tech to track fitness

Do you use an app that tells you how intense your workout was? Or do you follow an exercise program online? Some even use virtual reality to follow an exercise program. That’s definitely playing games to boost fitness.

Do you wear a smart watch that tracks your steps during the day? Does it assess your sleep? You’re playing games to boost fitness. When your watch tells you that you’ve hit your goal for the day, how do you feel? Does your watch send you confetti and congratulations? There’s that hit of dopamine. It makes you want to pump your fist in the air and say, “Yes! I did it!”

It gets you off the couch

“I’m always going to be a fan of anything that gets people moving,” says Laura Girard, CPT, a trainer and online fitness coach. If an app or a VR set gets people off the couch and exercising, it’s a really good thing. Some of the newer virtual reality technology even has the capability of assessing your form as you perform the exercises or go through the active game. That’s certainly more affordable than hiring a personal trainer, if you’ve already got the VR set.

Alternatively, playing active video games can also get your heart rate up while you’re fighting bad guys. Anything that gets you moving is good – even if it’s playing a fantasy role-playing game. Maybe especially if it’s a fantasy role-playing game!

Provides accountability and motivation

The tracker you wear also provides the accountability and motivation that you need to progress toward your fitness goals. Your watch may give you sound or display notifications, and Lauren Cook, PsyD, a clinical psychologist says, “I think a lot of people are more active because they want to get that dopamine kick of seeing that they closed their rings or hit a step goal.”

But at least one field experiment found that, while the tech provides immediate gratification and keeps us accountable in the moment, it doesn’t provide lasting habit-forming effects.

Tech is not the answer for everyone

And tech may not be the answer for everyone to boost fitness and create long-lasting habits for our healthy aging. People can stress over too much tech or obsess over the data it provides. But tracking our goals and our progress is still incredibly important. But no matter how you’re tracking your progress, be intentional about the goals you track. Don’t try to track everything. And if you’re wary of the tech, the pen-and-paper route is still valuable. The Basic Workout Tracker is a great start. And for some it may be even better. It’s the route that I take. I actually did add a pedometer app to my phone, but I hardly ever have my phone on me, so it’s not much use. When you have your goals written in your own handwriting on a piece of paper, you could be even more likely to achieve them. You’ll still get that dopamine zing when you’re able to check something off on your page.

So games and tech are certainly fun, but playing games to boost fitness is the smart way to use today’s tech for our healthy aging.

Best exercises for healthy aging

I think about healthy aging quite a bit because I write about it. But I don’t think people my age should think about it. I think my peers should be actively doing everything they can for their healthy aging instead. The first thing many people think about relating to fitness is exercise, so here are the best exercises for healthy aging, according to many experts.

Strength

At our age, we have to focus on strength. When we’re strong, we can do things like get out of a chair without assistance, or climb stairs. When we’re moving against resistance, whether that’s our own body weight, free weights, or even resistance bands, that’s making us stronger. Strength training improves muscle mass, bone density and circulation. And the current recommendation is to do strength training twice a week to promote healthy aging.

Endurance

The dreaded aerobics. When we improve our endurance, we can walk for longer periods of time, making those walking tours a distinct possibility when we’re on vacation. Hikes with family and friends at home are also on the table. We exercise our heart and lungs when we work on our endurance, so we won’t get out of breath getting to the store from a far space in a parking lot. Cardio work also can be great to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

Mobility

During the day I can feel myself stiffen up if I don’t move around. Flexibility or mobility work helps us maintain or improve our range of motion. I can tie my shoes. I can reach a spot on my back that has an itch (mostly). A good way to get mobility work in is to incorporate it into our warm-up or cool-down from our strength or endurance work. Don’t skimp on flexibility, but it’s important not to overdo it, either. Incorporate movements that feel good to you.

Balance

Improving balance can help reduce falls. This one is really important to me, and balance exercises are certainly some of the best exercises for healthy aging. I suffered a fall a number of years ago which led me to promoting balance exercises. Here’s a nasty statistic: falls account for three quarters of deaths in people over 75 in the US. Don’t be a statistic. Download Your Week of Core-Centered Balance Moves and join the private Facebook group Balance for Fitness Balance for Life. A variety of balance exercises are highlighted, none of which take more than 2 minutes a day or require changing into gym clothes.

Cognition

Exercise your brain. Like every other body part, your brain needs work to keep it stimulated and operating at peak efficiency. We know that when we exercise our body, our brain benefits. A variety of brain exercises also help keep us engaged. And it’s not just Sudoku puzzles or crosswords that help. Jigsaw puzzles, arts and crafts, and other puzzles help.

One more thing helps keep us fit and engaged – interacting with others. So get moving and stay healthy.

Find comfort in routine

Everyone seems to be stressed these days. Yes, it seems like I write that every other week. But the times are turbulent and it’s hard to know what will be coming at us next. The weather is crazy, the political climate is even crazier, and then the economy is in turmoil. It’s one blow after another. My head is spinning. If you’re like me, know that you can find comfort in routine.

Routines can improve your health

Northwestern Medicine says, “By providing structure and organization, routines can improve your health in various ways.” Routine can help you manage stress, which is beneficial for our mental health. When you know something will be stable, it puts your mind at ease and boost your resilience.

Experts recommend routines for bedtime and sleep. By having a bedtime routine and getting quality sleep, our mental sharpness improves, as does our emotional well-being and energy. When I get my full seven hours, I do feel much more aware, and have more energy.

Healthy eating can be routine

Northwestern’s experts also recommend a healthy eating routine. Preparing menus and shopping at a set time every week ensures that you’re considering your nutrition. Most weeks I shop on Monday afternoons, which is not when the store’s stocks are freshest, but it’s convenient for me. There’s still plenty of great-looking fresh produce to choose.

There’s even comfort in an exercise routine

And, of course, the experts advocate an exercise routine. Staying active, as we know, is essential for our healthy aging. And, as I’ve recommended as well, scheduling your exercise helps you maintain that routine.

But don’t get too set in your ways

But we don’t want to stagnate, either. I’ve talked about goal-setting the last few weeks. We want our routines, but it’s also necessary to grow. So, think about what you want out of life. What’s missing that you want? And add that in slowly. Adding something to your routine is a great way to build healthy habits.

One thing I’ve added to my routine is meditation because it helps me settle my brain. When my thoughts start spiralling or I find myself scrolling depressing news feeds, I take a couple of minutes and clear my head. It makes me more productive and better able to handle the news coming at me. Sometimes I need a guided meditation if I can’t clear my thoughts by myself. And that’s okay.

If you don’t like your daily routine, figure out why and change it. You should find comfort in routine, not distress.

Make it fun and it will get done

My new watchword. If you can figure out a way to have fun doing something, it’s more likely to get done. I practice this a few times a week with my fitness routine. I make it fun and it will get done. Like running. To me, running is not fun. Granted, I’m more accepting now than I was a couple of years ago, because I’ve been doing it for a couple of years. But it’s still not fun. Running is hard and it’s not fun.

It’s not fun, so why do it?

So why do it? Because listening to a really good book while I’m doing it is fun. I’m on the second book of a really good fantasy trilogy now, and I actually found myself thinking on a usually non-running day whether I could get on the treadmill so I could listen some more. (I could have, but didn’t.)

The Fun Theory

In a post on The Resilience Centre’s blog, clinical psychologist Gabriel Wong advocates making things fun so they get done. The Fun Theory was initiated by Volkswagen a number of years ago, saying that people are more motivated to do things when they’re fun.

Examples like taking the stairs by making a flight of stairs like a piano keyboard, or promoting seat belt use by making entertainment available to passengers when the belt was fastened are popular examples. I particularly like the garbage can painted as “The World’s Deepest Bin” to promote throwing trash away. And the theory seems to work.

People took the piano stairs more than the regular stairs. Kids fastened their seat belts to watch the videos. And lots more trash was thrown in the “Deepest Bin” than a plain one next to it.

What about mundane tasks?

That’s great for odd, random things that you might want people to do. But what about normal, everyday stuff that has to get done. How can we make that fun? How can we get motivated to get all the mundane stuff done.

Confetti?

That’s where our Funtime Menu comes in. There are some things that are just not going to be fun. Like taxes. But online tax preparers figure out a way to gamify the process and give users a little shot of dopamine when they complete a section. You may get a green check mark and a celebratory confetti screen. We can do the same thing.

Put 15 minutes on a timer and work on a distasteful item on your never-ending To Do List. Just 15 minutes. Like cleaning out a closet. When the timer goes off and you hear that “Ding!” don’t you get a little rush? I do. Now you can do a little appetizer on your Funtime Menu. Dance to one of your favorite tunes. Go outside for a few minutes and enjoy some fresh air. Get a drink of water.

Make it fun and it will get done

You may think that 15 minutes is hardly any time. The closet will never get cleaned out in just 15 minutes. But you can make incredible things happen in just 15 minutes a day. And then when that closet is cleaned and organized, you can claim an entree from your Funtime Menu! Being able to check something off that list does wonders for our optimism. And when we’re happy, we’re more resilient. And when our spirit is strong and resilient, our bodies tend to be as well.

So, while I didn’t get to listen to more of my book on a non-running day, I know that I’ll be able to listen more in a couple of days. Remember to make it fun and it will get done. No matter what “it” is.

Why set goals?

At this point in our lives, we’ve probably reached the point where we know pretty much how our day will unfold. We all have routines. We like routine. There aren’t many people in the world who thrive on chaos. Of course, there are some, but the majority of people find comfort in knowing how their days will progress. If that’s the case, then, why set goals at all? If we’re happy in a rut, why not just stay in that rut? Do the same things day in and day out. I certainly love my own rut, but I’m constantly setting goals, wanting to improve, grow stronger, and share my message with more people.

Last week, my topic was about goals needing specificity to be achievable, and cited a study about goal-setting among seniors. The study found that most of us do, in fact, set goals of all sorts. Some are lifestyle goals, others are fitness goals, and others relate to social connections.

Why do we set goals?

An easy answer could be that, for those who don’t have pets or jobs, our goals are our reasons to get up in the morning. Goals give us purpose and optimism. I have dogs who make me get up in the morning. But I have goals involving my dogs, too. Goals help us be resilient. Because if we’re looking to the future, then we’re assured to have a future. And that goes hand-in-hand with healthy aging. In order to be there for our future, we need to be healthy. With no goals, we’re just sitting there and letting the world go by, not being a part of it. And, even worse, it won’t be status quo for us.

Use it or lose it

Unfortunately that old saying is true. If we don’t use what we’ve got then we run the risk of losing it. Our balance is a good example. It’s been shown that as we age, our balance deteriorates unles we actively work to maintain or improve it. That’s what the private Facebook group, Balance for Fitness Balance for Life is all about. Trying to help people improve their balance.

We should set goals for things that are important to us. We could set goals for anything we think of. For example, I could set the goal to learn how to make noodles. The problem with that, though, is that I already like lots of noodles that are easily available at reasonable prices. So I have absolutely no interest in achieving that particular goal.

On the other hand, I have set the goal to run twice a week for 20 minutes. Why? I want to stay fit and mobile, and independent.

Why set goals? Existentially speaking, setting goals are for happiness and independence.