Fran's Fitness Over 50

Everything in moderation

Everything - yes, even red velvet cake - is OK in moderation.

It’s been another tough week in a series of tough weeks. And you’ve been (mostly) good about your diet.

And then, out of nowhere, you have an incredible craving for red velvet cake.

It’s OK

Try to resist if you can. Take a walk. Drink a glass of water. Do some gardening. Read a chapter in the book you have on your night table.

But if you’re still craving that cake, have a little bit. It’s OK. That little bit won’t hurt you.

In fact, you’ll probably have fewer calories if you have a little bit of exactly what you want rather than a substitute. If you have a little cookie to try to satisfy your craving, chances are you won’t have just one cookie, you’ll have ten. And those ten will have more calories than the small piece of cake you would have had. And it won’t taste as good.

Have that small piece of cake. Don’t deprive yourself. My watchword is, “Everything in moderation.” Don’t go overboard, but don’t cut yourself off from the small pleasures.

I’ve talked about it before – even a little bit of chocolate really is OK: https://fitness-over-50.com/2018/07/chocolate-and-a-healthy-lifestyle/

Watch every bite

If, as I have, you’ve struggled with your weight for your whole life, you know the importance of paying attention to every morsel that passes your lips – every taste, every single square of yummy dark chocolate, every forkful of deep-dish Chicago style pizza, every spoonful of ice cream.

So when we have an irresistible craving, we watch that going into our mouths as well. And feel absolutely no guilt. Because we plan for it.

If I’m going to have that chocolate, I give up something else. Or I do a more intense workout. Or I run a few more minutes on the treadmill. Because I still have to pay attention to the calorie limit I set for myself.

If the worst happens

But, if you can’t resist that craving and you go completely overboard – you can’t stop eating that cake, that pizza, that chocolate, that ice cream – and you think to yourself, “Well, that’s done it. Why stop now. I’ve eaten almost everything in sight, might as well finish it up. I’ve completely forgotten that diet. I’ll never lose weight” –

Hang in there!

One day is not going to ruin everything. You may have a little ground to make up, but all is really not lost. Get back on the straight and narrow. You’ll be fine.

Where’s my motivation?

A few months ago, after the initial shock of the lockdown, many of us were inspired to begin exercising at home. We couldn’t go to gyms, so we worked out in our living rooms or basements, or started walking or running outside.

But as the weeks went on, as the saying goes, we’re just “not that into it” anymore.

Where’s my motivation? Where did it go?

We may have lost that initial glow, that feeling of, “Hey! Look at me! I’m actually exercising and I even lost a few pounds.”

But then things started to go back to semi-normal. Gyms started opening up, but it wasn’t the same. There were occupancy limits. Masks were required in many cases. It was hard. We may have gone back a few times, but it was hard.

And then cases started rising and things locked down again.

And your motivation up and went. The starting and stopping, starting and stopping – do I go to the gym? do I go for a run? Or, do I sit on the couch.

Different motivations

Starting a new behavior requires much different motivation than keeping that behavior going.

At first we were inspired to do something that was actually good for us while we were cooped up at home. We were told that we should exercise – it would be good for us.

But then we were able to do other things, outside our homes. Meet friends at restaurants – outside, perhaps, but still a social gathering. Or go shopping. And so our motivation to exercise went by the wayside.

It’s much more difficult to sustain motivation for a behavior that we may not be that invested in to start with. We need more than “we should do this” to keep it going.

Make it easy

If you’re serious about wanting to exercise – and I’ve written before about the many reasons TO exercise, make it easy on yourself. Make it easy to be an exerciser.

Have your workout gear handy. Whether you work out at home or actually go to a gym – have a drawer, or part of a drawer, specifically for clothes you use to work out in.
Do something you like, or don’t mind so much. Whether it’s running, walking, lifting weights, dancing, yoga – figure out what you won’t mind doing for 30 – 40 minutes a few times a week and
SCHEDULE it. Yes – write it down in your calendar. It helps to make it the same time on the days that you exercise – you will get used to exercising at that time. Whether it’s 7:00 in the morning, 3:30 in the afternoon or 10:00 at night. Make an appointment with yourself. Every day. Write it down. Make it a repeating appointment in your Google calendar.
If you feel like running one day and lifting weights the next – perfectly OK. Don’t lock yourself into a particular style of exercise. Cross-training is good for you.

Get your motivation back. Be an exerciser, not just someone who sometimes exercises. Your body – and your mind – will thank you.

Anxious and stressed?

4 ways to deal with stress

Many people are feeling anxious and stressed these days. In fact, everyone I’ve talked to lately is feeling it. The effect of long-term stress on our bodies can actually be harmful. Long-term stress can negatively impact our blood pressure, heart rate, sleep and even our eating habits. (See my article about both long-and short-term stress.)

We naturally try to avoid stress, but when we’re feeling overwhelmed by things that are outside of our control, we feel even more sensitive to outside factors.

There are some ways to deal with this stress, though.

Calm the stress energy

Engage in mindfulness techniques to divert your attention away from the anxiety. Try meditation or do an exercise session. This will help to reduce your anxiety in the short run, but it won’t go away.

Pay attention to your thoughts

This technique engages mindfulness techniques as well. But, rather than engage in these techniques after you feel stress and anxiety, try to recognize your thoughts going in that direction before they lead you on that hamster wheel.

Take some control

One reason that you’re feeling elevated stress is that you feel that there is nothing you can do. This leads to feelings of helplessness, and increased stress and anxiety.

A way to alleviate those feelings of helplessness is to find some small thing that doesn’t take a lot of thought or energy, and cross it off your to-do list. You won’t mess it up since it doesn’t require a great deal of effort, but just the act of crossing something off your list can ease some of your stress.

Take positive steps

Here’s where it gets a little tougher. You know how good it felt to knock something off your to-do list? It will feel even better to take steps toward a bigger goal.

When you’re dealing with anxiety, your avoidance motivation kicks in. Thoughts are racing around in your head, and you want to do anything you can to avoid those thoughts. And when you’re in this thought pattern, you’ll see all the flaws and problems that there could be in this course of action. So it can be difficult to take any action with those thoughts running around in your head.

But when you actually do start putting some energy toward that goal you can start to see the outcome you want. This is hard, though, because you have to overcome those churning thoughts in your head. Once you do you’ll start to become happier and you can start to anticipate that positive outcome.

Creaky on rainy days?

3 ways to ease your aching joints

Even without arthritis (thank goodness), I’m noticing that I get creakier on rainy, damp days than I used to. If I’m sitting for even a half hour and get up, my knees and hips let me know that they exist and are not happy with the current state of affairs. Even my shoulders are stiffer. The first couple of shuffling steps involve gradual straightening and shoulder-rolling. A hand to the lower back is also sometimes required to straighten up. The next couple of steps are better, and before I’m halfway across the room everything is back to normal. All this is probably normal, but it still gives me a knock on the head that I’m getting older.

Now, before you suggest moving to the desert where it’s hot and dry, there are things we can do to keep our aging selves limber.

Stay hydrated

I know it sounds weird – recommending water to alleviate stiffness. But, a paper from the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard says that drinking enough water each day is crucial to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells, and keep organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. So, drinking water keeps us moving in more ways than one!

Get up!

You know Newton’s First Law? A body at rest stays at rest. And atrophies. It’s a good idea to get up and move around periodically to keep the lubricants in our joints swirling around. If you tend to get involved in activities and lose track of time, set a timer for every hour to remind you to get up and move around.

Stretch

Another great way to feel less joint stiffness is to do some stretching. Stretching increases joint flexibility and can reduce stiffness. Another benefit is that some stretching exercises will also increase your balance and coordination, preventing falls.

Multitasking can be dangerous

We’ve already established that as we get older, our balance diminishes unless we actively do something about it. But what does that mean in real life?

Walking and talking

If we’re taking a walk outside when the weather is nice, we may be looking at the trees or noticing the flowers. If we add something to the mix, like talking on our phone – we may not notice the uneven pavement. Talking with friends is great, but we get so involved in the conversation – agreeing with or arguing about a topic with the friend – that we get distracted. If we’re distracted, we’re not paying attention to where we’re going. While we probably won’t run into the walker ahead of us, we may not notice the huge crack until it’s too late. So we may want to wait until we get home to call our friends. Listening to a podcast or an audiobook is different. We’re not actively engaged in that second pursuit, so we can focus on our steps. If you’re in a safe area, by all means, plug in those earphones (or airphones, whichever…)

Overload!

Carrying the groceries into the house from the car can be another dangerous pursuit. Don’t overload. And don’t try to carry too much at one time. If you overload the bags, they may be too heavy for you. Don’t hurt yourself by trying to lift too much weight. And if you try to take too many bags at once, you won’t be able to see the ground in front of you and could trip over something in your way that you don’t see.

Multitasking – dangerous for your health

Cooking while watching TV and scrolling your newsfeed or checking your email? You may want to cut one of those activities. I know – you have to put dinner on the table and that’s not the most exciting thing. By all means listen to the news on TV or on your phone, but don’t watch an adorable cat video at the same time. You don’t want anything to get burned – especially your dinner.

And multitasking could reduce your productivity – read more.

The moral? Pay attention. Multitasking can be dangerous.

Add aerobics and improve your balance

I frequently stress the importance of improving balance, especially as we age. The aging process naturally diminishes our balance since our senses tend to deteriorate. Vision and depth perception diminish, as well as the vestibular system of the inner ear. Even our sense of touch, especially the ability to feel the floor when our foot touches down, tends to diminish as we get older. All of these contribute to decreasing our balance. Strength, coordination and reaction time also diminish as we age, contributing to loss of balance. Pretty depressing, but it’s better than the alternative.

Adding aerobics to your balance exercises can increase stamina and endurance.

In addition to the balance exercises that I include in the Week of Balance download, aerobic exercise can improve your balance. Of course, movement of any kind can help with balance, but it’s very easy to just sit down and not think about moving. So a planned exercise session most days is an easy way to get our movement in if there’s nothing else on the schedule.

Increasing stamina and endurance

Personal trainer Sabrena Jo who is certified in working with seniors and is the American Council of Exercise director of research content says, “one reason people tend to trip or fall is that they have low stamina or endurance.” By adding aerobic activity we increase both cardiovascular stamina and endurance. Plus, it’s usually done to music which enhances our optimism. An added bonus is that an aerobics class can burn a lot of calories!

Aerobics also burns fat and calories

Aerobics has always been a favorite to burn fat and calories. It reduces the risk of heart disease, can help lower blood pressure, stroke and certain types of cancer. It can also improve cognition. And aerobics is a weight-bearing exercises so it can lower your risk of osteoporosis.

Of course, if you’re going to add aerobics to your exercise regimen, be sure to check with your doctor. And choose your aerobics wisely. If you have bad knees, take that into consideration.

One final note: be sure to add an aerobics exercise that you will do regularly. Once and done will do absolutely nothing for your balance, your heart, your weight or your bones. Choose an aerobic activity that you’ll look forward to doing.

What’s really stopping you from losing weight?

Tools for measuring weight loss. But are you stopping yourself from losing weight?

We’ve all been there. Those extra ten pounds. They just won’t budge! You try every diet on the planet and they work for a while and then … not. You try running for miles. You try sweating off the pounds. And nothing. Are you stopping yourself from losing weight?

No diet has worked

No diet seems to work. Everything you see goes on the hips. You try the Mediterranean diet. The Keto thing. The Paleo thing. You think – maybe I have Celiac disease? Or at least gluten sensitivity? Weight Watchers – or WW as they call themselves now. Jenny Craig. Nutrisystem. You’ve tried it all. And nothing.

Yo yo syndrome

Or you take a few pounds off and keep them off for a while. Those few months when you could wear a smaller size – how you cherish those memories. And then the pounds creep back.

Sound familiar? If you’re built like I am – when even looking at mac & cheese puts inches onto your hips – you know the struggle. Perhaps you don’t think of it every day, but it weighs on your mind.

Are you sabotaging yourself?

How to lose those extra pounds. “Maybe I shouldn’t make that for dinner.” “Well, I’ll just have a taste.” “I’ll just make myself some vegetables.” “I’ll start working out tomorrow.” “I hate these pants. They cut off my circulation.”

And the self-doubt. “I’ve tried it all. Maybe I’m just meant to be heavy.” “I can’t lose weight. My metabolism is too slow.”

Or it could be that those thoughts are causing a vicious spiral – I can’t do it so I won’t even try. You could be sabotaging yourself.

NO JUDGMENT ZONE!

If these thoughts seem familiar – don’t judge yourself. You’re perfectly normal. Everyone has these thoughts. But, if you’re serious about wanting to lose weight – make sure you have a few minutes. Grab a pad and pen. And really think about why you want to lose weight – and if you really are serious about it this time. If you are serious, write down those doubts about yourself. Think about the times that you’ve tried to lose weight in the past. Were you serious then? What makes this time different? And go from there. Be kind to yourself – you’re the only one you’ve got! Life is too precious to be unkind.

Why do you think you’ll be able to do it this time? Let me know!

As old as you feel

Don’t dwell on the numbers. They don’t matter (except for Medicare and Social Security, and taxes). You’ve heard the old saying, “You’re only as old as you feel.” Yes, some days you might feel creaky or fragile and feel like you’re a hundred and two. I know I do. But I try not to let that affect my activities for the day. I may move a little slower on those days, but I try to keep on moving.

Don’t get stuck in the ground

Because stagnation will make you plant roots. And while some roots are great – like friends and family, a home that you love or a community that keeps you grounded. But other roots will make you sluggish and slow. And make you feel that you really can’t do what you want to. Just because you’re 50, 60 or 70 – that doesn’t mean that you’re unable to reach your goals. Don’t think about the dwindling number of years you may have left. Think about all the great days ahead of you.

Workout choice to fit my feeling

Yesterday I admit that I was feeling a little funky, but I knew I’d feel guilty if I didn’t work out as I planned. I chose a favorite non-impact Pilates workout. By the time the half hour was up, I felt much better. This is a workout that focuses primarily on core strength, but uses resistance bands to really challenge you. Familiar moves like “The 100,” and “Circle Teaser” are taken to the next level with those bands. So, in addition to your core being strengthened, your arms are getting stronger too.

Side Plank Star

When the workout was over, I felt so much better that I decided to try and do the Side Plank Star move that I had a photo done a few years ago. This move uses the core, the legs, the arms … just about everything. It’s a fun move that challenges your balance as well. Plus it looks cool. (Start in a side plank position and lift the top leg. Be sure you’re on a non-slip surface.) So yesterday, I started out feeling like I was 100 years old, but ended up much younger than that!

Feeling happy today

Why do I feel happy?

I’m feeling happy today and I don’t really know why. There’s still a pandemic. The economy (no matter what anyone says) is really not doing very well. I spent most of the day working on a grant application and then the submission host crashed…

But, I put my favorite station on Pandora and I’ve been bouncing in my seat all day.

The sun is shining. The air is a little cooler and more clear. I had a (pretty) good night’s sleep. My back doesn’t hurt and I put in 4 good workouts this week. I was able to watch some of a live stream from one of my favorite places on earth and watched a dolphin paint a wine glass. I might have to save my pennies to bid on that during the auction!

Optimism rocks!

I’m feeling optimistic as a result. Our grant will be accepted. It won’t be 90 degrees again this year. They’ll find and approve an effective vaccine and figure out a way to manufacture and distribute it safely to everyone who wants it expeditiously.

The moral there is – get happy. Grow your optimism. Find ways to make yourself happy. Pessimism paralyzes. When you’re feeling down about everything it’s much more difficult to get up the energy to accomplish even the most necessary tasks. Connect with friends. Seek out things that are guaranteed to make you happy – at least, happier.

Results of happiness

When you’re happy, you’re more productive. You relate better to others. You’re kinder. You sleep better. For me, when I’m happy and optimistic, I snap at others less. I’m able to plan. I look forward, and don’t dwell on the past. I’m less likely to eat junk. I’ll sleep better and wake more refreshed. Smiling uses fewer muscles – I won’t get lines around my mouth. And all that dancing in place has surely burned a few calories!

A solemn anniversary – be good to yourself

Today is the 19th anniversary of the day our safe little world ended. September 11, 2001 – the day terrorists took over 3 planes and did so much damage the world changed forever.

The world came together

In the days following 9/11, people the world over came together to deal with their stress and grief. We honored the first responders. We grieved with the families of the fallen. We tried to come to terms with the events of that horrible day.

My sister and I had reservations for a vacation just a few weeks after 9/11 – a hiking tour around parts of Quebec. The trip went on, and even though friends said that to be prepared for French Canadian haughtiness, the predominant feeling I got from the people we met there was camaraderie and friendship. The world did, indeed come together.

Another crisis today

These days, we’re in the midst of another crisis – the global COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone is dealing with the same crisis, dealing with stress and uncertainty about the future – even uncertainty about the present.

Similarities

Rev. Kevin Massey, who worked as a Chaplain at Ground Zero in New York City after 9/11, sees similarities between the two events. “These days are very similar to those,” Massey told WGN radio. “At that time, we felt uncertain about what was next. We feel that now, too. We were afraid and anxious. We feel that now too. At the same time, was there not a spirit of unity that drew people together?” he says. “I see that happening now all over the place as well.” Massey talks with health care workers, helping them get through times of stress.

Importance of Resiliency

And Rev. Massey talks about the importance of resiliency – the ability to bounce back from tough times. “To be deeply affected does not mean that we are defeated,” he said. “And it turns out that resilience can be bolstered through practices of self-care and self-nurture and seeking human connectivity.”

So, be good to yourself! Give yourself a break. If you don’t get everything done that was on your to-do list and you worked hard, so what. Take a little extra time to breathe air. Enjoy some nature – even if it’s just pictures. Share a favorite video.

And reach out to friends. Start a Zoom call. Or just send a message that says you’re thinking about them.

Learn more about how you can become more resilient in the free ebook.