fitness Archives - Fran's Fitness Over 50

Rewrite your brain

If you’re having trouble achieving your fitness goals, rewrite your brain

Perhaps you’ve experienced this. At the beginning of the year, or quarter, or whatever cycle you’re using, you’re all excited about your fitness goal. You know that you can hold a plank for a minute (you’re at 30 seconds now), but it’s just not happening. You consistently fail at 45 to 50 seconds. It’s easy to feel frustrated and discouraged with consistent unsuccessful sessions. What to do? Rewrite your brain!

Don’t accept subpar results

No, don’t ever accept results that aren’t up to your standard. But you can adjust your thinking to keep you going and even improve on your performance. Your brain is an incredible thing. It keeps you going, it remembers things for you. It helps you get the rest you need, or keeps you up at night. If you’re not happy with an aspect of your life, your brain can help you figure out how to change it. Your moods are set by your brain, and you have power over your moods. It’s funny that we’re naturally wired to believe the worst. We automatically believe that we can’t do something, that we should drop down from the plank. What were we thinking?

You can rewrite your brain

But the Journal of Neurochemistry has published articles that indicate that our brains are malleable. That our brains can adapt to different environments and conditions. But how can we rewrite our brains ourselves and make ourselves believe in the positive?

Rewriting our brain is not a one-and-done thing. Remember those piano lessons? I certainly do. I was not proficient at a piece on the first reading. Practice was the key. Hours and days of practice. Practice from the beginning, the middle and the end of the piece until eventually I knew it – literally – backwards and forwards. The same holds true with our brain.

Repetition is key

We’re not going to believe anything – even if it’s ourselves telling us so – the first time we hear it. Repetition is key. That’s where those affirmations come in. Now, the same holds true with our affirmations as with the goals we set. We have to tell ourselves things we can readily believe. We might shoot for pie-in-the-sky in the long run. But at first we have to stick to baby steps.

You know that you can hold that plank for a minute. You just have to really believe it, deep down. Tell those shaking arms that there are just a few more seconds. And your quivering core can stay tight for longer. Probably not the first time. Or the second. But by the fifth or sixth session, you’re able to rewrite your brain and hold that plank for 50 seconds – 55 – a minute!

Is it possible to lose weight without drugs

Last week’s post defining fitness, struck a chord with many. But people ask if they can get fit while still overweight. And if so, is it possible to lose weight without drugs? I maintain that it’s not only possible, but many people are succeeding, even at our age.

A word about weight-loss drugs

Many researchers, physicians and prescribers consider the newer weight-loss drugs long-term solutions. They see obesity as a chronic disease. Their patients will always have the disease because there’s no cure. The drugs address the symptoms, not the underlying cause. So people can, conceivably, stay on these drugs forever.

Do people have to stay on drugs forever?

But many people, including those over 50, choose another path. I did some looking around, and found out about a lady, let’s call her Angie, who’s been successful without drugs. “I’m 62. Over the last 2 years, I have lost 130 pounds by basically reducing portion sizes to ‘kid’s meal’ at a restaurant and taking my little black cat for walks around the trailer park. First time I’ve been less than 200 pounds at 5’7″ since I was 18.”

And another lady, let’s call her Patricia, who said, “I’m 5’7” and 55 yrs old and am in the process of losing 163 lbs. I have now lost 33 lbs -watching portions and stopping when I’m actually full…. Losing about 1-2 lbs a week (soooo slow but I will take it)….and have 130 lbs to go.”

So, eating right and exercise are the keys to getting fit. Even just taking walks around the trailer park counts as exercise – in a major way! And Angie’s cat is getting the benefits too. This is how you lose weight without drugs. Neither method is good or bad. One is not better than the other. But many people prefer not to take drugs unless it’s absolutely necessary.

A commitment

If you have a lot of weight to lose, the prospect of losing only 1-2 pounds a week is daunting. You see a future of unhappiness and dreary days with boring food. Food is a pleasure we all look forward to every day. We humans need to eat. And adding variety to our meals is one way to add happiness. There are a zillion healthy options when it comes to mealtime. If you’re bored with your usual diet, check out other countries’ cuisines.

That’s not to say that you have to deny yourself. In fact, you know that I’m a proponent of never saying no to a craving.

There’s also a commitment to exercise. There’s nothing I’d like more than to be a sedentary hermit, but all the experts agree that movement is vital. If you’re like me, but have gone the sedentary hermit route for a while, I’ll bet you hurt when you do get up from your comfy armchair. Stairs are probably an issue, too. Get moving! It really does help. And it’s important for your healthy aging. Those experts have that title for a reason.

So, drugs are not required for weight loss. But a positive mindset is. We’ll talk about that next time.

What is Fitness?

Technically, it’s still the beginning of the year, so many of us are still in our goal-setting phase for the quarter or the year. I thought it was appropriate, since I call this site “Fitness Over 50,” to explore exactly what is fitness. What does fitness mean to us, people who are middle-aged or perhaps older.

I did a search and, not surprisingly, there are quite a few meanings for the word. Fitness, according to Cross Fit ”comes through molding men and women that are equal parts gymnast, Olympic weightlifter, and multi-modal sprinter.” Yikes! That definition seems a bit extreme for most of us, entering this stage of life. But if you aspire to these qualities, then definitely go for it.

Physical fitness, according to MIT Medical, “Physical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform up to our potential. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel and do our best.” A definition like this is one I can get behind. Fitness “enables us to perform up to our potential,” so it’s different for everyone. Everyone has a different potential and, it can be argued, it’s something that we can grow and change as our lives change.

Fitness is personal

But the definition I relate to the most comes from Sharecare: Fitness is a very personal term! Fitness is having a healthy mind, body, and spirit to allow you to maximize your potential and help others maximize their potential. Your definition of fitness will be influenced by your interests, physical abilities, and goals.”

Fitness is mind, body and everything in between

To me, fitness combines every aspect of your being. From what’s on the outside to physical organs on the inside, and even to your thoughts and beliefs. Fitness is the ability to live every day with joy and meaning. Those are very personal ideas too: how one person experiences joy can be very different from another. And the meaning of my day can be as simple as playing with my dogs or as deep as writing a (hopefully) well-thought article on fitness.

So, “what is fitness?” is different for everyone, but I think there are some commonalities. Being fit is the ability to do the things you want to do when you want to do them. I exercise so that I have the independence and the mobility to do exactly that – what I want. I set goals to have a path forward. When I have a path forward, I can plan my days and be happy. I’m optimistic that I can achieve my goals, and that makes me even more resilient.

You decide what being fit is for you

Being fit may include looking and feeling good, but it’s much more than that. Everyone has their own definition of fitness, and you can use that definition to maintain your motivation. It’s what can get you up in the morning, ready to lace up your sneakers or dive into a meditation session. The fact that you are fit will help you get through tough times and look forward to the future. You know that even when things feel hard – like lifting a 30-pound weight – you can take a deep breath and do it. When you’re fit, you automatically do things for your healthy aging. It’s not even a conscious thing. When you’re fit, you move – and move forward.

Every step you take toward your goal proves that you’re amazing!

2025 is two weeks old. If you’re still working toward a goal you set, you’re on track to beat the rest of the world. People who make fitness resolutions at the start of a year usually fall off the wagon by the two-week mark. If you’re still sweating, you should feel really good about yourself! It’s not easy changing the way you live. At our age, we’ve spent quite a few decades practicing some bad habits. But now you’ve realized that you need to change something for your healthy aging. So, consider that every step you take toward your goal proves that you’re amazing!

You can do hard things

every step you take toward your goal proves you're amazing

Every day that you change your clothes and lace up your sneakers or dive into that pool, you prove that you can do hard things. These days it’s easy to find many exercise programs online. The hard part is choosing one you like, is safe and effective, and is one you can stick with. Because that’s the key. Your consistency is the key to your success.

I’ve written about how to keep going toward your goal when you don’t feel like doing it. But actually starting a program is hard as well. To do something that you’ve never done before – start and continue with an exercise program – really proves that you’re amazing.

The Amazing Box

But those procrastination and hooky gremlins are out there. You know – the ones that tell you to scroll just a few minutes more. Or, it’s too cold to exercise. And the dog is sleeping on me – I can’t move! Those excuses? If you can bolster your resolve and keep that appointment with yourself, that definitely proves that you’re amazing. Your strength proves that you’re resilient. You make appointments and keep them – especially the ones with yourself. Because those are the really important ones.

Every accomplishment goes in your Amazing Box

A while ago I told you about the Amazing Box. A place where you write down all the things – even the smallest – you do that are amazing or bring you the slightest bit closer to your goal. It doesn’t have to be a physical box, although that would be fun, but it has to be a special place you can visit when you feel your motivation flagging. Just opening up your Amazing Box and reading a couple of entries gives you that pat on the back. That “oomph” to keep going. And reinforces your belief in yourself.

Goal setting to grow

Last week we focused on the Fitness Formula. The Fitness Formula is quite simple, and at its core involves only 2 requirements: eating right and exercising. But to actually achieve fitness, a crucial third element is needed, and that’s motivation. Because, while it might sound easy, the Fitness Formula is hard. And even for those lucky people who are already fit, staying that way takes work as well. But doing the same old, same old gets really boring after the first few days. So, to spice things up and keep your motivation at any stage of your fitness journey, why not use your goal setting to grow?

Envision what things might be like

A different way to look at your goals is to envision how you’d like things to be. If it’s the beginning of the year, what do you want December to look like for you? Obviously, you can do this exercise any time, but starting at the beginning of the year and looking at the end of it seems natural.

Starting with your appearance, what size do you want to wear? How is your health? What does your kitchen look like – can you make healthy meals from the food that’s in your fridge and your cabinets? And what activities are you involved in? Take the opportunity to dream a little big. Get a little uncomfortable. Use your goal setting to grow. When you take risks, there’s so much more opportunity to grow than if you play it safe.

With challenges, there’s growth

This is the exciting part. The year is your oyster, so to speak, and it’s up to you to make a statement for it. You don’t want to set easy goals, because there’s no challenge there, and probably little if any personal growth. Growth leads to resilience which leads to optimism and, ultimately, your healthy aging. And we all want to be our best, healthiest selves as we get older. As we learn more and do more, we gain self-confidence and resolve. We know that anything’s possible.

A challenging, but silly, personal example

Let’s take a silly example. In an effort to improve my balance, over and above doing the practical, proven exercises recommended every week in the Balance for Fitness Balance for Life Group (private, on Facebook), I wanted to test myself with the one-arm, one-leg plank pose in an effort to be ready to join the circus if the opportunity presents itself. (Told you it was silly.) I figured, what could be so hard? Tried it, and landed on my face. Apparently not so simple. After weeks of modifying on one knee or one arm, strengthening my core and getting used to what the pose felt like, I tried it again for a second. And landed on my face. But ultimately I was successful. So, how did I grow in this endeavor? I learned that I’m persistent and I can learn. There’s nothing I can’t do if I can figure out a way to modify and figure out the steps that will ultimately achieve my goal.

Goal setting to grow

So, what do you want to achieve by the end of the year? Lose 10 pounds? Super. Cut out sugar from your diet? Excellent. You’ll figure out healthier, tasty alternatives. Be in shape to hike through Europe even if you’ve never laced up a pair of hiking boots? Wonderful. Set a deadline, figure out your steps toward the goal, and get ready to grow.

Create an exercise habit

It sounds kind of boring, doesn’t it – create an exercise habit. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. If exercise is a habit for you, then you don’t have to feel like you’re girding yourself for battle a few times a week when you think about working out. You don’t have to find time on your calendar for exercise because it’s already scheduled. And you’re getting all the benefits of exercise without even thinking about it. Your heart is getting stronger, your balance is improving, your sleep has never been better and your memory is as sharp as it ever was.

Be active and fit to do all the other stuff

Exercise is a habit for me, and has been for many years. I realized a long time ago that the only way I was going to be able to do the things I wanted to do with my life, and eat all the chocolate I wanted, was if I was active and fit. And all the studies say exercise is crucial for healthy aging. So, how did I create an exercise habit?

How to create an exercise habit

First, you have to understand that there’s nothing I enjoy more than curling up with a good book. For hours. I love to stay home and hibernate. I was never an athletic person, and when I was a kid, I skipped gym class more than a few times. As an adult, though, I realized that no one else was responsible for my well-being, so I’d best look out for it.

I found a workout program I didn’t mind (too much). I could see myself doing it a few times a week, and actually put it on my calendar. Back then all the calendars were paper, so I used ink! No erasing. And I followed through on my commitment. In order for this to work, I had to commit to the plan. It doesn’t do anyone any good to create goals and then not do the work. That’s why creating intermediate steps toward a goal is so important. When you reach those mid-goals, you have things to celebrate. When you can actually see and taste the mid-goals you set, even if you can’t see your end goal, you have that positive mindset that’s so important to achieving your goals.

It’s not set in stone

And don’t be afraid to change your exercise program. If you find that you really can’t tolerate the instructor or the moves are killing your knees, find something else! You should never be locked into a program you don’t care for. By the same token, if you outgrow the program that you started with, find a more challenging one.

It takes about a month to create a habit, so you’re in it for the long haul. When you create an exercise habit, you’re the one who will reap all the benefits.

Fear of the unknown

Are you afraid to try something new in your fitness routine? Or of starting a fitness program? In fitness, as everything else, fear of the unknown is natural. But don’t let it rule your life. Don’t be paralyzed by the fear of what might happen. Fear of “What if …?” has stopped plans in their tracks for many.

Fear of replacing a PC?

For me, even though it sounds silly when I write it out, I was afraid to upgrade my PC. Now, you have to understand that the one I was replacing was over 10 years old. For a PC, that’s a dinosaur. An early Triassic period dinosaur, like 245 million years ago. So it was more than time to replace the obsolete box. The thing was, though, it still worked. It had all my pictures and files on it. We had moved it several times over the years. But it was time. It took forever to get things done. And it did get things done – I wrote every article for Fitness-Over-50.com on it. I helped to run a business on it. It talked to the printer (most of the time). I published books on it, for goodness’ sake. But it was time.

Fear of the unknown paralyzed me

And I was afraid. Brand new ones are so expensive and still go obsolete in months. I decided to get a refurbished one, guaranteed for a few months. And what if the new one didn’t work? Well, that’s what a warranty is for, right? What if the new one didn’t recognize the external hard drive I transferred all my files to? Well, then, I’d transfer files to the cloud and work from there.

Form a plan of action to counter the fear

You can see that, while I was afraid of the “what if’s,” I tried to form a plan of action for it. I knew that, while it was scary delving into new tech, I’d be so much more productive if I didn’t have to wait to load sites. And didn’t have to wait while I deleted browser cookies every day. Not to mention, not having to restart the PC three times a day.

Indeed, the American Psychological Association recommends that, to counter fear of the unknown, we should focus on things we can control. So, for every “what if …,” think of an action to take. Also be sure to be kind to yourself. We all encounter some fears of things we don’t know about, so take some deep breaths and try to center yourself. And, if possible, try to learn more about the unknown you’re scared of. Then it won’t be unknown any longer. By educating yourself, you’ll have grown your resilience and your optimism. And that just promotes your healthy aging.

Fear of starting a fitness program?

Many people start the New Year with resolutions of getting fit, of exercising more regularly and eating right. And that can be scary – to start something you’ve only dreamt about. So, if you want to get started on a healthier 2025, start now by looking into the kinds of exercise programs that you might like and actually continue. That fear of the unknown will be gone for at least this portion of your life.

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.

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.