We Can Get Healthy, Get Fit, And Lose Some Weight As We Age
"It might take you 30 days to create a habit, but that habit could change your life for the next 30 years."
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I can't be the only one who, the older I get, the more I am trying to focus on my health and fitness. I don't think I ever worried too much about my health or weight in my younger years. I was young and busy. Now, I am old and not so busy and much slower. I wish I had been more consistent with exercise in my younger years. Now, I feel like I am trying to catch up. And you know what, it's not that easy.
And there is the fact that I should lose ten pounds. Realizing that I have put on a few pounds is pretty eye-opening. And a bit depressing. That realization that your clothes don't fit as they used to, and you have some fat in places where no woman wants fat to be is devasting . If only we could lose weight as quickly as we can gain it.
I don't want to feel old and slow. I am getting old, but I don't want to be reminded of it daily. I want to have a little more energy and more enthusiasm for life.
"The point is that steady exercise is a coded message to your body-and your mind-telling you not to turn into a busted down old crone." Quote from Younger Next Year For Women
I am reading everything I can find on getting fit and staying healthy. And I've been taking notes and making lists. I am looking for all the tips and tricks I can find. I am creating a notebook of tips and tricks to use as a motivational reference for myself. Sometimes, reading about ways to get fit and healthy can be very motivational.
I thought, why not share some of the tips and tricks I find by putting them in a blog post? So here I am sharing.
Getting fit and healthy doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing mindset. It can be as easy as making some changes in our daily life. Drop a few of our unhealthy habits and start adding new healthy habits into our daily routine. Take one healthy step at a time. It's a gradual process. We can't make all the changes at once. But we should be consistently making those changes.
New To-Do List-
Do some strength training. Strength training is vital for muscle tone and bone density. Aim for two or three days a week.
Remind ourselves frequently how vital exercise is for us.
Eating an apple before a meal can result in eating less at the table. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." is a saying we've all heard throughout our life. An apple a day may help keep the pounds away, also.
Load up on fiber-filled foods. Food with lots of fiber will keep you feeling full longer.
Drink, drink and drink more water. Invest in a water bottle and keep your water bottle filled and within easy reach.
Get in at least four different fresh vegetables and fruits each day.
Don't skip the all important breakfast. Get your day started off on the right track. Whole grain toast, oatmeal, and fruit are good choices.
Skip going back for seconds and late night eating.
Keep a log of what we eat each day. Sometimes we need to hold ourselves accountable for what we have consumed throughout the day.
Get in 10,000 steps daily. Google fit is a free app that keeps track of your steps, miles, and heart points. Get a holster for your phone and get walking. Or maybe you prefer a fitness tracker you can wear on your wrist. You may not get in your 10,000 steps immediately, but keep increasing daily.
Make exercise a routine part of our day. Soon it will just be as routine as brushing our teeth.
Make it a habit to get up and move throughout the day. This short video gives me a boost of activity. 5 minute fat burning walk Or walk around in the house or, better yet, outside. Just move.
Find what we like to do for exercise and do that. Don't worry about what anyone else does. Do what works for you.
"You may not like exercise, but do it anyway. For your heart, for your mind, for your immortal soul." Quote from Younger Next Year For Women
Make it easier to get in your daily exercise by having a set time every day. That way, it becomes an automatic thing for you to do.
Get enough good sleep. I have found that getting in some daily exercise improves my sleep.
Get in extra steps by parking our car at the back of the parking lot, and go for the stairs instead of the elevator when possible.
Do at least four days of serious aerobic exercise at least four days a week.
Don't dress in baggy, ill-fitting clothes. Strive to look your best. You will feel better about yourself. Elastic waist pants are the worse thing ever invented. Sure, they are comfortable, but you realize one day that that waistband kept you comfortable while you were getting fat. If you wear a pair of pants with a zipper, you quickly know if you are putting on a couple of pounds.
We can't let ourselves get lazy. Sure a lazy day now and then is certainly something we should give ourselves. But when it becomes daily, we need to find things that energize us and get us going again. A hobby, or maybe form a group of like-minded friends or family interested in becoming more healthy and active. Get together with friends for lunch weekly. Whatever makes you happy and energized.
Limit your sugar and fat-filled foods. Both are energy drainers. And just not good for us in so many ways.
Eat more high-protein foods. Nuts, Greek yogurt, and eggs are examples of high-protein foods. To help you out, here is a list of high-protein foods.
Having good habits and a good routine leads to success. Remember you and only you are in charge of your health.
Make your goal progress not perfection.
In some ways we have a lifestyle in this day and age that makes things too easy for us. We can order anything we want online without leaving our homes. We can sit for hours and watch our televisions. We don't even have to go out to watch a new movie. Almost everything is at our fingertips. Virtual work meetings, virtual doctor appointments. Many people work from home. Come on people get out and mingle. Get out and move around.
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