Can’t Lose Weight? Have You Had a Thyroid Test?

Thyroid

Over 40 and can’t lose weight? Have you tried every diet and exercise plan in the book, and you still can’t seem to lose those extra pounds? The problem might not be what you’re eating or that you’re not exercising hard enough. It may just be that your thyroid is out of whack.

My Thyroid? Affecting My Weight? How?Your thyroid is a gland inside your neck, just below your Adam’s apple. You probably can’t feel it unless it is swollen. Your thyroid gland produces hormones that affect your metabolism, amongst other things. If your thyroid becomes overactive, it can produce too much of a hormone that causes your metabolism to work overtime, causing you to lose weight. However, if your thyroid stops producing enough hormones, your metabolism will get sluggish, causing you to gain weight.

However, your thyroid gland does not work independently. Your thyroid gland has no way of knowing how well your body is responding to how much (or how little) hormone it secretes. That job is performed by your pituitary gland, which works in conjunction with your thyroid gland to regulate metabolism. Essentially, as we get older, the messages between the pituitary gland and the thyroid gland can get mixed up, causing either an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

Signs of Hypothyroidism

Many of the signs of hypothyroidism can look like signs of aging. You may think that your metabolism is slowing because you’re getting older. You may assume the weight gain is inevitable. However, a simple test and resulting prescription can get your thyroid performing optimally again, reversing weight gain.

The following are common symptoms that you have an underactive thyroid:
• Unexplained weight gain
• Feeling cold, having trouble staying warm or getting warmed up
• High cholesterol
• Exhaustion, feel like you never get enough rest
• Feeling blue for no reason
• Slow heart rate
• Feeling sluggish, like it’s hard to do every day tasks
• Thinning hair
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Foggy memory, difficulty focusing

All of these signs point to an underactive thyroid.

Foods to Avoid If You Have Hypothyroidism
If you are diagnosed with hypothyroidism, you will want to avoid the following foods, all of which can inhibit proper thyroid function:

Soy Soy, in all its forms, contains isoflavones (also called genistein). Isoflavones interfere with thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme needed to help your body use iodine and the hormones your thyroid produces.

Cruciferous Vegetables
Believe it or not, broccoli is not good for your thyroid. This is because cruciferous vegetables like contain isothiocyanates, which stops the thyroid from producing peroxidase. Cooked cruciferous veggies change the form of isothiocyanates, so that the body cannot use them as easily, so you can eat a sprinkling of broccoli cooked in a casserole, for example, but no more chowing down on raw cauliflower, cabbage, turnips or kohlrabi. Limit your crudités to small amounts, and make sure they are cooked.

Protein Injected with Hormones
Most farmers inject animals with hormones in efforts to produce bigger, fatter, disease-resistant livestock. The hormones injected into the livestock affects how much estrogen you ingest when you eat eggs, dairy or meat that comes from animals injected with hormones. Estrogen dominance is believed to inhibit thyroid function. You’ll want to eat only hormone-free eggs, dairy products and meat.

The Quick Weight Loss Fix: Check Your Thyroid
If you’ve gained weight recently or feel chilled most of the time, it’s time to see the doctor about your thyroid. A simple blood draw will allow the doctor to determine if you need medication. It’s recommended twice every decade after you hit age 50 anyway. Schedule this test for your next physical, just to make sure you are working hard to lose weight while your thyroid is working hard to make sure you keep that weight on!


Essential Dietary Changes Everyone Over 40 Must Make

As we age, our bodies change. Metabolism slows and hormone production fluctuates and wanes. The end result? Mid-section spread and overall weight gain. Diabetes. Heart problems. Declining ability to exercise due to strain on joints.

To keep healthy, you will want to make dietary changes that counter these natural bodily changes. If you eat properly, you will notice a significant improvement in multiple areas of your life.

Dietary Changes to Support Hormone Balance
Both men and women find their levels of progesterone dropping as they age. Women’s levels of progesterone (essential for fertility) start falling in the mid-30’s, and men’s levels of progesterone (used to produce testosterone and cortisone) begin to fall as they hit age 40.

Why does this matter? As progesterone levels fall, estrogen (yes, men produce estrogen, too!) becomes more dominant. The change in hormonal balance leads to fat storage – especially in the mid-section.

To fight this imbalance, you will want to eat the following foods:
• Cruciferous vegetables, which have been proven to reduce excess estrogen
• Citrus fruits, which will bind with excess estrogen and remove it from the body
• Insoluble fiber, which will bind with and remove extra estrogen from your body

By increasing your intake of these three foods, you will improve your hormone balance, significantly decreasing your tendency towards weight gain.

Dietary Changes to Prevent Diabetes and Maintain a Healthy Weight
However, hormone balance is not enough to produce healthy results. Sure, hormonal balance is important, but you will also need to protect your body against the development of diabetes or inappropriate insulin production.

As we pass the age of 40, our bodies may begin to struggle to process blood sugar adequately. Your body has always had to work hard to deal with blood sugar spikes and lows, but people who are 40 and over need to pay closer attention to their diets in order to reduce stress on your pancreas, which produces the insulin you need to process blood sugar. When your body experiences a spike in blood sugar, it responds by producing insulin. Some of the glucose in your blood is converted and used as immediate energy, but any excess glucose is stored as fat. If too much insulin is released, you will experience a blood sugar drop, prompting you to crave carbohydrates in order to increase your blood sugar. Most likely you’ll eat something high carb at this point, causing another blood sugar spike.

If your body experiences multiple blood sugar spikes and lows, you will end up storing more fat. You may also develop diabetes.

This is why it’s essential for people over 40 to follow a diet similar to the diet promoted in the South Beach Diet, which was created by a doctor who worked with heart patients and people with diabetes. You will be healthiest if you:
• Cut down on sugar and processed foods, almost completely eliminating them from your diet
• Eat plenty of lean protein
• Eat plenty of vegetables
• Eat sparse amounts of fruit and whole grains
• Eat a moderate amount of (low sugar) dairy

South Beach Diet

Solutions You Can Follow
I’ve found it most helpful to follow a guide such as the South Beach Diet to get myself on track. You’ll find that the book recommends three levels of adherence to the diet. If you need to jump start your weight loss or track to fitness, you can try the strictest diet (which honestly, is not that hard to follow – it’s very doable.) If you just want to ease your way into healthier eating, you can follow the least strict diet plan. In any case, you won’t go wrong if you read the nutritional explanations behind the dietary choices recommended in the book. This is just a guide to get you on track for eating healthy and learning how different foods effect your body. This is not to be used for a lifetime but only as a guide. I still believe you cannot diet forever just choose more wisely.

Leave a comment describing your dietary choices. When we work together, we all benefit!
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Stress Management Tips and Tricks

Those of us in the over 40 and fitness group know that stress only increases as we age and take on more responsibility. Fortunately, we can learn how to manage our stress, reducing the impact stress has on our overall health. As we mature, our stress management skills can improve, resulting in a happier, healthier life.

The following are stress management techniques taught in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) classes. DBT classes teach people how to use distraction, distress tolerance and mindfulness skills to deal with stress effectively.

Distraction Techniques
Feeling upset about something? Trying to move on, but can’t stop thinking about the issue that is upsetting you?

Distraction techniques help you take a break from the stressful topic, allowing you to cool down before you deal with that actual problem. In many cases, you will realize (after you engage in something distracting) that the issue at hand wasn’t even worth the stress!

Distract yourself from the source of stress by doing one of the following:
• Fantasize about a pleasurable experience
• Chew gum and focus on the taste and sensation
• Call a friend and talk about something completely off topic

Make a list of ways you could distract yourself from upsetting thoughts. Choose a couple techniques and commit to distracting yourself when stressed.

Radical Acceptance – An Effective Distress Tolerance Technique
We all experience distress from time to time. Maybe you are stuck in bad traffic, or have realized you are going to be late for a meeting and can’t make time for lunch. Perhaps you’ve just gotten a call from your teenager’s teacher, saying she is in danger of flunking a class.

Your stress level rises if you begin to believe the distressing situation or news is intolerable. The goal of radical acceptance is to make peace with distressing news or situations, lowering your experience of stress over the situation.

You can build up your distress tolerance by practicing radical acceptance of the unpleasant news or situation. For example, if you are stuck in traffic, you can take deep breaths and repeat the following mantra: “The world won’t end if I’m late,” “I did the best I could,” or “I can handle this.” Radical acceptance is acceptance of the situation, as it is. It’s a type of resignation, or making peace with the situation.

Another example is if you find yourself in a long meeting, bored and starving because you missed lunch. You can practice radical acceptance by embracing the feeling of hunger and realizing that while it is unpleasant, it isn’t intolerable. In fact, maybe it’s okay to feel hungry once in a while. These sorts of thoughts will lower your stress level and help you grow in patience.

Using Mindfulness to Manage Stress
Your body is equipped with powerful abilities to raise and lower your stress level. If you train yourself to pay attention to the messages your body is sending, you can learn how to actually reduce your stress level, on the spot, even in highly stressful situations. Many Emergency Response Technicians learn these techniques so they can remain calm while dealing with incredibly stressful situations.

Mindfulness requires you to be keenly aware of what is happening right now, in the present moment. For example, take the next three minutes to focus on your breathing. Set a timer, close your eyes, and breath deeply, focusing on how it feels to inhale, hold your breath, and then exhale. Pay attention to the pleasure of breathing; notice how deep breaths make you feel calmer, more serene, more relaxed.

Try other mindfulness exercises such as closing your eyes for three minutes and listening to the many sounds that you normally ignore. Look around you and make note of how the light plays on surfaces in the room, or how many different people’s voices you can hear. Listen to a song on the radio and tune into how the melody rises and falls, what the beat count is, how the background singers meld with the lead singer. The key is to focus keenly on one aspect of your present experience, allowing yourself to sink into the experience. The end result will be a calm, relaxed feeling.

Stress Relief and Your Health
It’s important to learn how to manage stress. Many of us have developed unhealthy ways to deal with stress, such as emotional eating or drinking too much alcohol. As you focus on your over 40 fitness goals, you’ll want to add stress management into your wellness plan.
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Health Screenings for Women Over 40

Did you know many women over 40 believe that they should only go to the doctor if they have something bothering them? The fact is that an annual physical exam is an important part of maintaining the health of women over 40. Your physician can work with you on developing a health plan involving routine care and screenings. Your family history, age, medications, race and lifestyle can all contribute to increase the risks for certain conditions. Even if you notice no symptoms these tests can help identify underlying issues you may not be aware of.

Colon Cancer

Often we associate colon cancer risk with men, but women can and do get colon cancer too. Family history and ethnic background factor in to your risk of the disease. As with all cancers, early detection often means less invasive treatments and a better prognosis.

You should start getting colon cancer screenings at age 50. Your physician may schedule:

• A stool test performed every year
• Flexible scope test, known as sigmoidoscopy, every 5 years
• Colonoscopy every decade
• People with higher risk factors may need more frequent colonoscopies

Breast Health in Women Over 40

Every woman should perform monthly breast self-exams. This enables you to notice small changes early on and alert your physician to them so they can be looked at more closely. Women over 40 need to schedule a mammogram with their doctor every 1-2 years as well as a clinical breast exam annually. Certain risk factors, such as family history, will play a part in how frequently your physician wants to test you.

Pelvic Exams

Pelvic exams and pap smears are a vital part of women’s health. The various parts of these exams help screen for cervical cancer as well as other potential health issues, such as STDs.

These screenings may include:

• Screenings for STDs, such as HPV, as well as a discussion of prevention
• Pelvic exam done every 1-3 years based on history and risk
• Pap smear done every 2-3 years unless abnormal results are found, in which case more frequent exams are needed
• Women over 65 with previous normal screenings as well as those with full hysterectomies can discuss with their physician if they still need a pap smear

Osteoporosis
Both men and women can suffer osteoporosis but women are far more likely. Post-menopausal women’s bodies produce less estrogen which is one of the greatest risk factors for osteoporosis.

Other risk factors include:

• Frame size
• Age
• Race
• Family history
• Thyroid problems
• Dietary factors
• Medication
• Exercise
• Tobacco and alcohol use

Your body often shows no sign of osteoporosis until a bone is broken. The spine, hip and wrist are at the greatest risk of damage from osteoporosis. Your doctor will want to perform a bone density test beginning at age 65, or earlier depending on your risk factors.

Taking Care of You

Women are known for being the caretakers among family and friends, often putting themselves last. But as you age it becomes increasingly important to take care of your body. Your physician can review your family and personal health history as well as your specific lifestyle to determine what testing is suited for you and when. By spending a little time taking care of themselves, women over 40 can enjoy a healthy and active life.
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Health Screenings for Men Over 40

Men over 40 will greatly benefit from an annual physical exam, especially if you haven’t been in the habit of yearly well checks. There are several important tests to be considered after this age. Your personal and family health history, ethnic background and even work environment can factor into when and how often these tests should be performed. Even if you feel fine, screenings such as these can help identify underlying issues that you may not be aware of.

Cancer Screenings

There are three basic cancer screenings with various levels of tests that men over 40 should discuss with their doctor. It is important to be prepared for your doctor visit with an accurate personal and family health history. This allows you and your doctor to create a schedule of health screenings that best suits you. All three of these cancers can be potentially life threatening. However, early detection can make for less invasive and more effective treatments.

Prostate Cancer

There are two ways your doctor will screen you for prostate cancer:

• A rectal exam to check for physical indications
• A blood PSA test (prostate-specific antigen)

Your doctor will discuss possible symptoms of prostate issues that can be caused by things other than cancer to determine the best course of action to maintain your prostate health and ensure your best quality of life. Prostate screenings typically begin at age 50 but certain individual risk factors, such as being an African American male, require testing to begin at age 45.

Colon Cancer

The typical schedule for colon cancer screening in men ages 50 and up is:

• A stool test performed every year
• Flexible scope test, known as sigmoidoscopy, every 5 years
• Colonoscopy every 10 years
• People with higher risk factors may need more frequent colonoscopies

Testicular Cancer

Screening for testicular cancer is fairly noninvasive. For the average individual, a basic external exam should be done yearly. Self-exams are recommended starting at age 15. However, after 40 your doctor will want to perform the exam as part of your yearly physical or as otherwise determined by your doctor as you plan your healthcare.

Maintaining Healthy Weight in Men Over 40

As men age, their weight plays an increasingly important role in their overall health. A person who is 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely compared with a person of average weight. Your doctor will want to evaluate your weight and any underlying issues it may cause at your yearly physical. If your weight poses particular health risks your doctor may schedule other visits to continue working with you.

Excess weight can also lead to problems such as:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• High blood pressure
• Gall bladder diseases and gall stones
• Gout

It is important to discuss with your doctor a nutrition and activity plan to help you lose weight if needed and to maintain a healthy weight as you age. Many problems caused by being overweight are reversible by following a healthy eating plan and an exercise routine. Always talk to your physician before beginning any exercise routine.

Protecting Your Health
It’s important to prioritize your health, especially as you age. Your physician will help you determine if your particular genetic make up, environmental factors, lifestyle or health history puts you at risk for health problems not listed here. Most men over 40 find they enjoy improved quality of life if they take extra steps to protect their health.

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4 Weight Loss Strategies to Outsmart Your Body

fitness590265_3Strategy #1: Eat Every Two to Three Hours
You’ve got to keep your blood sugar stable, your stomach filled, and your metabolism going, so you’ll need to eat six times a day. This prevents your blood sugar from dropping and spiking, keeps you from getting hungry and overeating, and will help your body avoid starvation-mode.

Plan your small meals to be anywhere from 150-300 calories each. Eat before you get hungry instead of waiting to feel hungry, and stop before you feel full.

Strategy #2: Commit to Eating Raw Vegetables
Raw vegetables in particular are packed with nutrients and water. When not cooked, the fiber is even tougher to break down, making your body work extra hard for the reward.

If you commit to eating two stalks of celery or a sliced cucumber every day at ten in the morning, you will find you are full and won’t eat so much at your lunch meal. If that doesn’t work for you, commit to a salad every day for lunch. By staying on top of your hunger, you’ll feel less inclined to eat junk that is available throughout the day – especially if your pants are a little tight due to the fiber you’ve packed in.

Strategy #3: Pack Easy Sources of Protein
Protein helps your muscles repair after hard workout, plus it helps you stay feeling full, alert and satisfied. Try the following sources of lean protein:
• High protein energy bars like Pure Protein
• Protein powder (add it to smoothies, stir it into yogurt, or mix it into recipes)
• Lunch meat
• Eggs
• Tuna

Try eating a breakfast that is packed with protein (scrambled eggs with ham or a protein shake) and pack a high protein snack (protein bar) for a mid afternoon snack to get your body into high gear.

Strategy #4: Supercharge Your Metabolism
At our age, we need to give our metabolism a jumpstart each day. Try the following tricks to get your body burning calories each day:
• Work out in the morning (even if it’s just for 20 minutes) just to get your metabolism going
• Eat right when you get up so your body gets the message that it will be burning (not conserving) calories today
• Drink green tea, which naturally kicks up your metabolism a notch
• Take green tea supplements (even caffeine-free ones work) or capsules of cinnamon – both will increase your metabolism
These simple tricks will help you keep your weight under control.

Why We Need Specific Weight Loss Strategies Once We’re Over 40
You need to pay attention to fitness over 40 weight loss tips because your body changes as you age. As we get older, our:

• Metabolism slows down
• Body becomes more sensitive to blood sugar levels and insulin production
• Body produces fewer hormones, resulting in mood changes that can tempt us to overeat
• Body starts to accumulate extra fat around the waistline

If you remain on top of fitness, you can beat the over 40 battle of the bulge. Just be sure to follow weight loss strategies that are tailored to your age group and life style.

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Got Back Pain? Fitness Tips for Back Pain Prevention and Recovery

Are you struggling with back pain? When it comes to exercise after 40, we all need to work to prevent back pain by learning how to work with our bodies in a proactive manner.

Back pain is usually caused by one of three things: the weakening of your core muscles, overuse (or sudden, unexpected use) of back muscles or postural distortions caused by the overuse of certain core muscles and underuse of other core muscles.

You can avoid back pain if you learn what actions put you at risk for stress or injury. Then you can tailor your workout plan to protect your back.

Back Pain Culprit #1: Sedentary Lifestyle If you have to sit at a desk for hours a day, you are probably overusing some core muscles and under utilizing others.

Try the following:
• Invest in ergonomically correct office equipment. If your office won’t spend the cash, do what you can to provide lower back support (a small pillow might help) and to keep your chair at a height where your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. You may need to invest in a small foot stool or adjust the height of your office chair to make this happen.
• Sit up straight as much as is possible, using your abdominal muscles to hold yourself in an erect position.
• Get up and stretch once an hour. Perform shoulder rolls, arm circles and stretches that open your chest.
• Stretch your back when you get home each night. Lie down (on your back) on the floor in front of a chair. Put your feet and calves up on the chair so your legs are bent at a 90-degree angle. Relax.

Back Pain Culprit #2: Sudden, Unexpected Use or Overuse of Back MusclesIf you just trimmed your hedges, weeded your entire garden or took up a new weight lifting routine, you may be experiencing some serious back pain.

Try the following:
• Ease into new workout routines, slowly working your way up to challenging weights or exercises. You can’t jump into difficult exercise plans after age 40; your body needs the time to adjust.
• Warm up before using muscles that haven’t been used in a while. Go for a walk to get blood flowing to those muscles, and then be sure to avoid jerky motions.
• Avoid repetitive motions that stress your back muscles.
• Try bending your knees or using your whole body instead of using motions that isolate and stress your back muscles.

Back Pain Culprit #3: Postural Distortions
Postural distortions are caused by overuse of one set of muscles or seizing of muscles as the body tries to protect itself from injury.

Try the following:
• Incorporate core strengthening exercises into your routine. Start with a few reps and slowly work your way up to avoid injury.
• Avoid jarring exercise like running. If you do run, be sure to offset your running days with swimming, biking or yoga, all of which are less jarring.
• Learn how to use smooth movements when lifting weights; be careful to maintain proper form at all times.

If you take these precautions and are proactive about building your core strength, you’ll recover from past injuries and prevent future injuries. This should reduce your risk for back pain and improve your fitness after 40 workout capabilities.

Learn the secrets to finally getting lasting relief from your back, neck or sciatic pain. Get relief in as little as days…even if you’ve suffered years or decades and have tried it all! Click to receive a Free* copy of The 7-Day Back Pain Cure book!











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Tips to the Fountain of Youth after 40

I know you have heard a many of times, “you are as young as you feel” this is a true statement.  In other words, you need to feel and look good.   We accomplish this by healthy eating, exercise, laughter, positive attitude and just enjoying life in general.  If you can accomplish all of this you are feeling pretty darn good over 40 and beyond!

 

 Healthy eating is a big factor; it keeps your weight down, and does a great deal for your skin and overall well being.  Drinking plenty of water is a must for everyone.  Water helps your digestive system, gives you energy and keeps you from being dehydrated.  If you are dehydrated you are probably feeling pretty lousy.  Water also helps with metabolism and keeping your body temperature normal.  Water is the first order of finding youth after40.   Eat plenty of fruits and veggies, these keep the cancer and doctor at bay.  Fruits and veggies also help maintain a healthy diet.  If you want to know which fruit helps what, read my article “Have some Fruit”.

 

 

Exercise helps keep the weight down, boost metabolism, and makes you feel good just by accomplishing something worth your while.  Exercise also helps keep the doctor away with the 3 main conditions that is threatening to all that are 40 and beyond. High Blood pressure, High Cholesterol, and Diabetes, exercising helps control all three and can very well keep you off medications.  That along should make you feel good!  No one wants to take medications if not necessary. Walking everyday can help with these issues, and if you are up to it take a gym class, buy a new workout video which ever you prefer.

 

 

I love to laugh; it is great for the body.  Laughter reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and just simply makes you feel good.  Life is too short to be stressed and serious all the time.  Laughing also helps keep you stomach tight and if you laugh enough you could also shed some calories!  This goes along with having a positive attitude.  Remember, there is somebody out there that is worse off than you, so stay positive and believe me you will feel much better. 

 

 

The fountain of youth after 40 is all up to you. This is your second half, enjoy it.  Try following these simple tips and you will see the results to a healthier and youthful body!


Are you setting realistic goals?

Once you reach age 40 and over it is harder to lose weight. That is why we must set realistic goals. You can’t expect a miracle after a month or so. It will take time, but you can accomplish your goals. You must remember you have quite a few things going against you once you reach 40. Metabolism is the main enemy because it slows down as you get older, so you must finds ways to boost it up. A slow metabolism means slow weight loss, and your hormones are probably out of control as well. The bottom line is you are going to have to put in hard work to lose weight.

I could lose weight in my thirties with just 3 days of exercise at 30 minutes. Not the case now, you need a minimum of 45 to 60 minutes 3 days a week. It sounds like a lot but it is not, your routine could include walking three days and two additional days of strength training. The strength training could be 20 to 30 minutes twice a week this builds lean muscle and helps you burn more calories when you do your cardio routines. But you must be consistent even if you have reached your ideal weight. Losing weight requires maintenance, meaning keeping it off. Your exercise routines also need to change a least every 90 days so you do not reach plateau. This means instead of walking for 60 minutes, add a jog for at least 10 of the minutes. I like to walk a mile then jog a mile to mix up my routine. Other examples include exercising for longer periods, or changing your routine all together, but you must mix it up. If you keep this up for at least six months, you will see a significant change in your body and you will be shocked at your stamina.

Over 40 is not the end of world as far as weight loss and staying healthy. You just have to work a littler harder and the more you do the more comfortable you will be keeping up with a routine and enjoy the great changes you are making for a healthy lifestyle after 40. Now we know that exercising is just part of the program to get you fit, eating habits also play a major role more so than the physical aspect. Large meals once or twice a day is not the answer you need small meals several times a day. A piece of fruit and a dry piece of toast is an example of one meal. Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean cuts of meat. If you have been reading my material, I really don’t believe in diets, I believe in lifestyle changes which include smarter choices. I know some people need diets, if this is you I would start one and learn how to eat healthier and then incorporate this into you choices, so you don’t need to diet.

Setting realistic goals means you know the weight will not disappear over night as it did not appear that way. It doesn’t mean it can be done. I would start out with setting a goal of weight loss in 5 pound increments. Get started and keep in mind at all times that it is not a quick fix, but you can do it.

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Endurance, Flexibility, Balance and Strength

Endurance, Flexibility, Balance and Strength are all very important parts in becoming fit after 40 and staying healthy.

These are all part of exercise, so you can work on all of these in your daily routine. Let’s talk about the meaning of each.

Endurance exercise increases your heart rate and stamina which helps you to do your everyday tasks. It improves your overall health and helps prevent diseases that are known for people 40 and over. This is something you should work on daily if possible. Activities that help build endurance include:

• Brisk Walking
• Climbing stairs
• Swimming
• Gardening
• Aerobics

Flexibility also called stretching exercise is the ability to move joints and muscles through their full range of motion, which increases blood circulation. This makes you more limber and for physical activity. You should always stretch before and after exercise. Hold your stretch for at least 20 seconds. Flexibility helps prevents injury from exercising and everyday tasks. As you age over 40 your muscles tend to be a little stiff.
Activities that help build flexibility include:

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Stretching all different parts of your body.

Balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium against the force of gravity. In other words, balance helps your stability. Having balance also helps prevent falls and injuries. As you grow older that is a major concern. Activities that help build balance include:

• Standing on one foot (use a chair)
• Practice walking in a straight line

Strength Training is exercising with goal to increase you physical strength. It is excellent for the body as it build muscle, changes body shape which will give you more definition. What is nice about building muscle, it takes up less room and you burn more calories. How great is that? After age 40 your bone density decreases which puts you at risk for osteoporosis. Activities that help build muscle include.

• Weight lifting (can be 3 pounds) or use soup cans
• Push Weights
• Exercise Machines

Remember that all of these are important factors for fitness after 40. Everybody is different, so you have to do what you can, and always consult with your physician first before starting any physical activity routine.

Below is a list of just some of the benefits you gain from building in these areas:

• Walk on an uneven sidewalk without falling
• Walk up and down stairs
• Bend over to tie you shoes
• Carry laundry and groceries
• Weight Loss
• Feel good about yourself

Start slow and try to work on these areas at least 2 to 3 times a week, and I’m sure you will rake of the benefits of being fit and healthy after age 40!

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