10 Tips for Getting Fit & Living Fabulous at 40!
Every man knows its taboo to ask a woman her age. But ask a woman whose fit and she’ll shout it from the mountain tops! I’ve never had a problem sharing my age. Every birthday means another opportunity to live a fit and fabulous life. But since getting in the best shape of my life at 41, I wear my age on my sleeve like a badge of honor.
People are sometimes shocked at by age, but that wasn’t always the case. Last year, I was overweight at 170 lbs on a 5’4” frame. One morning, I became frustrated and near tears, when I realized that I had nothing to wear to work because all my clothes were too tight. I decided right then and there, at 6:00 a.m. standing in my closet naked, that I was getting rid of the weight once and for all! Too many months of late night eating, junk food binges, fast food runs and no exercise had caught up to me BIG time! (pun intended 😉 )
Here’s what I did to turn it all around and start living fit and fabulous at 40!
1. Regular exercise. Find an exercise you enjoy and do it regularly, 4-6 days a week. Exercise strengthens the heart, sheds pounds and gives you the required energy to enjoy an active, fulfilling life. My go to workout? Turbo Kick! It’s what I turn to whenever I need to work up a good sweat, elevate my mood and burn some serious calories. And all the kicks, punches and jabs are guaranteed to help release any stress and frustration I’m feeling from my day. Take a look at my top recommended exercise programs to help you get started and stay on track.
2. Clean up your diet. Ditch the fad diets and learn healthier eating habits that’ll stay with you for a life time. I’m an all or nothing kind of girl. But if cold turkey doesn’t cut it for you, make small dietary changes every week to wean yourself off slowly. Need help creating a healthy meal plan? Contact me for a customized meal plan to help you reach your goals.
3. Drink lots of water. Water detoxifies your body and skin, improves metabolism, helps organs absorb nutrients, and transports nutrients into cells. It also helps with weight loss by flushing the by-products of fat break down and dilutes the body’s waste products.
4. Create a daily calorie deficit. To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories or burn more calories. Determine how many calories your body needs a day to maintain your current weight and create a 500-1,000 daily calorie deficit either by eating less or burning calories through exercise.
5. Try new activities. Keep exercise interesting by incorporating new activities you’ve never tried before. In the cool, crisp days of Fall, taking a long walk through the park or in your neighborhood is a great way to get in some exercise and fresh air at the same time. I started doing power walks every other Saturday morning with a group of friends. Power walking within your target heart rate is a great way to burn fat, shed calories and spend quality time with friends.
6. Build lean muscle. Lean muscle makes you look smaller, slimmer and fit and burns more calories. A solid fitness plan incorporates 2-3 days of strength training. Contrary to popular belief, women will not bulk up by lifting weights. Muscle requires more fuel to grow and sustain itself, thus it burns more calories than fat and will make you look leaner, smaller and sexier – not bulky! It will help lower your body fat % and help you lose weight, since the muscle will burn fat long after you finish working out.
7. Get your daily vitamins and nutrients. Intense exercise makes it difficult for the body to retain all the required nutrients it needs each day. Taking a daily multi-vitamin helps replenish the nutrients you lose through exercise. I’ve always hated taking pills, so I never stick to a vitamin regimen for long. So I replace one meal a day with Shakeology to which nourishes my body with a daily serving of fruits and vegetables and the daily recommended value of nutrients. I add peanut butter and oatmeal for a frosty, healthy treat I look forward to each morning!
8. Get plenty of rest. Lack of sleep affects your energy level, mood and the ability to retain new information. Not everyone needs a full 8 hours of sleep. But make sure you get in the minimum number of hours you need to be at your productive best each day.
9. Get back to the hobbies you enjoy. Drawing, reading and writing articles is my way of unplugging from the chaos of the world and re-fueling and re-energizing. Take a break from your to-do list and hectic schedule to get back to the hobbies that invigorate and replenish your inner self.
10. Pursue your passion. A good friend once told me “you can never be truly happy unless you align yourself with your passion.” My passion is running a successful and profitable business and the freedom that comes with being a true entrepreneur. So I took the leap and started my fitness business. Every day I do something for my business that will get me one step closer to my goal of being totally self-employed. Whatever your goals, fuel your passion by taking steps everyday that align you with your ultimate goals and get you closer to living the life of your dreams. Invest in yourself. The payoff is greater!
#GetFit&Fabulous
