Staying in Shape Over 40 - What You Need to Know

     

Photo credit: Shayan (USA) 

Turning 40 can be a powerful and transient event even though many women believe that everything starts to change or even fall apart at 40. This doesn't have to be so! Women can stay strong and competitive, healthy and fit well over the age of 40. There may be some changes you need to make, but it is an important time for you to make these changes so that you can continue to stay in shape.

Some basic dietary changes can help you to supplement your workouts and keep you strong. Calcium, for example, has always been important in a woman's diet, but it is critical to start supplementing calcium now if you haven't already. Bone density begins to decline and if this gets really bad, it can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

Ginseng is an herb that can help to give you energy when you start to feel fatigue, and some people swear it is what helps keep them young. Consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables is crucial to keeping yourself young. Not only is it very healthy for your body, it is quite beneficial for your skin as well.

Natural foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are full of antioxidants, and these help keep free radicals from destroying that youthful appearance of your skin. Also good are salmon and other foods such as almonds, flax and fatty fish which provide a strong source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Again, this is good for your heart health but also for your radiant skin.

Staying in shape also means getting - or staying - physical, of course. You may discover aches and pains that you haven't noticed prior to turning 40. It's not because 40 is some magical age, but rather a useful timeline to gauge when women tend to start feeling less energetic, more rigid, or have tighter muscles than they used to.

A fun and relaxing antidote to this is yoga. Yoga has been said to be the true fountain of youth! A good, long yoga session a few times a week or a simple practice of ten to twenty minutes daily can relax, tone and lengthen your muscles as well as your spirit. It also helps to de-stress your mind, which has been shown to have an effect on cortisol levels in the body.

By reducing cortisol, you can help reduce the belly fat that may be more stubborn to remove these days. Any time of stress-relieving mechanism you use will help keep you young, but yoga is an especially good one.

If yoga isn't really your speed, pick something that is. Maybe you enjoy spinning, or a step class or kickboxing. Whatever it is, don't stop now just because you've reached that dreaded age. Keeping active now is just as important as it was when you were twenty, if not more so.

If your aches and pains feel like they are preventing you from doing what you like to do best, it probably means you need to stretch more. Stretching can be a wonderful tool to keep you young and keep your muscles supple and strong. It can help prevent muscle tears and help you reach new levels of fitness by warming up the muscles and ligaments, but it can also just feel great after a nice, long bout of exercise. If you run or bike, be sure to stretch the calves and quadriceps muscles as well as the hamstrings. If you like to partake in a class at your gym and there is a lot of jumping involved, make sure to stretch the ankles as well.

Simply adding ten or fifteen minutes of stretching to your daily routine can make you feel years younger if you are faithful about it. Staying in shape doesn't just mean looking good or staying in good shape on the outside.

Once you reach the age of forty, keeping up with regular doctor appointments becomes more important than it was in days past. Make sure to get a mammogram and screen for early detection of breast cancer. Make an appointment with your general practitioner for a complete physical. Consult with a dermatologist, and keep regular full-body skin checkups once or twice a year, which can help screen out skin cancer and suspicious moles that may crop up. If you used to see the eye doctor once every couple of years, cut that in half and see him once annually. Unfortunately, the eyes are quick to deteriorate as you age, and you will want to keep up with these check-ups for safety reasons, to be able to keep reading, and to check for signs of glaucoma and other age-related diseases.

Nobody said getting older was fun, but it does not have to be painful. The age-old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies to the aging process very well, and if you take these measures you too can age gracefully.

About the author: Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about health and fitness topics, similar to what consumers read in Oprah Magazine.

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Top 5 Best Exercises For Total Body Fitness

Photo credit: djwhelan

By Frederic Patenaude

What if I told you that you could get in the best shape of your life even if you didn't have time to exercise, even if you were busy, and even if you didn't know where to start?

There are many exercises that can give you results, but if you want fast results, it's best to focus on the very best exercises for total body fitness. Although these exercises are well-known, you might not have realized their importance in developing an enviable physique, whether it means increased endurance and heart function, tight and sexy thighs, butt and legs, or muscular arms. Or you may not know how to incorporate them into your routine - until today.

1. Squats: The squat is one of the most basic all-around fitness exercises that you can do, and it is one of the best. It works several body parts at once, including your core, quads, hamstrings and calves.

No matter what you do, you should incorporate squats into your routine. If you train for strength, squat using a barbell or holding dumbells in your hands. If you want to train for endurance or cardio, use body-weight squats.

2. Pushups: This exercise is no secret, but not enough people take advantage of it. Many women and even men still have weak, flabby arms and chests. The best way to develop them is by starting to incorporate daily pushups into your routine. They work the chest, shoulders, triceps, back and abs (core).

The key with pushups is to incorporate different kinds of pushups into one routine. If you cannot do a standard "full" pushup, start with the "modified" version on your knees. Then work your way toward doing regular pushups.

Photo credit: MikeOliveri

EVOLUTION OF THE PUSHUP:

1. Wall pushup: Stand facing a wall. The farther your feet are from the wall, the harder it will be. Lean in toward the wall.

2. Counter Pushup: Pushup leaning from the edge of a counter.

3. Knee Pushup: the standard "modified" pushup on your knees

4. Feet Elevated: you've now reached the regular pushup level, congratulations!

Other pushups that rule:

Wide Hands - Place hands on the floor at a greater distance apart (past the shoulders). This works even more back muscles.

Close Hands - Place hands on the floor closer to each other (maybe a foot apart or less). Very difficult. Feet Elevated - Place your feet on a chair or other object and push up from the ground. More difficult. Handstand Pushup - This is my favorite pushup EVER and the ultimate exercise to build strong shoulders. If you're a man, you need to be able to do this one.

Go to a handstand, your feet against the wall, then lower your head to the floor and push up. If you can do a few of those, you're good. To help you succeed in mastering this pushup, you can first use your toes to help you "crawl" the wall, or have a friend hold your feet and help you through it. At first, your goal should be to simply stay in a handstand with your feet facing the wall.

3. Walking or Running Hills: You want extreme health, a fit body and a healthy heart? Try walking or running up hills. This is one of the best exercises for overall fitness. So go find hills in your area, and dare to walk the hell out of them!

4. Pullups & Chinups: Many women lack upper body strength. Unfortunately, this can lead to injuries and lack of ability, as many common movements such as lifting a box (or a child!) require strong upper body muscles.

It's wise for all women to strengthen these muscles by working on the two best exercises for them: pushups and pullups. Just because pullups and chinups are hard, it doesn't mean women can't do them! In fact, you should be able to lift your own body with your arms. In nature, this sort of movement is very basic and in fact a matter of survival.

For men, the benefits of pullups and chinups cannot be emphasized enough: you will build a strong back and enviably muscular arms.

For women, I would set a goal to do at least 1 complete pullup and 2 complete chinups, with a future "ultimate" goal to do at least 3 pullups and 5 chinups.

To get started, use the assisted pullup machines at the gym, or follow the following routine:

1. Hang for 30 seconds or as long as possible in the position of having pulled your body up all the way from a bar. You can use a chair to get in that position. When you feel you can't hold yourself any longer, lower gently in a slow and controlled manner. Do this 5 times.

2. Get on a chair and check out what kind of a bend you need in your arms before you can successfully pull yourself up. Then do it five times from there. Improve from there.

3. Hang from a bar and see how far you can pull yourself up 5 times in a row.

Do these three exercises 2-3 times a week and make sure to warm up properly beforehand (by doing some jumping jacks for a few minutes, for example).

For men, a good benchmark for strength would be to be able to do a few series of 5 pullups with 10% of your weight attached to your body (as extra weight).

5. The Plank: This is a powerful isolation move used in Pilates and Yoga and it works the abs, back, arms and legs as well as your internal abdominal muscles, which is your core strength!

To do it, lie face down on mat with your elbows resting on the floor next to your chest. Go to a pushup position while resting on your elbows or hands. Then squeeze the abs and keep your body in a straight line. Hold in this position for 30-60 seconds, then slowly lower yourself to the floor and rest for 15-30 seconds. Repeat as many times as you can. Start by doing the plank on your knees and gradually work your way up.

So there you have it, 5 powerful exercises that every man and woman should include in their routine for functional fitness and increased strength.

About the author: Frederic Patenaude is the author of the book The Raw Secrets and offers a free subscription to his ezine Outrageous Health & Success - available at http://www.FredericPatenaude.com

We Have Reasons To Stay Fit

Modern life takes a lot out of us. We seem to be pre-occupied with many tasks but a lot of things we do is so different from the days of our grandparents' or even our parents' day. Our daily lives do not demand a lot of physical activity from us although we move about a lot.

For example, most people now own cars and they rely on them to travel from one place to another. And modern technology has turned more and more people to sit in front of their computers for long hours. These and many other reasons of modern-day activities have made it hard for people to find the time to start exercising.

But exercise they must...if they want to stay fit and healthy.

But people have excuses...



They will tell it's pretty tough to really get started because the pressures of home and family life can also mean it feels as if there's little time left to fit in exercise.

But remember, it's worth thinking about what you can gain from regular exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness. Here are some reasons to ponder on:

• Physical inactivity: If you don't exercise you dramatically increase your risk of dying from a heart attack because there's a greater risk factor for coronary heart disease. Conversely, exercise means a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure
  
  
• Your mental health will get a boost by being physically active and it will help you to manage stress, anxiety and even depression better
  
  
• Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight, which can be important in managing many health conditions, or may just make you feel happier about your appearance
  
  
• All exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles to some degree, but weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which affects men as well as women
  
  
• Different exercises help with all sorts of health niggles, such as digestion, poor posture and sleeplessness, and physical activity can be beneficial for a range of medical conditions, from diabetes to lower back pain.

Positive reasons to stay fit

When you are "as fit as a fiddle" life will be more enjoyable. You will be more ready to meet new people, discover new interests and generally feel better, but if you need to be scared into doing more exercise, consider the following:

• Based on current trends a third of the male population will be obese by 2010, according to a 2006 UK health report
  
  
• Obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent between 2003 and 2006.
  
  
• It's worrying for youngsters as well - by 2010, it's predicted 22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk
  
  
• Obesity will be a major contributory factor to heart disease
  
  
• Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics.
  
  
• About a third of deaths caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

It's not a promising picture to see if people neglect efforts to keep fit by exercising. Are you planning to have regular exercise so you can stay fit and enjoy a fullfilling lifestyle?

What Everybody Ought To Know - About Hypnosis and Weight Loss

Photo credit: Alan Cleaver

By Valerie Slaughter

What the heck does hypnosis have to do with weight loss? Do images of a night club act come to mind? Someone "barking like a dog" on stage and doing whatever the magician (hypnosist) says?

Whatever your impression of hypnosis may be, you may be surprised to learn that as an alternative treatment for everything from pain to stop smoking to weight loss, hypnosis is being used in medical institutions to help manage these conditions.

According to Jean Fain, a psychologist who uses hypnosis at Harvard Medical School's Cambridge Hospital, "The country is getting fatter and fatter, so different weight loss methods are getting more attention."

O.K.. how does hypnosis work? First, you must remember that no one can make you do something that is against your will. Alternatively, hypnosis can help you master your own states of awareness and can affect your own bodily functions and psychologial responses.

According to Gary Montgomery, president of the Society of Psychological Hypnosis and Division of American Psychological Association, the hypnotic state is defined as a state of focused concentration, much like being so absorbed in a good book that the outside world seems to fade away. During this state, you become more open to suggestions.

Much like the way televsision plays upon your need for food and to lose weight. Constantly repeating the theme of looking thin, being wealthy. popular and fit, drives their message into your subconscious while you are watching the television.

Proof of this effect can be seen when you sit in front of your television and start munching and are unaware, until later, how much you had eaten. This is a hypnotic state! Or what about sitting at a red light? So, when you are in a "trance" or deep concentration, you are unusally responsive to a suggestion or image.

How many times have you watched television and an ad for a hamburger comes on and you then become hungry? Or after watching an ad for a weight loss product, you start to feel guilty for your weight. This combination of consumption of junk food and dieting creates guilt and, believe it or not, excess weight.

Hypnosis can help you create your own defense against this constant bombardment of television, newspaper and radio ads. By learning the technique of positive self-hypnosis, you may actually counter all of this negative feedback.

About the Author: Valerie Slaughter, a veteran marathoner herself, runs a beginner marathon website and is the author of "You Want to Do What!?" Website URL http://healthandfitnessnut.wordpress.com

Welcome to Lifestyle & Fitness

All right, we are on a fitness quest. We believe that if we stay fit we stay healthy, and the icing on the cake is...we can enjoy life to the fullest.

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