Ten common sense fitness pointers for the over forty

  If you're a new reader , this year marks the first concerted effort I'm taking towards a fitter me  . 

I'm now in my mid forties , lost a huge amount in the first few months of sticking to a programme which increased in frequency each week . For the moment , I have reached a plateau , which can be frustrating  for some but requires a fair amount of drive to rise above .

Based on what I've observed so far , too many women push themselves beyond their personal capability , then become depressed and give up when they compare their progress or lack of progress , to other girls in their group .

Here's some common sense pointers I've applied to myself .

Self acceptance

I've reached the auntie age group already and I accept that .

No matter how much the truth may hurt , sometimes it's easier to embrace what you have already prepared yourself for .

For some women , ageing makes them miserable , angry even . They won't go down without a fight .

Purpose

Me . I want to be happy . I want to try and stay positive for as long as I can .Getting wired into a fitness regimen is my way of coping with the ageing process . Instead of mopping over a sluggish metabolism , nagging pains , grey hairs and wrinkles and join the fight to regain my youth , I focus on strengthening myself to tide the flow when it finally hits home .

Set Realistic Goals 

My aim other than to eventually loose weight ( that's the end bonus ) and build up my strength , is also to prevent massive bone mass loss ( over exercising causes this too ! ) , as well as improve my balance , response and flexibility , which are vital issues in old age .

It's ok , if my kangaroo pouch is still showing . Instead of trying to hide it , I won't get mad . I will let it show and I will tackle it at a more realistic pace .

Listen To Your Body

The next thing I always practise is safety . I NEVER do burpees , squats , planks , pushups no matter what ! I don't give a rats ass as to how much calories it can burn because come on , I'm not a sprightly young thing anymore .

 Not gonna end up with some serious injuries that requires physiotherapy or surgery to set it right again !

Persistence 

Your knees are hurting , your shoulder blade is killing you ....part of you

wants to skip class. Just for today .

Don't stop . No matter what . 

It's ok to do less with scaled down intensity , it's important to keep the fire going .

Anyway , what's with the self pics ? 

Well , apparently one lady got so upset with my uncharacteristically sombre appearance ( excuse the shoes ! ) in this exact get up, that I wanted to see exactly why this triggered such a reaction in her ( other ladies have also reacted but she took it the worst )  

even though

my hair is such an obvious mess , my tum is still extended and my weight is depressingly stuck in time . 

Which brings us to the next point .

A Positive Attitude

You can choose to see the plateau as zero improvement . Or not .

I view her reaction as an indicative measure of certain success. I choose to see the light when I find out that my back upper thigh area , which looked like it was condemned to be cellulite ridden forever , is now close to being smoothed out , so that in itself IS cause for celebration .

The attitude you adopt will be in tune with your outcome . If you keep focusing on other ladies achievements , which is likely gonna depress you since some of them seem to be cyborgs , half the battle is lost already . Try to keep that in mind .

Be Serious

Some women take ridiculously long breaks , some hog crucial space to indulge in selfies , others are playing the fool half the time , and then , there is that one group which stops the instant sweat beads start to form because that would melt their makeup ! 

Having fun is one thing , forgetting what you are there to achieve is another .

It Takes Time

Be aware that the process is going to take longer than a supple lovely instagrammable creature in her 20s or an Amazonian gym Queen in her 50s .

You are you .

If you're grossly overweight , you'll need a year to 3 to melt away .

Not 3 months . I'd be extremely worried about loose skin and a haggard appearance , if I were you !

Eat

You need nourishment . The body will self correct eventually . Unless you're going for a competitive event , it's ok to have lady lumps ! It will get smaller in the end but in order to get to that stage , you need to feed your body or it won't perform the way you want it to .

Besides , if you starve yourself , where on earth are you going to find the energy that will keep your engine running ?

Non Conformity 

You do not have to feel compelled to stick to one instructor or programme or gym only . You're there because of you . Have no qualms about taking tips from other instructors or gym buffs .

 After you've mastered some reps , strive higher but at a pace you are comfortable with .

Bored with your current instructor ? Switch !

Hope you find the above useful !