THREE WORKOUTS TO TRY
FORGET ABOUT BURNING CALORIES.
The biggest and best reasons to get active have nothing to do with burning calories, and it’s time to leave that mindset in the past.
Exercise has the power to transform how you feel - instantly. And for many women, discovering - or rediscovering exercise in their 40s, 50s and beyond, this is what makes them want to keep doing it.
What do you want for the next stage of your life? This is a time of our lives when many things around us are changing, often beyond our control, and this means we have to start facing up to our future and what we want from it.
Whatever is important to you; pursuing your career or finding a new one, embracing an active retirement, enjoying grandchildren or simply making the most of having more time to yourself, you’re going to need more energy and want to feel strong, capable and powerful. And exercise will give you this.
Exercise has been proven to slow down the ageing process more than any other anti-ageing intervention. Moving regularly will benefit every part of your body. It keeps joints lubricated and muscles supple. It improves heart and lung functions and keeps the circulation and lymphatic systems moving. It’s known to enhance mood and improve mental health and promotes a feeling of euphoria and well-being immediately. People who exercise early in the day notice their energy levels improve for hours later. Plus, exercise also decreases the risks of suffering from many health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, T2 diabetes, some cancers, stroke and osteoporosis.
FIND THE JOY IN MOVEMENT.
Any activity is beneficial, so find something that you love. Try out a few different options just to see how you get on. Once you find something that you truly enjoy, and you notice the benefits, you’ll never need to force yourself to exercise again. You’ll naturally want to exercise and when you get to that point, exercise stops being a chore and easily finds a regular place in your life.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training is perfect for women over 40, and in my experience, even women who have never trained before quickly and easily pick it up. They love it because it makes them feel strong and powerful. It helps them reconnect with their body and develop a new respect for what it is capable of.
Muscle mass reduces as we age and bones weaken, however, this is one natural effect of ageing that we don’t have to accept. Doing just two 30-minute strength training sessions a week is proven to be enough to increase muscle mass and improve bone density. And it’s never too late to start, as these effects have been proven in women as old as 90!
To get the benefits, however, you need to be lifting heavy enough weights for them to challenge you, which means they feel difficult (but just about manageable) by the end of 12 repetitions.
If you’ve never lifted weights before, this can feel daunting, and its right to be concerned about making sure you are using the right techniques so you don’t get injured and get the best results.
How to get started with strength training
Ignore Instagram and lithe influencers doing complicated moves and focus on the basics, which will still give you great benefits.
Start with lighter weights and practice the techniques until you feel confident before going heavier.
Little and often is fine and easier to stick with when you have a busy schedule. A good way to get started is with 3 x 15-minute sessions a week focusing on your upper body, lower body and core separately. Get a good routine going first that you can stick to, then gradually build up to longer sessions.
Tune into your energy levels. Women’s energy levels naturally fluctuates. Some sessions you’ll feel strong and the exercises will feel easy, other times you’ll find it much harder. Match your effort to how you are feeling and if you are really feeling exhausted then your body might be telling you it needs a rest more than a workout.
It’s a good idea to book a few sessions with a personal trainer if you can, as this is a great way to be sure you are exercising correctly. If that’s not an option for you there are plenty of great resources on the internet.
My book also includes beginners’ strength training workouts and includes access to easy-to-follow videos which clearly explain how to do each exercise.
You can buy it here