Work out mantra at 50 plus.
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Just this week I found myself being sucked down one of those Instagram ad wormholes – this isn’t unusual for me, as my procrastination skills come in at around an A- and on social media, I’ve never met a wormhole I wasn’t willing to dive down. The funny thing about this wormhole was that it was all about a bloke selling me an amazing new fitness regime for less time and practically no effort. Of course, at my ripe old age, I should have flipped that thing off after hearing those two messages, because I’m a grown up right, and I know bikini bods don’t come for free. But still, I soldiered on through his earnest delivery about how this time, more than any other time I would get my 18-year-old skinny bitch physique back in time for summer. Just before I hit purchase (half a bloody hour later – yes I said I’m a sucker for a little procrastination), my sensible inner voice told me to quit the app as actually my work out mantra at 50 plus is just fine.
The irony of all this is that I’m currently at a pretty ok weight, thanks to a lot of hard work training for my Himalayas trip last November. I took to walking the dogs a little further every single day (10k steps a day to be exact) and lost a full stone and then a bit in the process – happy days! But I still get that ‘could-look-better’ feeling that we are all susceptible to. I also have a Sports Studies degree and in an earlier incarnation was a fitness instructor in Covent Garden, so actually I remember a thing or two about what you need to do to keep on track fitness-wise, so I thought I’d bring you a quick post on my current workout mantra at 50 plus.
First up – Move more – I was lucky enough to have a goal last Autumn to make me get off the couch, but I also have been using a Personal Trainer for years. I know this is a complete luxury but left to my own devices I would turn my alarm off and stay in bed. With my trainer booked once a week, there are only so many lame excuses I can come up with to cancel him, so exercise I must. I’ve been using the fabulous Steve Young of Forever Young Fitness for what seems like forever, and I love his approach to keeping his clients moving and motivated. He uses the term SNEF when banging on about exercise. This stands for Safe, Necessary, Effective and Fun. Meaning whatever you choose to do needs to be Safe (with least risk of injury and appropriate for your age – think less high impact as we get a little older). Also, us post-menopausal gals are at higher risk of osteoporosis, so we need to be including some weight-bearing exercises in the mix. N is for Necessary. Your chosen form of exercise should be Necessary or specific to you and your body type – there’s no point training to be a prop forward if you’re the size of a mouse, your fitness goals should be appropriate to your size and physique. E is for effective – it’s all very well enjoying the social side of your exercise class, but if it’s not getting results it’s time to switch it up to something more worthwhile. Finally, Steve thankfully advocates that your exercise should be fun – phew! A man after my own heart. Find something which sparks your interest, and you will find it easier to make it part of your wellness routine.
Next up on my mantra is of course about food. Eat well but make good food choices – I’m getting back into cooking and finding all those old recipe books I loved before processed food became the easy option with a house full of kids. I also used this great app while training for my trek called Noom – it gives you loads of foodie, exercise and psychological tips to keep your health journey on track. Another great app for measuring your calorific intake and keeping an eye on your food choices is Nutritionix – take a peek.
The last part of my mantra has to be about the fash… Wear stuff you feel good in. Whenever I take any exercise, I find myself way more motivated if the clothes I’ve put on actually fit me, move with my body and make me feel able to attack the task in hand. Think lycra laden, sweat-wicking, base layer warming and the like. Luckily Athleisure is having a bit of a moment, so there are plenty of new brands and styles to keep you looking good. Whilst living Stateside I was all over the Lululemon lark, but now that every gal in Surrey is wearing their stuff I’ve gone kind of old school and moved back to Nike and Under Armour for my basics with the odd technical purchase from the gals at Fashercise who have a great eye for an emerging fitness brand. I’m also big into mixing my ski wear with my fitness wear in winter as I’ve never met a half zip top I didn’t like.
Oh, and by the way, my relationship with said easy on the eye fitness guru is still on the go as I’m now the lucky receiver of at least 3 emails a day telling me this is definitely most positively the last time he’s offering me this deal and all these added extras at this price… *heads to computer to unsubscribe from hunky bloke emails…
Work out mantra at 50 plus… where to shop.
So here’s an edit of what’s on my wishlist for the season ahead – click the images to shop. #AffiliateLinks used.
