Body Toning Exercises for Women
For many people, the inescapable evidence of too much body flab is the trigger to start on an exercise program. Such people equate the need for exercise simply with a desire to lose weight. But losing excess body weight is just one part, indeed a very small part, of the reasons why you should think seriously about an exercise program, especially if you are over 50.
Recent research reveals that the number one concern in groups of people over 55 is having enough savings to pay for the things they want and need during their retirement years, including medical expenses and care. Millions of these people are approaching retirement with an upside down perspective. They’re focused on wealth accumulation to pay for expenses like real estate, insurance, holidays, medical care, and so on.
But their decisions are all financial savings plans. They are working to save enough to protect their lives, but they’re not working to protect their bodies! What good does it do to build up wealth and resources, but not have the physical health to enjoy it? Or worse, to have to move into our children’s homes or an assisted living facility and survive under the mercy of constant care.
Exercise is the Smartest Investment You Can Make
Investing in exercising your body today will reward you handsomely tomorrow and allow you to enjoy the things that your financial expediency will give you.
Often people think they need to take up running to get exercise or to get in shape and lose some weight, but you really don’t. You absolutely do not have to “be a runner!” The truth is, if you don’t intend to run marathons or even five kilometres, you only need enough aerobic capacity to do whatever it is you like to do, right? Maybe that’s tennis, golfing, swimming, skiing, whatever. You need the aerobic capacity to do these activities and to remain healthy, but you don’t have to have the aerobic capacity of an Ironman triathlete! Keep that in mind when you think about aerobic endurance.
Getting the Right Nutrition
Yes, of course it’s true that exercise can lead to weight loss, but it’s about so much more than that, especially as we get older. Nutrition falls into this same category. Changing your diet can lead to weight loss, but, as with exercise, nutrition is also about so much more. Healthy eating provides the fuel your body needs for exercise as well as lifelong fitness and health. You can, of course, lose weight by changing or limiting your diet, but there’s a decent chance that you still won’t be a truly healthy person. Remember, you can be at a “healthy weight,” but not be fit or well. Restrictive diets or nutritional programs may change the number on the scale, but you’re likely to regain that weight and maybe more.
Finding Your Healthy Weight
When you think of our functional approach to fitness, you’re exercising to support all the other parts of your life. We want you to have a functional approach to nutrition, too! What you eat supports all those other parts of your life. It gives you the energy to go on a walk, hit the gym, or get to the airport. Our goal is to shift your focus from the number on the scale to the number of things you want to do. Balanced nutrition and exercise are the winning solution.
As trainers, we like to say, “You can’t out train a bad diet.”. What you eat is what your body uses for energy during the day. Are you running on a bag of chips and a diet soda? Or are you running on a chicken sandwich, salad, and lots of water? Our bodies process and use chips and chicken in vastly different ways, and they result in different types of energy. We want you to choose the foods that support your life. While you’re thinking about action, what you eat needs to be part of the plan.
Losing Weight is Just a Part of the Healthier You
One final point! As we age, our metabolism slows down. You may have noticed that you’re eating the same amount and the same types of things, but you’re gaining weight, or it’s ending up in different places. It becomes even more important to eat well and exercise as we get older. Our goal is help you be a healthier person and put you on a more positive trajectory—for the rest of your life. This doesn’t mean you can never have a piece of chocolate cake. But it does mean we’ll be working with you to find nutritional balance. This is nutrition that empowers you, so that you have more energy, sleep better, fight disease better, and move with fewer aches and pains—equipping you to do the things you need to do, want to do, and love to do—for the rest of your long, healthy life.