Do you ever feel like when you are mentioning the five letter “F” word, “forty”, in relation to your health and fitness issues that you are almost made to feel like you said the four letter swear word that we won’t be stating here?
Do you or are you made to feel like excess body fat, cellulite, love handles, bloated stomachs, sagging skin and flabby body parts are all part and parcel of being forty. That you are resigned to a life of baggy sweat bottoms and over sized T-shirts. Furthermore, that wearing a revealing two bathing piece suit (women) or going topless (men) at the beach is a thing of the past and you simply shouldn’t do it or try to do it. In short, do you feel that now that you are in your forties or nearing your forties that it is impossible to get into tip-top shape, and that maybe you are just a lost cause?
Well you can stop those thoughts and feelings right now! You can stop listening to those people telling you this, since it’s simply not true. Follow these simple fitness tips below and you most definitely can and will be able to get into the best shape of your life for the rest of your life.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #1
Get your mindset fully ready! Just stating you want to be in shape is easy, you have to be mentally ready to make serious changes to your lifestyle since this is not a fad, this is a lifestyle change. Your actions are what will make the difference, not your words.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #2
Immediately stop using words such as “I want” or “I wish” and replace them with “I will” and “I am going to”.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #3
Write a list of positive but realistic and achievable statements such as:
- I am going to lose 2 pounds in the next 7 days.
- I will workout for at least 40 minutes, 3 times a week. I am worth this.
- I am going to take progress pictures weekly to show how well I am doing.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #4
Make copies of your achievable statements list, keep one with you daily and refer to it many times throughout the day. Put a copy up on the front of your refrigerator. In fact, put copies up anywhere around your home or in your place of work. This will be a great motivational tool for you.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #5
Tell as many people as possible what you are doing. Those that want to see you succeed will be a great support to you and will ask you often, how you are doing and be genuinely interested in your progress.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #6
Do not under any circumstances entertain the naysayers. Sadly, they may be all around you. The main reasons for other people being negative towards you and your goals is that they do not want to see you succeed. Your success will show up their own failings and ability to succeed at what they know you are going to succeed at and that they could not.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #7
Focus on making changes to your nutrition first before you look at an exercise plan. Nutrition is over 80% of what you need to change to get into the best shape of your life. It comes above exercise, so give it the importance it warrants. If you need help then it will be worth having a consultation with a nutrition advisor. You may only need one or two consultations and in the long run, this will save yourself a lot of money. You will see major changes in your body just by making dietary changes and you may not then need to hire a fitness trainer.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #8
Choose an exercise program that is based around what you want to achieve. If your goal is to be lean, toned and fit then a program that incorporates some weight training, bodyweight exercises and interval based cardio workouts will suit you perfectly. Circuit training involves all of these activities and it is an excellent form of training that over the years has proven and continues to prove to be effective for stripping body fat like you will not believe. Its one of the best forms of exercise for getting toned, tight, staying fit and it is also time effective. An effective circuit training session can last as little as 20 minutes and will not be longer than 40-45 minutes.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #9
If you have more specific goals, such as packing on muscle mass or maybe entering a competitive event, it will be a good investment to have a consultation with a trainer that can help you in this area.
Remember, there are some exceptional freelance fitness trainers out there that are not tied to gyms or fitness centers. They can and will help you and you will not have to be tied into a long and expensive gym membership contract on top of paying for any sessions you may book with them. Do your homework, ask friends, family and work colleagues for referrals. Also look online and visit the websites of trainers, contact them and discuss your needs. A good trainer will not need to train you forever (unless this is what you want) and they will know what best suits you, not them.
Fit Over 40 – Fitness Tip #10
Do not stress when things go wrong. Refocus and get back on track immediately. The key to your success is to learn from any mistakes and get quickly back on track with your fitness program. Even Olympic athletes have off days sometimes.
Follow these top 10 fitness tips and watch your body start to shine past forty!
