Never Too Late to Start Getting in Shape

   Are you over 40? How would you like to feel 20 years younger AND re-gain some of that spark and vigor you enjoyed in younger years?
 
Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (like brisk walking) on most or all days of the week. Want better results? And sooner rather than later?  Gradually build up your workout time to an hour a day.


Also try to do strengthening activities two or three times a week. These activities are important because older adults—especially women—lose muscle and bone mass every year. Strengthening activities may help prevent or lessen this loss.

Fitting in physical activity is not as hard as you may think, and you do not have to do the whole 30 minutes at one time. Try these tips to overcome things that may keep you from being active.

Don't let doubts get in your way -

Do you ever find yourself thinking -

“It’s too late for me to get in better shape.”

It is never too late to start moving more. Regular exercise or physical activity can help you manage health problems like arthritis, bone loss, and heart disease.

Even just a little daily exercise can provide the following benefits:

• Keep your body flexible.
• Keep your bones and muscles strong.
• Keep your heart and lungs healthy.
• Control high blood sugar, especially if you lose weight.
• Give you more energy.
• Exercise can reduce stress.
• Help you feel better about yourself and enjoy greater self esteem!
• Relieve boredom or depression.

The upside is clear - exercise more and you enjoy a better quality of life at any age! It's never too soon or too late to start getting in shape!

Please note: If you are over age 60 or have chronic health problems such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, or obesity, talk to a Doctor or a trusted health care provider before starting a vigorous physical activity program. (You probably won't need to talk to your provider before starting a less strenuous activity like walking.)

Lift Your Spirits and Keep Stress at Bay

How do you lower your stress levels? Have you ever thought about what some of your triggers are? What causes you to start getting irritable or feeling a lack of control? Take care of yourself by maintaining your physical and mental health. Exercise and eating healthy help make it easier to bounce back when life’s unexpected twists strike.
   
     Maintaining your mental fitness goes hand in hand with staying in good physical  shape.  Your mental health is – without a doubt -  tied to your fitness level. It’s really just about living a healthy lifestyle.  If you already exercise regularly, Congratulations! -  you’re already on the right track!  Medical science experts say that up to a quarter of the blood pumping through your body is delivering performance enhancing oxygen to your brain as you exercise.

      Food choices are also vital to your brain’s overall health. Start by cutting the unhealthy fats from your diet. Some fat is actually good for you. Your brain actually benefits from healthy omega-3 fats.  Cholesterol buildup can reduce the oxygen supply to your brain by almost 20 percent over time. Load up on foods rich in antioxidants, such as strawberries or red beans, to nurture brain cell health.

    Add cold-water, wild caught fish like salmon to your diet a couple times a week. Eating fish helps reduce inflammation, increase memory, and helps your brain send and receive messages more efficiently.  Enjoy eating more  leafy green vegetables like spinach. Spinach – one of nature’s true super-foods – contains folate which is known to enhance your brain’s processing power! 

    Eating healthy foods can  have a big impact on your mood. For breakfast, try oatmeal or eggs. Both contain an amino acid that helps boost the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. The protein in the egg-whites will help your muscles handle your daily exercise! Get your protein early in the day to fuel muscle growth and give your body an extra boost while working out!

    For lunch - try adding a handful of dark red kidney beans to your salad. ( Try a low-calorie vinaigrette dressing on the side. ) Mix some frozen or fresh blueberries and strawberries in plain, nonfat yogurt! The antioxidants in them will help ward off workday stress. Then enjoy dessert with a small piece of chocolate! The chocolate will lift your mood, and the  natural stimulant found in cocoa gives your energy level a  pleasant mid-day boost!

    For dinner, give your brain-power a boost with a piece of salmon. ( You might want to stay away from farm raised salmon. )  Savor a side salad with leafy greens and  spinach to increase folate levels and help keep depression at bay. During the day - try healthy snacks – like celery or a few ounces of low-fat cheese between meals.

    If you find yourself getting a little low on patience -  growing irritable or unfocused, take a little  break and munch on an apple or a handful of walnuts and some dark chocolate! These help stabilize your blood sugar levels and help you avoid those mid-day energy drains.

Invest but a few minutes each day practicing healthy habits.  Keep eating healthy foods, exercise frequently and you can enjoy the many lasting benefits of a healthy body and mind!

10 Steps to Ward Off Stress

Are you on the skids with stress? Do you ever feel like you’re overwhelmed with problems coming at you from every direction? You can defeat these feelings of helplessness and avoid many stressors altogether! Start by building resilience. Building resilience is not a new fad.

Try these 10 Steps to help you build resilience and avoid or prepare yourself to better handle stress:

1) Build effective, supportive relationships with others. Many people find great benefits from the simple act of serving or helping others who might be less able to help themselves. Volunteer your time and share your talents. You might just be surprised by the benefits derived from helping others!

2) Avoid seeing any crisis as insurmountable. Break the challenge into as many small pieces as you can and tackle each one with all you’ve got. If something isn’t working – change the plan and keep moving!

3) View change as an inevitable part of life. And realize that new opportunities are often just around the corner.

4) Be proactive. Set short term goals to improve yourself or tackle the issue at hand. Move toward your goals. Keep moving and don’t let things just happen to you.

5) When faced with issues or problems, act decisively. Evaluate the facts. Get help if you need it. Prepare a list of your options. Then Take Action! Don’t just go with the flow.

6) In the midst of a crisis (or sometime soon after), ask yourself, Can this change my life for the better in some way? Find the benefit and pursue it! This may not always be easy or even immediately visible. Keep looking! ( If every challenge was easy we’d never learn anything. )

7) Maintain a healthy, positive view of yourself. Exercise regularly and build your self esteem. Celebrate your success and you’ll be improving your ability to withstand adversity.

8) Practice looking towards the positive outcome. Avoid the habit of zeroing in on the worst part about a crisis or adverse experience. Find the silver lining. And the nearly inevitable opportunity to emerge from your present challenge with something positive.

9) During a tough time, practice looking forward to the hoped-for conclusion and resolution. See yourself succeeding. Avoid and dismiss your worst fears. Remember you are what you think most often. Think and focus on success!

10) We saved the best tip for last. Take care of yourself by maintaining your physical and mental health, because this makes it easier to bounce back when adversity strikes. Avoid, as often as possible those foods we all know are unhealthy. Instead try to include a varied and healthy diet of natural foods – fruits and vegetables. Nuts and beans. Have some cold water, wild caught salmon once or twice a week. Eat more spinach. And get some exercise every day! The natural high you’re sure to experience after rigorous exercise is well worth the 20 or 30 minutes you invest.

A Better Life is Calling

Would you like to have more energy and more fun? Do you feel stressed out far too often? Like maybe life is rolling along at high speed and you're missing out on too much?

You can enjoy life more. You can have more energy - more vitality. You can reduce your stress level substantially!

The key to more energy and less stress is exercise. Every day. Devote just one hour to yourself.

What's holding you back?

Think about reasons why you have not been getting any exercise. Then try to come up with some ways to get past what is keeping you from getting active.

Have you ever said to yourself . . . ?

I haven't exercised or been physically active in a very long time.

Solution: Choose something you like to do. Many people find walking helps them get started. Before you know it, you will be doing more each day.

I don't have the time. ( This is a BIG excuse for so many of us. )

The Answer: Start with 10-minute chunks of time a couple of days a week. Walk during a break. Get up a few minutes earlier and get in some exercise before the rest of the family wakes up. Dance in the living room to your favorite music. It all adds up.

It costs too much.
Solution: You don't have to join a health club or buy fancy equipment to be active. Play tag with your kids. Walk briskly with your dog for 10 minutes or more.

Here are just a few of the benefits you can enjoy from more exercise and active living:

* Be healthier and happier
* Increase your chances of living longer
* You'll most likely feel better about myself
* Have far less chance of becoming depressed
* Sleep better at night
* Help me look good - Many find they look younger!
* Be in better shape
* Get around better
* Have stronger muscles and bones
* Help me stay at or get to a healthy weight
* More time with friends or meet new people
* Enjoy yourself and have more fun

If losing weight is one of your goals - you can exercise and lose weight fast! Millions of healthy people around the world have discovered the benefits of more exercise - in whatever form they like! They play more sports. They walk or run more often. They're more active.

You can do it – enjoy the journey towards a much healthier lifestyle. You can eat healthy, exercise and lose weight fast!