What Image Do You Hold About Age

Ever hear someone complaining about the aches and pains of getting older, or hear someone say, "I just don't heal as fast as I did when I was younger" ?  What mental image do you hold about age?  I believe your health is shaped by what you think about the aging process.

Most people believe in a decline in their mental and physical health as they age.  However, contrary to this belief, your body is designed to be healthy and strong all the days of your life given a positive mental attitude, proper nutrition, and regular exercise.   Do you know your body completely rebuilds itself every 11 months? That's right, within a year every worn out cell is replaced by a new healthy cell.  Click here to see the entire post...

Beating The Middle Age Spread

Middle age is the ages between 45 and 65 and it's considered by most as the best time of life. It's the period of life where people have the most disposable income, are comfortable in their careers, and are confident in who they are.  However, one of the downsides that middle age brings is the dreaded "middle age spread".

The middle age spread is an unexplained weight gain that women see mostly in their hips and thighs, and men see predominately in their waist.  The good news is there is and explanation for the middle age spread and a way to beat it and it is as follows.  The added weight that comes along with middle age is mostly do to a loss of muscle mass and consequently a decline in your basal metabolic rate.  Your basal metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns energy at rest to keep you alive.  Your muscle mass is the active component of your body that requires the most calories for survival, thus the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn all day long.  Click here to see the entire post...

Build Your Fitness Program Around Strength Training If You Are Over 50

I'm in my 50s and I've spent over 20 years in the health and fitness industry as a personal trainer so, I believe I'm qualified to say this "If you are over 50 and you neglect to make strength training the major emphasis of your fitness program you're making a big mistake".

Building and maintaining muscle is key in staying health and fit as you age and strength training is the most effective means for accomplishing this.  Beginning as early as your 30s, if you are inactive you begin to lose muscle mass as a natural process of aging called sarcopenia.  You can lose as much as a pound to a pound and a half of muscle each year beginning in your 40s, and this process accelerates with age if left unabated.

Losing muscle is detrimental to your long term health and fitness in two ways.  One, your metabolism decreases as you lose muscle causing your body to store more fat and consequently increasing your risk of obesity and associated metabolic syndrome.  Two, you lose strength along with muscle loss which leads to an increased risk of falls, broken bones, and a loss of independence.

Building and maintaining your muscle helps to:

• Strengthen and improve your bone density
• Decrease your risk for developing type 2 diabetes
• Improve your balance thus, reducing your risk of falls
• Strengthen your joints thus, reducing the pain of arthritis 
• Lose weight more easily
• Improve your mood
• Improve your self-image
• Improve your sleep
• Perform your everyday activities more easily

While regular cardiovascular activities should be an important part of your fitness routine, it does not build nor maintain your muscle mass.  Strength training is the most proven way to build and maintain lean, and healthy muscle.  You should strength train 2 to 3 times each week in which target all your major muscle groups.  I suggest you seek a nationally certified personal trainer to custom design a strength training program for you.  You can also download my Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Strength Training Programs for Over 50 by following this link: Forever Fit and Firm.

The Power of Positive Thinking On You Health

Cover via AmazonIn my opinion a positive state of mind is the first and most important step in your journey for a more fit and firmer you. You have to clear your mind of all the negative images you have of aging. Your body conforms itself to the mental image you hold of yourself. Imagine yourself becoming weak and frail as you age and this is what you will become. Image yourself strong and full of life and this is what you become.

For example I know certain man I see regularly at the gym working out and every time I speak with him he’s always complaining of the aches and pains of getting old. He is my age but he looks and moves like a typical man 15 years older. He workouts out regularly but his body is conforming to the negative image he has of the aging process.

Your body completely rebuilds itself every 11 months. This means every cell in your body is replaced each year. Whether your body rebuilds itself with strong healthy cells or weak unhealthy cells starts in the way you think about yourself. Thinks of yourself as strong and healthy and your body will replace old weak cells with strong and healthy cells.

Think about this, medications do not heal your body they only aid your body in healing itself. Positive and healthy thoughts are more powerful in the healing process than any medication you can ever take. Thus, a fitness program built around a belief in your continued strength and fitness level as you age is core to you reaching your health and fitness goals.

Positive thinking not only works in your health and fitness it also works in all other areas of your life. You tend to draw those things into your life that you think the most about. Ever notice how people who complain a lot always have more to complain about and on the contrary people who are thankful always have more to be thankful for. It’s called the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction works like this. You attract the things and conditions into your life that you believe to be true. If you believe that you catch a cold every year at a certain time you will catch a cold every year on that certain date unerringly until you change your belief about it. Try this experiment. Think of someone you do not like, that person that just rubs you the wrong way. Now, start wishing all the best for that person. Do this every day and watch how your attitude towards that person changes and how their attitude towards you changes also.

This is how I develop and keep a positive outlook in my life. I start each day with what I call my coffee time with God. I spend 15 minutes reading something inspirational while having my coffee and then I spend 15 minutes in silent prayer and meditation. In my prayer I thank God for my life, health, and strength and I ask for His guidance in all my ways. I meditate on all the blessings and the goodness God brings into my life. I release any animosity I have towards anyone and send them my blessings. I can’t put into words how wonderful I feel after this 30 minute ritual. I can only recommend that you try it and see the wonders it will work in your life.

My Clients Motivate Me To Stay Fit

Image via WikipediaI'm a personal trainer and part of my job is to motivate my clients to workout regularly. However, I often find that my clients motivate me to workout when I have one of those days that I just don't feel like going to the gym.

Being a personal trainer means I am also a role model. I've got to stay fit in order for my clients follow my advice. Would you go to a dentist who had rotten teeth? The same logic goes for me, would you pay a personal trainer who's fat and out-of-shape? No.

The majority of my clients are over 40 years old. They want to recapture their youthful energy and shape. I'm in my 50s and I show them that is possible. I'm stronger and more fit now than I was in my 20s. Thus, I have to stay in-shape.

So, when I have one of those days that I don't feel like working-out, I just think about my clients who look at me as their role model. I can't let them down nor can I afford to let myself down consequently, I find my way to the gym and I have a good workout.

To all my clients out there. Thank you for motivating me to stay fit.