Your Exercise Routine - Do little 'Bits' Add up??

If you eat all through the day, the calories add up so when you work out a little bit here and there, do the benefits add up? Of course they do! If you have taken 10 minutes to surf the internet, you could have been working out. Just a few short 10 minute intervals can add up in the day.

A couple minutes of a cardio blast to get the heart rate up then pick away at the body parts. In the morning work the upper body, and the afternoon the lower, and some abdominals when you watch television at night. Whatever order you want to work in, go for it! Don't forget some stretching after.

Making your exercise routine something that fits easily into your life and schedule means you will be more likely to follow through with doing it.

More Tips for Training:  Fit Over 40

Melt your fat Away

Thermogenic foods
Thermogenic foods uses your bodies maximum energy to properly digest. An example of most effective thermongenic foods are lean proteins such as chicken, egg whites, turkey, certain fish and extra lean beef I moderation. Additional items like cayenne pepper, mustard, cabbage, broccoli, celery, chili powder and cinnamon also have thermogenic properties. These will all work to increase your metabolic rate and aid in melting away the fat.
Hydrating foods
Persistent moderate dehydration can serve as the root cause of many health conditions related to faulty digestion, extreme fatigue, joint aches and be unable to lose weight. Our bodies are made up of approximately 70 per cent water, making it a critical element in what our system needs to function properly. An effective way to apply pressure on your metabolic rate, effectively lose weight and help rid yourself of fat in the mid section is to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day. You can also take advantage of foods that are full of water to aid this process – eating melons, celery, bok choy or soups with clear broth.
High fiber foods
Your health is contingent on what you are absorbing, digesting and yes, eliminating too. High fiber foods like whole grain bread products, oat bran, ground flaxseed and apples as well as vegetables that contain a great deal of soluble and insoluble fiber that are excellent at aiding in the weight loss process and improving digestion. As a guideline,women should take in at least 25 grams of fiber a day and men’s requirements are about 30 grams or more. Fiber will aid a great deal in giving you a trimmer waistline.

Weight Management and The Restaurant Challenge: 8 Tips

We are a society of busy people who’s lives are overscheduled and quite often everything needs to be happening ‘on the run’. The habit of getting food on the go however is how the pounds can subtly creep up on you. When you hit 40, you’ll have to admit the pounds come on faster and go off slower.
We can sit and look around any given restaurant and see plates piled high with portions large enough to feed an entire family. (yes, again I’m harping about the portion thing!) What did we learn as children? We eat what is put in front of us, no waste. When you take a break from the kitchen a few simple guidelines to keep in mind will help with maintaining a healthy diet.

1/ Grocery shopping and dining out: don’t wait until you are starving. If you are hungry you will tend to overeat or mindlessly nibble on anything and everything.
2/ When they bring you giant portions, don’t take this as a challenge to see if you can finish. Leftovers save you cooking the next day! If heading out with another friend who is also conscious of their food intake we will split a meal and order side salads. These tips help when you’re on a tight budget too.
3/ Deep fried ? - say NO. Baked can be good but baked in what? A cheesy, oily or buttery base makes this a no too.. Broiled, grilled, steamed or poached usually offer healthy options. Chicken with skin removed or fish dishes give you an excellent source of protein as well as a lower fat content..
4/ If you want hollandaise, sour cream or butter on your dish, ask to have them served on the side. You can then add a tablespoon or two when typically it would come from the kitchen with a lot more smeared over it
5/ Eating out, unlike eating at home is typically a social event. Taking your time and talking, visiting, sipping water, coffee ONE glass of wine while you set down your fork can make the meal last longer and help you feel satisfied.
6/ Appetizers and the roll basket are the downfall of many. Try and avoid these because the meal should be plenty! A salad or broth based soup would be a safe started if you can’t make it until the meal comes, but… dressing on the side and low fat please.
7/ White sauces or anything in heavy cream – stop right there! Pasta’s in a tomato base are better than a cream sauce in terms of fat and calories.
8/ Sugary pop or alcohol drinks mixed with a sugary pop or fruit juice aren’t the best choices. Water, water and more water work wonders. It will help you feel full.

Everything is good in moderation. We should not deny ourselves however as we age we have likely learned the consequences of over indulging. Extra weight throughout or mid section puts a strain on our internal organs and creates health risks. Exercise over 40 with a proper diet are the two elements that can give you what you need for all around good health.

Weight Control and the Distorted Views of ‘Portions’

It becomes a real effort to maintain our current weight as we age or to lose a couple of extra pounds that have snuck up on us when we weren’t really paying attention. An important step in this process is to first understand what a ‘Portion’ or individual serving is. What you get in a restaurant would feed a small army, or a professional athlete that’s about 6 foot 5 and weighs in at a muscular 240 pounds. What we think, and what we see offered to us has created a distorted reality on what constitutes a portion.

Understanding what equates to a portion is just as important as the food we eat. Misconceptions will sabotage weight loss efforts in most cases. What we require each day, for a healthy diet for an adult is 5-9 servings of fruit and/or vegetables, 2-4 servings of protein, 2-3 milk or milk alternatives, and 5-7 servings of grains. To round this out, we need fat in our diets, unsaturated fats should constitute part of our intake, 2-4 tablespoons but to consume fats to excess would impact weight loss efforts in a negative way. Since we know ‘what’ the question is how much and the ‘how much’ is just as important as ‘what’. Not understanding this will sabotage efforts to control weight or lose weight.

• A serving of protein is about the size of a standard deck of playing cards or 3 ounces.
• Examples of what makes up a serving of grains, stick with whole wheat products and one half cup of rice or cooked pasta, one slice of bread or half a bagel make up a serving.
• Fruits and vegetables will vary based on the food choice. You will find a large number of the vegetables are one half cup cooked and a medium sized apple, orange and pear make up your perfect portion. If you have something less traditional in mind, check it out to see what makes up a portion before you wrongly assume.
• One cup of skim milk and one cup of whole milk are portions however clearly one will escalate your calorie intake a lot faster.

If ever in doubt, review product labels or use online sources to learn exactly what you are eating. People who have success with weight loss simple achieved understanding of what they realistically needed to eat for their bodies to function. A highly active person with a regular fitness program burns move so they would require them fueled.
Eating the correct foods, in the right portions is necessary to keep up your energy levels, to give you the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy and to maintain or achieve a healthy weight were you feel and look your best!

Exercise over 40 and a Sexy Back

I have a pet peeve where I dread the look of having 'back fat' squish out over and under my bra straps and this became more significant after I turned 40. Right along side with the back fat issues posture comes to attention as well. After years of sitting round shouldered at a desk leaning into a computer screen, talking on the phone while you scribbled notes down on some paper for hours and hours a day we tend to forget how to stand erect. Many other jobs involving standing, lifting, wearing high heels or if you carry extra weight these can all magnify back issues. To find a way to overcome this is simple, it's exercising all three main muscle groups in the back as well as the sides and abdomen to give you a strong core area.

The upper sides of the back are the lats (latissimus dorsi) along with the upper and lower back need your attention during a workout. For the Lats the motion of a row is effective, standing bent over row, one armed pulling like your starting a lawnmower or seated rows like you are rowing a boat. Pullovers and flies will focus on the upper area as well with movement that has you squeezing the shoulder blades together. If you have problems with your shoulders start with flies and strengthen gradually before you try pullovers. For the lower back forms of the extension can be hard if you have lower back issues, but work at them slowly and gradually as it will be worth it to get some strength in the lower back area. Remember to switch up what you are doing, change and variety is key in all workouts and there are plenty of ways to modify a move and use pain as a guide so you don't overdo it.

You will find exercises that focus on the back and core give you a great deal of improvement not only on your muscle tone but posture as well. The idea that you can put on a bra with nothing squishing out the top and bottom is appealing to boot! A strong core and back with no excess fat can improve organ function and help you sleep better with less pain and less fatigue. When your head is up high and shoulders there is an air of confidence and strength. If your workout routine lacks attention to this area, put an emphasis on your back and core when working out. Include a good variety exercises that will effectively tone up the muscles and the supporting areas so you can stand tall!

Exercise over 40 - The Infomercials!!! What to do?

We are bombarded with commercials on television showing us about the success stories of a video workout program, dance away the pounds DVD or the rules of a diet that has people shedding pounds and showing off their hot new bodies. Which one is best? Which one works? How can I prove to you which one is the best? It's easier than you think.

I have seen people get results from this program. It's one that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. You're on the edge of your seat with anticipation aren't you? It's the program that YOU commit to. The people that have success are the ones that have stuck with it and made a decision not to quit. You decide which one fits your lifestyle, and which one you can make part of your routine and stick to it!

Success comes when you make the decision to change your habits. A routine of eating properly with reasonable portions and regular fitness and activity will yield results. This has been proven and no one can deny it.

Weight Loss Over 40, or ANY age!!

Do you seriously think that popping a weight loss supplement is going to help this guy look toned and be fit and healthy?  Think again!   Sitting on your butt scarfing back high fat foods, high sugar foods and high calorie foods is a recipe for an unfit and unhealthy lifestyle.   Bottom line has and always will a simple math issues.  Calories IN must be less than calories burned to experience weight loss.  There is no magic pill that will undo horrible eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.

Keep this picture in your head.  There is no quick fix or super pill that can give you your healthy.  That is up to you!

Lose your excess baggage now: http://www.bodybuilder50.com/

Not OLD, it''s RETRO - Fitness Accessories Go Old School !!

Kettlebells are great tools to have when you are developing a new home gym.  They are compact and easy to use.  No electricity required, and no moving parts to break.  Never heard of them? This date back to the 17th century and seems they have be revived and now a popular and effective  strength training tool recommended by certified trainers.  

Like your basic dumbells, these come in various weights and some assortment on shape however all will take on the bell shape that makes them easy to use.  Being able to hold the handle and swing the kettlebell away from your body give you a large range of motion while forcing you to balance your core as well.   Being able to move through your weight training routine using this tool to hit several major muscle groups rather quickly will make this a good cardio workout to boot.

Simple guidelines to using these kettlebells will have you well on your way to improving your strength in no time.

Strength Training - 3 Common Errors

Common mistakes when weight training there are three areas to watch out for.  The first is the misconception that since you are training regularly you can eat all you want.  No my friends.  Calories are calories!  If you take in more than you burn then you will end up with calories that are turning into excess weight.

Second would be overtraining.  Going too hard and not allowing time to rest and muscles to repair is counter productive.  This healing process is how you strengthen muscles.   Also, you need to rest during your exercise program allowing for a break between sets.  Time to hydrate and catch your breath.

Lastly is the failure to change or challenge by increasing your intensity.  You cannot gain strength or muscle tone by repeating the same pattern, you need to change what you do to change the outcome.  More weight, more reps and changing your routine up to hit areas with new resistance programs will yield results.

These are some simple notes on what NOT to do and how to overcome these pitfalls so you gain the best results.

Women over 40 - Getting ready for a special day

Well it's only 2 days to go and weather has kept me indoors too much. This increases the chance of 'mindless eating' and also means I'm far less active. Knowing that I want to look and feel my best and how much work it takes to undo eating out of boredom, I think I have done well.

Drinking gallons of water to make me feel full, and using exercise videos to keep me moving when it's just not smart to be on the road to get to the gym.  I made the choice not to get discouraged and resort to emotional eating.  I chose to maintain the healthy lifestyle and respect all my efforts.

On Saturday I will put on my fancy dress, and my smile will be wide knowing that at 46 years old I am healthier, more active and showing myself far more respect than I did a decade ago.  2010 will be a new
beginning for a lot for me!