Staying Fit into your 40’s and Beyond

We really hope you didn’t miss it but if you did, here is a little recap of our Weight, Water, Walks and Wine chat with Amy Johnston. Let’s talk staying fit into your 40’s and beyond.

You might recognize Amy’s name, as we have featured her on our blog previously in a Q and A about over 40 fitness. She is super knowledgeable and we know that even after this talk we had many people wanting to get their fitness questions answered and we just ran out of time!

Amy has graciously agreed to do another Q and A post with us in the near future, but for now – here is the 411 on the chat.

WEIGHTS – thoughts on Staying Fit into your 40’s and beyond

In short, in order to stay healthy and fit into your 40’s and beyond, you have to push and pull your body – at least your body weight to maintain and grow muscle mass. Amy is very clear that resistance training does not have to mean heavy weights. Resistance training is any exercise where you move your body against resistance. If you are new to resistance training, this can be as simple as a push up against the wall, or as difficult as lifting 30 lb. weights in a squat. The point is just to get some sort of this type of training into your weekly routine.

One of the really interesting things Amy mentioned is that your body really doesn’t like to do cardio and weights at the same time – BUT – this is a great way to work. Forcing the body to do “metabolic” weight training builds muscle and torches fat. If you are interested in reading about metabolic training, Amy mentioned the book The Metabolic Effect by Jade Teta. If you are interesting trying metabolic training for yourself, why not try Amy’s 7 day free trial HERE.

WATER – this is a must for staying fit into your 40’s and beyond

What can we say about water but DRINK UP! Amy discussed with us the benefits of water for flushing out the bad and creating room for the good stuff! That dreaded weight we gained over Christmas is best dealt with by getting rid of extra sugar, eating extra fruits and veggies, slowing down on the starchy carbs and – you guessed it – drinking more water.

As we age water becomes even more important for keeping our skin hydrated and supple and helps with fighting fatigue. Heading into our 40’s and beyond, water aids in the recovery of muscles after a tough workout .

While we all know the importance of water, sometimes it is hard to gauge exactly how much water we are drinking daily. This summer I decided I really wanted to remain diligent with my water intake. I found on the days I didn’t drink enough water, I felt sluggish and generally less energized through the day.

I found this cool water bottle that measures your intake and it has really helped me (and the rest of the family) ensure we are getting enough of the good stuff.

Find it HERE

WALKING – an easy way for you to stay fit into your 40’s and beyond

So interestingly, as much as many of us have become cardio junkies and feel this is the only path to weight loss – Amy subscribes to balancing your exercise / weight routine with a healthy dose of daily walking.

And – you will be pleased to know this means just walking. Not power walking, not walking hills, not racing down the street! Just going for a walk after dinner is enough to make a difference in your health and wellness into your 40’s. Amy suggests that even 15 minutes of walking can not only do your body good but also your mind.

Throughout our discussion with Amy, one word came up a lot… CORTISOL. Cortisol (fondly referred to as the stress hormone) is produced in our adrenal glands. It can be higher as we approach menopause. This rise in cortisol is often to blame for the weight gain around the middle we complain about as we age.

Exercise (to a point) will help with reducing cortisol in our bodies, and with fighting that weight gain. But, if we over exercise (which causes stress to the body), it can do the reverse. If you are an avid high impact exerciser, why not try walking as an alternative? It is just enough exercise to lower our stress hormone, but not enough to seriously stress out the body.

I think we can all attest to the benefits of getting outside and enjoying a little fresh air these days. Not only is walking great for your body – walking can be used as a moving meditation to improve mood. Walking is low stress on the body, requires no equipment and is a zero excuse workout. Get out there and get walking if you want to maintain your fitness and health into your 40’s and beyond.

WINE – everything in moderation if you plan on staying fit into your 40’s and beyond

So here’s the gist of what Amy said on wine.

Enjoy wine in moderation but recognize that essentially, any type of alcohol is poison for our bodies. As much as there have been studies touting the benefits of wine for cardiovascular health and the benefits of antioxidants like resveratrol – wine should always be considered only in moderation.

Amy mentioned another book she is in the middle of reading, Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker. It is about quitting drinking in a culture obsessed with alcohol. This could be an interesting read for those looking for inspiration to cut alcohol all together from their diet.

While Amy certainly understands the pull of a nice glass of wine with your partner after a long day, she is firm in stating that if you are really wanting to get “ripped and lean” alcohol should not be part of the program.

I totally get that – and I also love wine in moderation (and sometimes not in moderation at all!). I like to have a balance between being dedicated and cognizant of my health goals and having a fun and enjoying moments with a little red wine. 🙂

In the end we make decisions based on what has meaning to us. Amy recognizes that for many people, wine is not something they are willing to give up completely and she gets it.

Following our chat – Amy did address some questions about things like intermittent fasting and osteoporosis. Go watch the chat for info on those things. If you are interested in more info on intermittent fasting find our blog post HERE on various popular diet trends.

So these are a few points to help your stay fit into your 40’s and beyond.

If you would like to watch and listen to this talk and hear everything Amy has to say about staying fit into your 40’s and beyond find the Facebook Live replay HERE

Are you loving all things motivational and fitness related these days?

Check out some of our other popular posts…

FIVE FREQUENTLY ASKED FITNESS QUESTIONS FOR WOMEN OVER 40

IT’S AN EVOLUTION

THREE COOL MOVES TO ADD A KICK TO YOUR WORKOUT

xx

C

Five Reasons You Should Take Up Golf Now

I confess, although I starting golfing as a young teen, and continued sporadically as my kids grew up, I am JUST coming back from a hiatus from the golf course. My recent new love for the game is compelling me to share five reasons you should take up golf now!

My golf “career” started as a teen, when my dad would take me out with my brother to golf when we were on summer holidays. I was pretty awful, and my favourite part of the game was hitting the snack shack after nine holes. There, I could get the most delicious smokie covered in mustard and sauerkraut and all was right with the world. I persisted with the game, (as an attempt to find the best hotdog maybe?) eventually playing with boyfriends and eventually my husband.

Prior to having kids, we enjoyed quite a few golf holidays – playing 7 games in 7 days and trying courses all over North America. Let me reiterate, I was pretty terrible but golf had grown on me and I loved it.

When we had our children, I kept up with golf, joining a ladies league at our golf course, and using the time as a much needed break during those pre-school / toddler years. But, gradually – as the kids grew – so did my discomfort with golf. Not the playing it so much, but the time it took to play.

I no longer could justify 5 hours away – nor could I find 5 hours in a row where I wasn’t needed driving here and there to various activities and / or prepping meals etc. to get the kids ready for said activities. Those years – when your kids are really busy with sports or music or dance – and don’t yet have their driver’s license, are some of the busiest. I didn’t even work outside the home! I bow down to those of you that maintained a full time job as well.

So golf took a backseat – a very backseat. In fact, there were years I didn’t pick up a club even once. Oddly, even on holidays, I would bow out and let the”guys” go – always finding an excuse or a reason I couldn’t golf.

And to be quite honest – I really had no desire or urge to either. Golf became something my husband did, not something I did. Looking back, I really can’t explain it.

This year though, I had an epiphany. It was time to take those 4 1/2 hours and get myself out of the house. Boy, am I glad I did! Now, I can share with you my five reasons you should take up golf now!

Online Mother’s Day Gift Idea’s

It seems early to be thinking about Mother’s Day but. let’s just say it… things are all screwed up in our world right now – and this year you are probably going to need some online Mother’s Day gift ideas in order to celebrate MOM in the way she deserves.

I don’t know about you, but Easter kinda snuck up on me. I really didn’t get to take advantage of purchasing my typical Easter fare because I was so far behind the 8 ball with dealing with our new / temporary “normal!”

AH – but now I’m ready and said to Danni this week – if we are going to do something for Mother’s Day, we really should be putting together online Mother’s Day gift ideas NOW so we all receive our packages in time.

We’ve tried to include a mix of local, national and mainstream items Mom will love.

SO – in the words of Babe (one of my fav characters on Grace and Frankie) :

FIVE frequently asked Fitness questions for women over 40

***With our guest, Amy Johnston of AMY JOHNSTON FITNESS***

So a few weeks ago we asked you what you wanted more of on Mojo and Moxie. You gave us so many great ideas and we are busy working on making sure our little blog is a “go to” for everything you might want and need in this stage of your life!

Can you guess what the number ONE request was?