Fitness Beyond 50

What is typical of the "Beyond 50" individual?

Download the pdf:  Fitness Beyond 50 (pdf)

• 50+ men and women see their body changing, typically through increased weight gain, belly fat, and/or loss of muscle tone or flexibility
• 50+ women have been through or are going through menopause and notice many changes due to the hormonal imbalance
• 50+ men and women have some minor health issues creeping in such as higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol, arthritis and/or diabetes
• 50+ men and women have lost some fitness due to a major setback such as an injury, a hip or knee replacement, or an illness (i.e. cancer or heart disease)

Additionally, men and women "beyond 50" may be empty nesters or retired, and now have the time available to focus on themselves.  Finally!  After years of working 8 to 5, after years of raising a family, they have reached the golden years and for so many, can finally prioritize themselves!  

I'll tell you a story about a friend of mine - maybe you can relate (I hope not!)...

Sarah (I have changed her name) got married and had a child.  She drove over an hour each way, every day to an 8 to 5 job.  When she got home, she cooked dinner for the family and spent time with her child doing homework, and eventually, taking him to numerous sports games - soccer, basketball, and baseball.  Her weekends were spent doing laundry, shopping for groceries and clothes, and cleaning the house, and also going to more sports events for her son.  

Over the years (Sarah's son was in high school now), and Sarah's weight kept on increasing.  Not just a little, but a lot.  At just 5'2", Sarah was well over 250 pounds.  She had trouble getting in and out of cars.  Her joints started hurting.  She was routinely out of breath just walking around the house.  I offered her my services, free of charge, because I felt strongly that if I could just get her to prioritize herself sooner than later, we might stand a chance.  We walked 15-20 minutes 2-3 mornings a week (before work) and did some light resistance training and stretching.  After about six weeks, Sarah told me she had to stop.  She was getting stressed out trying to "make the time" for our sessions.  I reluctantly let her go, but she assured me that as soon as her son went to college, she would have more time for herself.  Sarah's son did indeed go to college, but instead of taking more time for herself, Sarah only worked more and spent weekends visiting her son. She filled up her time with "other things". 

Long story short, Sarah never did make time for herself.  She never did prioritize her health and as a result, today, she is hurting, physically and medically.  My hope is that people reading this will realize that you cannot put your health off to tomorrow.  You have been given a body, and you need to take care of it currently!  I remember reading a Chinese Proverb about health (but I cannot find it, even with Google search!).  It reads something like this:

"If you don't have your own health, you won't be around to take care of others."

I'd like to add, that if you don't take care of yourself, you'll be a burden to others."

Ultimately, it's your responsibility.  If you start today, you'll be able to add more function and fun to your life!  

Be 365fitt - AT ANY AGE! 

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365fitt is about training for the event called LIFE, focusing on physical, nutritional and emotional wellness through lifestyle adaptations.  Kathy is available for personal training and wellness consultations and corporate wellness.  365fitt invites you to participate in a Healthy Active Living trip to incredible destinations.  Please visit 365fitt for more information.  Live 365fitt!

 

 

 

Every Woman Needs to Know This

Why losing weight after 40 is like pushing a rock uphill.

Today I received a message from a friend, who said to me:

"I think I'm broken.  I've been working my ass off, working out for a month, eating and drinking in moderation, trying to be healthy.  I just weighed myself and I haven't lost an ounce.  Do people lose their ability to drop weight?"

Short answer, "Yes".

Longer answer, "Especially, yes, if you're a woman."  But, ALL women, of ALL AGES, need to know this, because ALL women are going to get older.  And, what we have to understand, is how our bodies change as we get older.  Once we understand what happens to our bodies, we can adapt our habits and lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight.

First, let's understand what happens to a woman's body as it gets older.

ESTROGEN

Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone, and with perimenopause and menopause, women can expect a drop in estrogen production.  Estrogen is produced by the ovaries primarily, and by the glands and liver, in much smaller amounts. Estrogen is even produced by fat cells.  This may explain why women tend to gain a few pounds through this phase of life.  

Think about it...the more fat you have, the more estrogen your body may produce.  This could be your body's way of trying to maintain proper estrogen levels, picking up the slack when the ovaries' production of estrogen decreases.

STRESS

Stress hormones (cortisol) block weight loss and in fact, add fat to your belly as a "layer of protection" to your vital organs.  

Think about it...the most important organs in your body are in and around your midsection.  By adding a layer of fat around the midsection, your body is protecting itself from harm, in this case, stress.  This is your body's way of trying to save your life.  

LIFESTYLE

Your metabolism may slow down, but this could be because of both hormones as well as lifestyle choices.  As we get older, we have "more on our plate", devoting time to families, careers, and social activities and less time devoted to regular physical activity.  

Think about it...are you as active as you once were, say, at age 25?  35?  45?  Is it possible that you're just not working out as hard as you used to?

AGING

Aging affects everybody differently, but it's a fact that our bodies will decline.  With aging, comes decreased heart function and muscle mass, both of which will lead to an increase in weight, typically followed by chronic disease such as high blood pressure and diabetes.  Individuals who make good lifestyle choices (physical exercise, sound nutrition, and low stress), can expect to slow down the aging process.  Individuals who don't take care of their bodies (from their early twenties through mid-life), can expect to accelerate the aging process.  

Read my previous blog entry on Fitness Beyond 50 - what happens to our bodies and what you can do to live longer and healthier!  (When you click on the link, you can download the free pdf handout used in my seminars.)

Now, let's do something about it! 

Here's a short list of what I recommended to my friend today, and what you can do to increase your metabolism and potentially, shift from weight gain to weight loss (or maintenance).

TOP FIVE LIST OF WAYS TO SHIFT YOUR METABOLISM

1. Weight train.  Lift weights regularly.  One pound of muscle burns 3x more calories than one pound of fat.  If you're just starting out, lift enough weight to do 15 repetitions and 2 sets.  (Check out the 365fitt 10-Minute Workouts for basic strength training.)  Aim for 2-3x/week, 10-15min/day for beginners; 2-3x/week, 30-40min/day for intermediate/advanced.
2. Eat 100 calories less a day.  Choose ONE thing that you can reasonably and realistically change and expect to maintain that change.  (For example, eliminate the butter on your bread, the cream in your coffee, the second slice of bread from your sandwich.)  Decreasing your caloric consumption by 100 calories a day can potentially save you 10 pounds in one year!
3. Exercise an additional 30-60 minutes each week. 
4. Increase the number of steps you take to a MINIMUM of 10,000/day.  If you're not seeing any change, increase it to 13,000 steps a day.  Or, increase the intensity of one of your workouts.  A heart rate monitor or activity tracker is an excellent way to track your intensity.
5. Decrease your stress.  Identify and address the stressors in your life, and resolve to deal with them in a healthy manner.

Living 365fitt beyond age 50!

Kathy

Kathy Kent is a nationally acclaimed speaker on women's health and fitness issues.  Her company, 365fitt, provides consulting and training services to corporations, communities and individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle.  Her book, Living 365fitt, A 12-Week Program to Lifestyle Wellness, and accompanying webinars, provide sound information on physical, nutritional and emotional lifestyle changes for better fitness.  

Contact Kathy for more information at kathy@365fitt.com.  

Why You Aren't Using Your Fitbit Anymore

It's 7am.  Do you know where your Fitbit is today?

Sadly, an estimated 30% of  all fitness trackers are ending up in a drawer, on a table, or in a box.  They are the misfits; the rejected; the once "cool gadget" that has now fallen by the wayside; the gadget that was supposed to be the answer to all your prayers; the gadget that was going to help you exercise consistently, lose weight, and be accountable - once and for all.

Too bad, too; because activity trackers CAN make a difference. The ugly truth is, however, that fitness trackers are failing to engage.

• In 2013, 10% of individuals owned a fitness tracker.  

• By 2013, it was estimated that 50% of people who purchased activity trackers, stopped using them.

• By 2014, 30% of individuals who owned/purchased an activity tracker, stopped using it within 6 months.

We are finding out that users quickly abandon wearables that don’t help them make positive changes.  Yet, this multimillion dollar industry is continuing to move forward.  The wearable is here to stay.  Everyone is behind it: doctors, insurance companies, and employers all have skin in the game.  Even individuals, who are recognizing that the ultimate responsibility for their health lies within themselves, are behind the wearable movement.  The wearable is just going through some "re-design" issues that will, hopefully, address the lack of long-term engagement. 

The key is to help the user change their habits.  Are you ready to change?

Changing habits is a process and the truth is that individual's must be ready to change. The Six Stages of Behavioral Change (called the Trans Theoretical Model) include pre-contemplation, contemplation, commitment, preparation, action, and maintenance. Studies have shown that wearable devices will not sufficiently motivate individuals who are in the first or second stage.  However, individuals who are "already there", in the  commitment and/or preparation stages, may be motivated to use the device.  (For more information on the 6 stages of change - please read this short excerpt from my book, Living 365fitt.) Are you ready to change?  (Take this short quiz here.) 

Building a Better Wearable

The criteria for success for many wearable devices and services goes beyond adoption. A successful wearable must engage long-term.  Devices that just provide data (steps, calories, distance), but don't inspire action will not last.  Which means that simple wrist monitors (i.e. early versions of Fitbit and Jawbone) simply aren't good enough anymore.  

If we want a certain behavior to change, we need to "interrupt" the old behavior.  Bring on the next generation of wearables; the SMART ACTIVITY TRACKER.

Studies show sales of SMART wearable devices continuing to grow.  This next round of devices not only provide data, but, provide the necessary feedback throughout the day to change behaviors.  This feedback comes in the form of visual reminders, notifications, sounds, and vibrations.  They key to success is providing interaction throughout the day to provide the user with opportunity to change behavior (i.e. get more steps, get better sleep). Devices that provide data, but don't inspire action won't last. Inspiring action is key to long term wearable utilization.

Focus on Wellness

People are hardwired want to feel better.  It's part of a complex chemical reaction within our bodies.  When we feel better, we want "more of it".  This is called intrinsic motivation, and, is the most effective form of "reward".  Successful devices must tap into the intrinsic motivation, and, therefore, positively impact users' health and happiness.  Imagine sitting at your desk, seeing your Garmin Vivosmart HR heart rate drop, and know that you're positively managing your stress, thus, positively affecting your health.   In fact, studies have shown that a majority of wearable users, are using their devices to focus on overall wellness and the enhancement of daily life, and are not just using their device to track exercise and/or lose weight.

Finally, it should be noted, that SMART wearables must focus on not only the constant connection, but the social connection as well.  SMART wearables, either wirelessly through bluetooth connection or through wired connection (USB), connect to a software platform, or app, on a smartphone or desktop computer, where a whole community of users can share information, motivate each other, and provide support.  It is anticipated that by 2020, there will be more than 6 billion smart phone users in the world, up from 2 billion in 2016.  With so many people connected to their phones, SMART wearables and health tracking, driven by the medical and insurance communities, and supported by employers and individuals, will only continue to grow and become the norm, in a health-conscious world.

- but only if it's worn!!!

Living 365fitt,
Kathy

Credit given for statistics and graphs to Endeavour Partners. For more information on the adoption of wearables, visit http://endeavourpartners.net/white-papers/.

Kathy Kent is a nationally acclaimed speaker on women's health and fitness issues.  Her company, 365fitt, provides consulting and training services to corporations, communities and individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle.  Her book, Living 365fitt, A 12-Week Program to Lifestyle Wellness, and accompanying webinars, provide sound information on physical, nutritional and emotional lifestyle changes for better fitness.  

Contact Kathy for more information at kathy@365fitt.com.  

Yes, I Have...Here's What I Did

It was going to be a very hot, humid day, with temperatures expected around 98 degrees and humidity, well, let's just say, high, and, I was about to race my first cycling road race.  I had done triathlons for years, even the famed Ironman Triathlon in Panama City, Florida in 1999 and 2001.  I had run marathons before and even swam 10K open water swims in exotic places like Bermuda and Bonaire.  But I had yet to compete in a stand alone cycling event, a road race. Yet, here I was in June, 2007, standing with twelve other women at the start of the Great Carroll County Road Race, a 100K (66 mile) cycling event over the hills of Carroll County, Illinois.

I had no idea what to expect, having never done this kind of race before.  The road race is a draft-legal race, meaning you can (and should) take advantage of riding in a pack, resting at the rear and pulling at the front.  You have to ride a road bike, which for me meant, no aero-bars, and since I only owned a triathlon bike, I had to borrow a bike from one friend and a pair of shoes with matching cleats from another.

As I toed the line in my one piece spandex racing suit, I looked around at my fellow riders.  There were  four or five of them from one team and they would try to ride together, helping each other out.  There were a few other pairs that were going to work together, but, I was alone.  I didn't bring anyone with me to "help me out".  I didn't belong to a team so I would have to do my best to hang with them, offering a pull at the front as needed to show them that I wasn't there to just suck off their wheels.  It was the right thing to do.  I mentally sized everyone up, trying to figure out who would be the leaders.

You see, going into this race, I had a goal.  I wanted to race my best.  I wanted to put it all out there and finish knowing that I had given it everything I had.  But, giving it everything didn't start on race day.  It started months in advance with proper training and a good nutrition plan.  I trained hard for six months, racing time trials both indoors and outdoors - giving it 100% efforts.  When the weather warmed up, I put in the miles outside, often riding my mountain bike to teach a cycling class and riding home, then, going outside to ride another 30-40 miles.  I rode two century rides back to back, completing a "personal" time trial of 10 miles uphill in the middle of one of them.  I completed a 150 mile ride in one day, again riding hard for 10 miles, 120 miles into the 150 mile ride.  I rode strong, pulling my friends all spring long, pushing on hills, riding tempo; riding hard.  At the end of my training, I knew I was ready to ride 66 miles at a very hard effort.  I didn't know what speed that would be, but I knew that I would push about 190 watts for about 3 hours.  I would just have to keep my heart rate at or around 160bpm, which was 100% of my threshold heart rate, or 85% of my maximum heart rate.

When you listen to the Tour de France, you know that the lightest cyclists and the lightest bikes go faster.  I was going to be on a borrowed road bike, so I didn't have much control over the bike.  Don't get me wrong, it was a very nice carbon fiber bike, that was indeed lightweight.  But, unlike other aficionado's, I would be unable to swap bicycle parts to lighten it up by grams.  I would have to change something else.  I decided to change my weight and optimize my power to weight ratio. 

I watched what I ate for three months, charting my intake of calories and my daily expenditure.  I tested my power output through time trials to determine the point at which I could push for maximum power.  I recorded my weight.  I reached my maximum power to weight ratio at 136 pounds on my 5'8" frame. The following chart shows the measured improvements in my metabolic and power profile:

So as I stood there, surrounded by twelve other women, I knew what I was capable of.  I remember saying to myself on that morning, "there's no need to go redline", which for me, meant any heart rate above 172, or 90% of my maximum heart rate.  The gun went off, and we took off, with me comfortably tucked in behind three other riders.  The pace started off quick, and within a couple minutes, I was "redline".  I had to make a decision.  

Did I want to stick with my plan and be comfortable with what I knew I could do, or, did I want to push myself to my ultimate limit?

In a split second, I knew that if I wanted a chance at the podium, I would have to hang with them, suck it up and ride harder than I've ever rode before. I didn't know if I would bonk or get dropped, but, I had to try.  I had to reach somewhere deep inside myself for that little extra that I might possess.

In the first ten minutes, the pack separated, and I was among a select group of four women, two of whom were on a team working together.   We rode together for the first hour, taking turns at the front, working as a tight group of four, when one of the women on the team got a flat tire.  Her teammate stopped to help, but the other woman and I saw this as an opportunity to put some distance between us and them, so we sped off.  Clearly, this other woman and I were good competitors and I wanted her assistance as much as she wanted mine.  She hammered uphill better than I, but I held the flats better than she, and so the remaining thirty miles went.  We never saw anyone else on the course that day.  We continued to ride hard, pushing at every opportunity.  I secretly hoped that she would eventually not be able to keep my pace on the flats; I would drop her and take the lead once and for all.

But, with just six miles left, she took the lead, and as hard as I pedaled, I couldn't close the gap.  She was just 200 yards in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to catch her.  My heart rate was pushing 176-182, (90-95% of my maximum heart rate) as it had been for much of the race.  My power hovered around 200 watts, as I expected.  Whenever I could, I pushed to 230 watts, but was simply unable to reel her in.  

I crossed the finish line at 3 hours and 22 minutes.  Just 1 minute behind the other woman.  I rode my bike beyond the finish line and stopped, falling into a ditch along the side of the road.  I just laid there, exhausted, not sure if my legs would enable me to get up.  I was nauseous, and I felt this overwhelming  prickly sensation, both hot and cold, on my skin.  This was heat exhaustion.  

After several minutes, I fumbled my way back on wobbly legs to the corral where the athletes were waiting for the results.  I found the other woman and congratulated her on her first place overall finish.  I was happy with my second place overall, first place age group finish, a $50 check and my trophy.  

I was most happy that I had indeed pushed my limits in training and on that hot humid day in June, 2007.  That's a feeling I will never forget.

Kathy is an accomplished age group athlete, coaching and motivating many athletes to their peak fitness.  Contact Kathy@365fitt.com for coaching opportunities and speaking engagements.

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