Staying fit can be a challenge for women in their 40s and older. Since I belong to this league, I definitely understand what it is like to put in the effort to exercise and make healthy eating choices. We don’t always see the results we would like. There’s no magic pill to combat this, but don’t lose heart. There is hope.
Though fat loss from particular target areas or ‘spot reduction’ isn’t possible (unless you spend a huge amount for surgical procedures), there are exercises that can tighten your TROUBLE SPOTS. If this is followed by body fat loss, those problem areas too will get affected, thus letting you sport your desired look.
I see many 40+women struggling with weight gain in their middle region, especially their buttocks and tummies, which results in them having wider hips and a thicker waist. If to are troubled by this typical problem, access the fountain of youth by tapping into these ‘SECRETS’.
Chuck your treadmill
Yes, that’s right. If your sessions on the treadmill (or for that matter, any cardio machine) are monotonous, slow and long, stop them right away! Get rid of your treadmill and opt for some truly effective exercises to burn fat. And the best part – you won’t need a fat bank balance to melt those stubborn fats away!
Use your body weight
Instead of long, slow, easy and ineffective cardio sessions, you should choose short sessions of high-intensity interval training. Using your body weight in some simple exercises like the stationary sprint, jumping jack or squat jump, you can easily accomplish the task.
Here’s an ideal example of adding a series of fat burning exercises to your daily routine with just a little sacrifice of your space and time.
Start your routine with the simple SQUAT JUMP. Depending on your fitness level, you can modify it by decreasing the squat’s depth and the jump’s height.
Your routine should begin with squat jumps spread over 20 seconds, which is followed with the recovery time of 10 seconds. Aim to repeat the sequence for 5 minutes (or a total of 10 sets).
Next, take a quick 1-minute break.
As your body learns to adapt to this routine and your fitness level improves, go on adding sequences until you can perform them for another 5 minutes. At this speed, a ton of calories would be burnt in just 10 minutes. But remember not do these at an easy, slow speed. Since your aim is high-intensity level training, you should do the sequences right and fast, which would increase your heart rate and make it hard to breathe.
- Stand in squat position at start, and then make a powerful jump to reach a completely extended position with your arms raised above the head.
- Slow down as your feet are back on the ground, and return to your squat position.
- Without letting your feet lose contact with the ground, modify the move by trying to reach the ceiling.
- You can even modify your squat’s depth. Remember that greater the depth is, the more effective it would be for your thighs and buttocks.
Use your body weight around
The workout routine of every woman desirous of losing body fat MUST include some level of resistance training.
The AIM is to add muscles since they are calorie burning, active tissue that pump up your metabolism. The reason why several women in their 40s are battling weight gain while eating food similar in quantity to their slim counterparts is due to losing lean muscle mass to a certain extent as a result of their extremely sedentary lifestyle.
Sluggish metabolism with age that inevitably causes fat gain or what’s called the inevitable ‘middle age spread’ is just a myth. With the inclusion of muscle building exercises in your weekly fitness regimen that you perform 3-4 times each week, you will be able to hold onto the muscle mass of your 20s and 30s. What’s more, you can even build some extra muscle if you work hard.
Don’t worry because you won’t need to invest in expensive equipment or hit the gym to achieve this. Again, this won’t mean gaining muscle bulk or building ugly looking, masculine muscles, both of which are myths.
The female body is incapable of doing it unless you rigorously follow a particular routine with that specific goal in mind. You just need to use your body weight as resistance, which often surpasses what you call adequate weight, thus letting you attain an attractive and fitter feminine figure.
With weight training, you can enjoy several BENEFITS as mentioned below:
- Additional fat burning than what you would burn with cardio alone
- Improved metabolism due to building more muscle or retaining muscle mass
- Body’s shape changed for the better
- Building strong bones to fight osteoporosis
- Improved joint stability, which decreases injury risks triggered by falls etc
Which body weight exercises are my best bets?
The oft-neglected push-up is one of the most effective exercises for you to do.
Though there’s nothing fascinating or novel about doing push-ups, they do really give you the desired results! With push-ups, you give your upper body muscles, especially your shoulders and triceps as well as the chest, the necessary workout. Women who complain of their arms’ backside being extremely flabby can benefit from push-ups since the movements TARGET those muscles directly. Targeting your core muscles is the additional benefit that this exercise brings your way.
During push-ups, keeping your back plank straight all the way through is the key to success. As a beginner, in case your body weight offers extreme resistance, you can alter the resistance in different ways. Any woman can perform some or the other type of push-ups to add muscle, improve the strength of upper body and work the core – all simultaneously.
Aim to sport a tight tummy? Stop crunches right away!
For 40+ women, the midsection is a trouble spot for eternity. Though there’s no magical way out for this region, you can tone the abdominals by performing the PLANK, which is one of the most effective exercises, which is safe to perform. This exercise targets your abdominal region effectively and is much easier to learn and safer to execute compared to crunches. With a strong core, your back aches will reduce and you will have an improved posture too.
Your first step is to hold the position as long as possible. In case that’s extremely difficult, you can begin on your knees. With practice, as you become stronger, try to hold the position for a prolonged period. When beginning on your knees, you will soon move onto your toes. And before you recognize, you will have a flatter, stronger tummy!
The real story behind dieting
Many unavoidable truths are related to your diet.
The primary among these is it’s impossible to overcome poor nutritional choices with training.
Choosing the poor diet and out training them is just not possible. What this means is no matter how much effort you put into your training, with a poor diet, you just CANNOT get the desired results. The strategies and exercises I have listed above are among the most effective modes for toning your muscles. Unless you opt for wise nutritional choices, you would never bring improvement to your trouble spots or see your toned muscles.
Secondly, sticking to a ‘diet’ is one of the sure fire ways to GAIN weight!
Your metabolism will become sluggish if you reduce your calorie intake excessively. What’s worse, it would eventually cause body fat, which for a majority of women would mean getting trapped into an unending cycle. This in turn would make them unhealthy and unhappy. By ensuring your diet comes loaded with whole foods packed with nutritional value, you can multiply the results that your chosen workout regime would bring your way.
3 TOP Nutritional Tips I Recommend
- Stock to eating 5-6 small meals every day. This way, you will never become too hungry and end up overeating. Since your body will know a steady food supply is there to satiate your hunger, your metabolism will get a boost, which in turn would let you burn your body fat effectively.
- Make sure each of your meals include protein. This will keep your appetite under control and help in stabilizing your blood sugar.
- Reduce the consumption of starchy carbs, and bring more fibrous carbs on your plates. Stay away from refined sugar. Have your veggies as your mother has always told you to! Consume pastas and breads in moderation. Don’t drink your calories, which mean steering clear of soda pop, and opting for whole fruits over fruit juices.
Just because you are 40+ doesn’t mean you should feel old and sport a matronly look. Make a resolve not to end up like old stereotypes.
You can stay fit and feel energized by doing some simple exercises in the privacy and comfort of your own home. With challenging workouts that make your heart pound, you will notice your trouble areas undergoing a remarkable transformation for the better. Losing fat and staying fit isn’t rocket science, but it will need a steely resolve on your part together with the motivation to devote a small amount of time on a regular basis.
