Our bodies are changing, our metabolism is slowing and weight is showing up in new places as we get over 40. At this stage in our life we can accept excess weight piling up around our middle and over our hips where unhealthy fat will surround our major organs, or we can make some modifications to deal with how our bodies are changing. I'm going to assume from the way I worded this you have figured out that what should be done is to make healthy choices in our diet and changes in our activity to combat this bulge that is spilling over the top of our pants.
1. You go to the gym regularly and do 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least 3 times a week but still can't seem to whittle your middle? Let's see, you do the same thing over and over that hasn't yielded any results to date but you expect magically it is going to work for you one day? Sounds crazy when you hear it put that way. Change is what you need. Increase intensity by pushing your self with increased tension, incline and intensity. Interval training has proven effective as well. You start with two minutes at a moderate pace, then one minute full out and repeat over and over. When this becomes easy for you then reverse it with one minute moderate and two minutes intense.
2. Working the core using balance as a technique is very beneficial. During your weight training you want to modify your routine so that you are challenging your ability to balance and in turn making your core stronger. Yoga style poses like a plank are excellent; as well you can modify pretty much any weight lifting exercise to challenge your balance by standing on one foot or using a stability board or a ball. This will force you to engage your midsection and help build the muscles. Doing crunches is good, but doing them on an exercise ball will improve your upper abdominal and oblique muscles workout by at least 40%. Remember that lean muscle aids in the fat burning process.
3. Now that four letter word - diet. Not meaning a starvation plan or making sacrifices but controlling our portions and what we are taking in. We can exercise until we are exhausted but if we load up on high fat, fried food and items that are loaded with sugar we are undoing all our hard work and won't see any benefit from all that exercise. It's trying to get in 5 or more small meals, showing portion control, focusing on whole grains, and making sure we get in our proteins and 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables. It's all common sense folks!
Sitting complaining about it while chomping down on some starchy white bread piled high with mayo and butter, then a bag of chips isn't going to help you - you have the tools, you know what it takes and if you commit to doing it, you will be successful. Time to get up and get rid of that spare tire, those are for the car not your waist!
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