Fall fitness time
For every season we need to make adjustments in our routines, cycles, etc in every area of our lives. That means when it comes to fitness and working out, it’s good idea to make changes for the season too. This is even more true when you start factoring in ageing, etc. Fall fitness for women over 40 makes a lot of sense especially if you want to avoid injuries! Avoiding injuries while working out, should always be your goal if you want to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Fitness through the seasons
We need to adapt our lifestyles and routines to each new season during the year. Especially if you want to truly enjoy the year and all it has to offer. Granted, we can’t account for every eventuality, but we can make smart decisions on how to move forward. When it comes to women over 40, we’ve got other things to consider such as bone and hormonal health. This also impacts how and what types, of exercises we engage in. Keeping these fall fitness for women over 40 in mind, is my way helping women stay healthy and active 365 days a year
Things to keep in mind during the fall season
With the fall comes the usual cold and flu season as well as other potential community health infections and illnesses. It is also a time when our stress and anxiety get elevated, seasonal affective disorder kicks in (colder and northern regions of the world), etc. As we get older, we can become more vulnerable to respiratory and other illness and injury. When you consider hormonal fluctuations, shifts in dietary needs, the potential for loss of mobility and a decline in over all health can increase dramatically.
Exercising and staying fit the right way
Yes, there is a right and a wrong way to exercise and you don’t need to be a fitness guru to figure it out either! First off, never abruptly jump into a vigorous and or high intensive workout program / routine. That is one of the best ways to get injured and completely sideline all of your fitness goals. Instead, consult your healthcare provider, fitness coach and get your fitness assessment. If you already have a good idea of your own fitness level, you’re already a quarter of the way to elevating your health and fitness.
One easy recommendation
As a women’s self-care and health coach for women over 40, I always recommend starting out light and slow to start. Once you’ve got your routine planned and in place, it’s easy to increase your intensity and amount of weight training. You can read more about some of my favorite exercises for women over 40 when you click here. I always say, “let your body be your guide”! This is the main reason why I stress the importance of selfcare because self-care forces you to tune into the needs of your body. Self-care also teaches you body awareness and connectivity. If you’ve ever had the sense that “something” is “off” in your body, then you know what I’m talking about.
My 5 favorite tips for staying fit and fab this fall
1. If you’ve been off of your exercise routine for more than 2 weeks, don’t restart your program with high intensity/ high impact exercises. Instead, start light and focus on exercises that hone in on mobility and flexibility.
2. Always check in with your healthcare provider, health coach, or fitness coach after a long hiatus from working out. It will help you avoid injuries that can affect your long term health and mobility.
3. Get a workout / fitness plan that is geared toward taking advantage of the fall season. For instance, fall is the perfect time for long walks and hikes because it’s neither to hot or too cool.
Last but not least
4. Fall is also one of those times of the year, when you want to make sure you are taking the right supplements to help support your immune system and overall wellness. While supplements can never be a substitute for whole food, it is necessary to add natural supplements, herbs, spices, etc that support and optimise your body functions.
5. Never underestimate the power of a good stretching and mobility routine. Even as I say this to you, I’m always reminding myself to do the same. Frequent and constant stretching routines (i.e. yoga, pilates, etc) will save you from injury and misery. Not only that, one of the downsides of ageing (in general), is the loss of mobility and flexibility. You want to stay toned, avoid aches and pains associated with arthritis and so forth? Start your yoga and or Pilates practice in addition to weight training to maintain your active lifestyle!
Final thoughts
Start thinking of “ageing” as the “use it or lose it” principle on steroids, and less like it’s the twilight years of your life. I’m learning that we all have an expiration date that is unspecified and far from guaranteed. Every day in the news, I hear of some young person who’s been struck down in the prime of her/his/their life while others make it well past their 90s. Bottom line? We all live in the dash ”-“ of our time here on earth so why not live it fabulously and with purpose?
Self-care and self-love will help you achieve all of this and more, if you are willing to embrace the journey and gain the courage to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Plus, anything worth having is always worth the work to get there. As for the internalised socio-cultural patriarchy (and often misogyny) that women should learn to “age gracefully”, I call b.s. on that! We are all entitled to live life to the fullest and part of that means honouring your body, and giving it what it needs to thrive. You get to decide!
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