Health & Wellness

Crossfit, Yoga, Running, Exercise after 50, Eating, Body Image

Group shot of people running a marathon with an overlay that says Fitness Goals After 50 | Running A Marathon

Fitness Goals Over 50 | Running A Marathon

Sue Loncaric is an Australian blogger and the inspiration behind Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond. She writes about positive aging and embracing health in all areas – body, mind, spirit and in our relationships. Today, Sue brings us the first guest post in my new fitness series: Fitness Goals Over 50 | Running a Marathon.

I ran my first marathon at 55 years old.

Do you shy away from leading a fit and active lifestyle because you think you are too old?

Are you placing limitations on yourself by focusing on your age rather than your ability?

If you answered ‘yes’, then I hope that after you read my story you might be inspired and motivated to make some healthy lifestyle changes and start living life to the full.

Like many young girls, growing up I did dancing – ballet, tap, jazz and highland dancing. I then achieved my dream and opened a ballet studio at 15 years old, which I continued for about 15 years.

I was never athletic at school and tried to keep fit with aerobics back in the 80’s after I had my family. However, like many, life took over and I just didn’t have time (my excuse) or MAKE the time to keep fit and healthy. I would probably rate myself around 3.5 stars for health and fitness back then.

Of course, now I am 60 and over the last 10 years, my attitude toward health and fitness has certainly changed. Having lost my Mum at 60, Dad at 66 and my brother more recently at 65, all to various forms of cancer, as I neared midlife I was very conscious that I needed to make sure I did all I could to live a healthier lifestyle.

I wish I had known when I was 30 what I know now but the important lesson I have learned is it is never too late and we can achieve anything if we stop placing limitations on ourselves.

Fitness Goals Over 50 – When did I catch the running bug?

Just before I turned 50, I worked with some girls who were almost young enough to be my daughters. The wonderful thing was they never thought of me as an older person. I was Sue, the individual. They encouraged me to start running and booked me into Bootcamp, 2 mornings per week.

When I reminded them of my age and that I was old enough to be their mother, they wouldn’t accept it! I have these girls to thank for starting me on the running path, having the confidence in my ability and not accepting excuses such as ‘I’m too old’.

I then started running with some ladies I met through my daughter. We call ourselves the Saturday Sisters and are still running together each week 8 years later. One Saturday I told them I wanted to run a marathon before I turned 55. I had run a half-marathon at 50 and so my next goal was the full marathon.

Once I had told them my goal, my pride would not let me back out and so I started training and preparing. My friends trained with me for the long runs and one of them actually entered and ran the marathon with me.

At 55, I ran a full marathon. Crossing that finish line, to the cheering of my husband, daughter, and friends, I felt such a feeling of elation. I had achieved my goal in the time I wanted and although I was tired it couldn’t overshadow my excitement and happiness.

I know that running isn’t for everyone but that shouldn’t be an excuse not to include daily movement in our lives. The key is to find something you enjoy and can have fun with, and you will be more likely to stick to it.

Need help evaluating an exercise program to see if it’s right for you? Get my Exercise Evaluation Checklist.

Fitness Goals Over 50 | 7 Tips for Achieving Your Goals

Although I ran a marathon, you might have a different health or fitness goal. I would like to share with you 7 tips to help you achieve any fitness goal after 50. These tips are based on my marathon training but basically can be adapted to any fitness goal. You don’t need to run a marathon to be fit and healthy!

Disclaimer: Sue Loncaric is not a physician and any information provided here is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional before embarking on any exercise plan.

Make the commitment

Nothing is achieved with a half-hearted attitude and if you set a goal you need to make the commitment. This means putting into place a realistic training program, eating well and being mentally committed. In some ways, you need to be selfish because so much time is required to train for a big event

Get the okay from your doctor

Before you start any new form of exercise or increased training after 50 you really need to have a full medical checkup and get the approval from your doctor. If you haven’t been active for a while, this is vital as it is easy to pull muscles or sustain injuries. You need to build up your fitness and this takes time.

Have a support group

I could not have achieved running the marathon without my husband. He accepted and encouraged me to achieve my goal and helped by preparing healthy meals and putting up with me getting out of bed at 4 am some mornings to fit a run in before work. If I didn’t feel like training, he would encourage me and remind me of what I was working towards.

Read Sue’s Post: 5 Reasons It’s Better to Work Out In A Group

My Saturday Sisters were so supportive and trained with me each week. Working out with a group of friends helps to motivate you to keep going. This was vital as the longer runs kicked in as running 38 kms on your own can be difficult. As I had made a commitment to meet them at a certain time for a run, I would make sure I was there.

Ask for professional help from a personal trainer if you aren’t sure where to start.

Take baby steps, form the habit and achieve your goal

When you have made the commitment to your goal, it is easy to get carried away with the initial enthusiasm, only to find that soon that enthusiasm starts to wane. Breaking the goal into baby steps allows you to achieve at a regular rate, celebrate the success and keep moving forward to the end goal.

When I first started running, I couldn’t run more than 25 meters between two lamp posts which wasn’t very far at all. I made the goal to start by alternating walking and running. For example, a 5 – 10-minute walk to warm up then a jog then back to walking. I gradually increased the distance I could run.

By taking it slowly and adding distance each time I ran (or walked) I felt like I was achieving something more. This, in turn, motivated me to keep going. It also gave my body time to adjust and build up strength for longer walks or runs. You might also like to read my posts on Walking Your Way to Fitness from Beginner to Advanced Levels.

Strength training and Stretching is important

Strength training is so important after we reach 50 because it strengthens our bones, improves our posture and helps reduce the chances of osteoporosis. Strength training improves core strength so I made sure that I did some gym work revolving around that. Exercises like the plank, tummy crunches, squats and light weights all helped to improve my overall strength in addition to the running.

Yoga and stretching also helped to reduce the chance of injury and keep my body flexible and my mind calm.

Educate yourself about what fuel your body needs

Having never run a marathon before, I researched training programs from the internet and found one that would be suitable. I needed to educate myself on what foods to eat to provide me with enough energy during the training runs and also the marathon itself.

To be totally fit you need to vary the type of exercise and watch what you eat to help your body perform at its optimum level. My husband was great and made sure I had everything I needed to keep up the energy levels.

Keeping hydrated was a top priority so getting into the habit of drinking enough water each day was vital. It also meant giving up alcohol which dehydrates our bodies. Save the champagne for when you have achieved your goal.

Taking a rest day or two to help the body recover is vital as is getting a good night’s sleep. This is the time the body repairs itself so make sure you factor in days to rest and recover.

Believe in yourself – Mental strength is the key

To me, this is the most important tip of all. When we reach midlife we start to focus on the number rather than living life. We start to question our ability and our self-confidence can take a dive. It can be daunting trying something new.

Setting a goal and working through these tips will build resilience, self-confidence, and motivation.

What is one thing you can do today to start living a healthier and happier lifestyle?

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June 18, 2018 21 comments

Health & Wellness

The Top 5 Crazy Exercise Myths That Women Need To Know

Today’s guest blog post is by Sherry MacDonald, a personal trainer, nutrition coach and owner of Elite Physiques in Lewis Center, Ohio. We met last year at the Bloggers At Midlife Conference and discovered our mutual love of lifting weights, fitness and fashion. Today, Sherry dispels a lot of the exercise myths that those of us who grew up in the era of Jane Fonda, “feel the burn”, shiny tights and legwarmers grew up believing.

The Top 5 Crazy Exercise Myths That Women Need To Know

After being in the health and wellness business for over 20 years I still hear these exercise myths. They just won’t go away.

Let me tell you what I see. I have clients of all ages but mostly over 50. Some have never worked out and some off and on. Either way, many of them come to me in bad shape. They can’t get up and down off of the floor. They have back problems, knee and hip problems and much more. Almost always, after 2 to 3 weeks of training, they are 50 percent better. After a couple of months, they are 80 percent or more better. I see some amazing changes in my over 50’s clients. I have a client who is 68 and in better shape than some 20-year-olds. My clients over 70 train with me 2 days a week, play golf, and walk almost every day.

Everyone can do this. Join the YMCA or buy a workout DVD. Need more motivation, read Cathy’s post about Crossfit and what she learned from it.

[bctt tweet=”Weight training can change anyone’s life – At Any Age!” username=”MySideof50″]

Exercise Myth #1 – Lifting weights will make me big and bulky

[bctt tweet=”Exercise Myth – Lifting weights will make me bulky” username=”MySideof50″]

This is the number one comment I hear. New clients come in and tell me, “I want to tone but I don’t want to get big and bulky (B&B)”. So, after telling them, if you don’t want to get B&B then look at your diet. Very few people have the genetics to build lots of muscle and it takes time, heavy lifting, good nutrition. If you want to get lean, lose weight, or change the shape of your body you HAVE TO weight train!

You can’t tone fat so if you don’t build muscle what are you going to tone? Ladies out there over 50, you know how hard it is to build muscle and keep it. The older you get the harder you have to work to keep it. We have to work harder than ever and never stop! When I am 70, I want to be able to go to the store and get 5 bags of 50-pound bird seed and put them in my car like I do now at the young age of 58.

One more thing. Don’t be afraid to go heavy. You won’t increase lean muscle lifting 5-pound dumb bells.

Exercise Myth #2 – No pain no gain

[bctt tweet=”Exercise Myth – No Pain, No Gain.” username=”mysideof50″]

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, no pain no gain “is an exercise phrase that promises greater value rewards for the price of hard and even painful work”. Did you know this phrase came from Jane Fonda’s aerobic days? She also used the phrase “feel the burn”.

First of all, you should never do an exercise that causes pain. Even if you get halfway through an exercise and you feel pain or a pull, stop. Don’t think you can work through it. Stop the exercise and pick up that muscle group again another day. Second, being sore after your workout is OK if it doesn’t interfere with your other daily activities. If you are sore for more than three days, it’s too much. As we get older it takes longer to recover so give yourself at least 3 days before you work the same muscle group. Listen to your body!

Exercise Myth #3 – Exercising using machines is better than free weights

This is a big one and a pet peeve of mine. Exercising on machines does not let you use the small stabilizing muscles and the machines dictate the way you move. As we get older we need to focus on better balance and working the stabilizers. You can do this using dumbbells and cables. If you work out in a gym, you have probably used the leg extension machine; you sit on it and extend your legs out straight. This is a good example of a machine dictating the way you move. You are fixed into place and your knees can only move one way. We all have different Q angles (the angle formed by lines representing the pull of the quadriceps muscle (upper thigh) and the axis of the patellar tendon (lower shin). These should not be forced to go in only one direction. If you have knee pain or back problems stay far away from this machines! If you are afraid you will get hurt or you will do the exercise wrong using dumbbells then hire a trainer – even if it’s just for a couple of sessions.

Exercise Myth #4 – You have to do cardio to lose weight

[bctt tweet=”Exercise Myth – You have to do cardio to lose weight.” username=”MySideof50″]

It’s funny how things change over time. Years ago when I used to do step aerobics (remember that?) the research said that cardio was the way to weight loss. Do hour long classes and drop the weight. The longer the better. I spent 2 hours, 6 days a week in the gym. I looked good but I was only 21. Well, today that just isn’t true. The research shows otherwise. It’s true that you burn calories while doing cardio and a short time after. If you have ever looked at how many it is depressing. On the elliptical, I only burn about 152 calories for 30 minutes. That’s an apple worth of calories. Weight training rocks when it comes to burning calories! Not just when you are weight training, but 24 hours a day. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn. YES! I see this in one of my trainers, Jack. He is a competitive bodybuilder. When he begins dieting for a show he cuts way back on calories but as he is training harder he can eat more (healthy food) and drop body fat like crazy because his metabolic rate is increasing.

I tell my clients to do cardio to exercise your heart and lungs. Do weight training if you want your body to look better and lose weight.

Exercise Myth #5 – You can get great abs by doing 100 crunches a day

[bctt tweet=”Exercise Myth – You can get great abs by doing 100 crunches a day.” username=”MySideof50″]

Not! It’s this simple – if you want nice abs you need to build muscle. Why? Because you can’t tone fat. In order to build muscle you need to overload the muscle. This means using your legs as weights or using weights. You can check out some exercises at Elite Physiques. When using your legs or dumbbells as weight, you will only need to do 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps.

I am not a fan of crunches. They cause forward flexion (bad posture) and there is never a reason to do 100 of anything!

Here’s something for you to remember you can work your abs – everyday but in order to see them you will have to eat a clean diet.

It all comes down to being healthy, looking good and feeling good at any age. What you eat is 80 percent or more important than anything else you can do for your health. It’s really simple. Make time everyday for some kind of exercise and just eat real food!

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase a product through my link, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I so appreciate every click-through and purchase! Every little bit helps to keep My Side of 50 up and running!

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January 17, 2017 86 comments

Health & Wellness

5 Reasons Why It’s Better To Workout In A Group

Today’s guest post is by my friend Sue Loncaric, the blogger behind Sizzling Towards Sixty. Her blog touches on a number of topics related to wellness in midlife women. Sue is such a positive person! She is an encourager and great example of not letting age stop her from being her best. Check out her #couchpotatotofabfit community on Facebook where she encourages and inspires midlife women on their fitness journey. Sue is a big proponent of working out in community. Her post today is: 5 Reasons Why It’s Better To Workout In A Group.

5 Reasons Why It’s Better To Workout in a Group

Keeping fit and healthy as we age can become a bit of a chore. ‘It’s too hot, it’s too cold, I don’t have time’ – Have you used any of these excuses? I’m sure we have all used one or two to excuse ourselves from exercising regularly – even though we know it is good for us.

Motivation is a huge factor in maintaining a regular exercise program and I’ve found the best way to get started or back on track is to workout in a group.

Each Saturday I run with a group of ladies. We call ourselves the Saturday Sisters and we have been running together for about 5 years. We usually plan a few fun runs during the year and work towards training for those.

Working out in a group will keep you fit, healthy and enjoying life. Here are my 5 Reasons Why It’s Better To Workout In A Group.

[bctt tweet=”Working out in a group will keep you fit, healthy and enjoying life. ” username=”MySideof50″]

Workout In A Group Reason #1 – Motivation

As I mentioned above, this is the single most important factor in starting or re-starting your exercise program. It can be so easy to put off until tomorrow. However, if you are part of a group OR you have an exercise ‘buddy’ you are more inclined to exercise because you have made a commitment to someone else.

Workout In A Group Reason #2 – Friendship

Regularly attending a group session can lead to new friendships. I know that I’ve made some wonderful friends through exercise – especially my Saturday Sisters. I met these lovely ladies through my daughter and we have formed a very special bond. We not only run together but we are there for each other. We have laughed, cried and vented during our 1 hour run each week.

Workout In A Group Reason #3 – Mental Health

Feeling part of a group can be good for your mental health. You have the opportunity to socialize with others and have fun. Exercising is great to relieve stress and certainly lifts your mood. What better way to do this than being part of a group?

Workout In A Group Reason #4 – Support

Don’t feel like going? Not in the mood? Struggling to keep up? Being part of a group or community will provide support to keep you going when the going gets tough. Exercising with others enables you to encourage each other to achieve your fitness goals.

[bctt tweet=”Exercising with others enables you to encourage each other to achieve your fitness goals.” username=”MySideof50″]

Workout In A Group Reason #5 – It Is FUN!

Being part of a team, group or community can be fun. If like me, you enjoy running, you can all train for fun runs together. Why not train for a 5 km walk? If you are in a walking group you can arrange to go to different places for a walk and then a social event.

There are so many groups that you can join and some are for free. If you don’t want to join a group, grab some friends and go for a walk before you have your catch up coffee.

• Walking groups

• Yoga

• Aqua Aerobics

• Cycling

• Running

• Crossfit

• Team sports

• Dancing

The secret to keeping fit is to find something you enjoy doing rather than something you have to do.

From Cathy:

I have the greatest success when I work out with others. I push myself a little harder, I’m much more consistent and it’s so much more fun. Here are 3 groups I have worked out within the last 5 years and my thoughts on each:

Cypress Running Club

This is a HUGE running club in my area that caters to walkers and runners of all levels. I did their beginner program – the Couch to 5K program. Every Saturday, we met with our beginner group and did a walk/run together. We had mentors walk/run with us who spaced themselves out in the group so that everyone had a coach/mentor/encourager with them, so matter how fast they were. As you might imagine, we started out with more walking than running and over the 10 weeks slowly progressed to more running that walking. At the end of the 10 weeks, we all participated in a 5K. Don’t think you can run a 5K? No worries! Many of us do a combination of walk/run. I met some great ladies through this group and NEVER felt like I was too old or too slow. It was all about doing your best and progressing on your fitness journey together. If you are in the States, you can find a running club in your area here.

Crossfit

Have you ever seen the Crossfit Games on TV? Well, that is NOT what your everyday Crossfit Workout is like. Crossfit builds strength and endurance over the long haul by focusing on the movements you need to get through life – lifting, squatting, pushing, pulling. You get a combination of weight training and cardio in every workout. It looks hard. It is challenging. But every workout is scalable meaning that you only do the amount of weight and reps you can do for your age, fitness level and ability. All movements can be modified. The best thing about Crossfit is the wonderful community of all ages working out together, encouraging each other and cheering each other on.

That being said, not all Crossfit Boxes (what they call their gyms) are created equal. If you are considering Crossfit, visit several boxes in your area. Talk AT LENGTH to the owners and coaches. It is important that they have some kind of on-ramp course where you are trained in the correct technique of all the movement before you start with a class. Observe a class. Are the modifying movements for the various levels? Are the coaches working with people individually to make sure they have the correct form? Do the coaches have any other training or experience besides the Crossfit Level 1 Training?

I consider by Box, Crossfit Silverback the Gold Standard of Crossfit Boxes. All of our coaches have several certifications and are continually learning. Safety is of the utmost importance, so you won’t see anyone lifting weights that are too heavy for them or pushing themselves beyond what they are capable of. Before you start with a class, you take 5 sessions of personal training so that you have the foundation you need. And the community is so fun.

I started Crossfit at age 52 with pretty much NO fitness background. You can read about my experience in 5 Lessons Learned As A 50+ Crossfit Competitor.

And a little about why my Crossfit Box is so fun: Fireball Balls | A No-Bake Cookie With Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.

Find a Crossfit Box in your area here.

Orange Theory Fitness

Orange Theory Fitness is a chain with locations all across the United States. Each one-hour workout has a circuit that alternates between cardio and strength training. Participants wear a heart rate monitor that tracks how hard you are working out. Exercises alternate between a treadmill, rowing machine and the strength floor where you do a combination of exercises with bands, hand weights and your body weight. All the exercises can be modified according to your ability and fitness level. The sessions are led by trained and enthusiastic coaches. It is a highly energizing atmosphere and lots of fun. Find an Orange Theory Fitness location near you.

Looking for some new workout clothes? Here are some of my favorites:

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January 10, 2017 29 comments

4 Reasons You Need to Know CPR | CPR Training | American Heart Association | CPR Instructions | CPR Certification

Health & Wellness

Four Reasons You Need To Know CPR

Do you know CPR? Have you ever had to perform CPR on someone? Have you taken a class a long time ago, but need a refresher?

Last week, I attended my local American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women luncheon. This year, some friends of mine were honored for their great work with the AHA. During my friend’s speech, she recounted a time 20 years ago when her father went into cardiac arrest and then died in her arms at the hospital an hour later. She has learned a lot in her years working with AHA. My friend often wonders, “If I knew then what I know now, would the outcome have been different?”

Reasons everyone should be trained in CPR

4 Reasons You Need to Know CPR

4 Reasons You Need To Know CPR

Did you know?

Cardiac arrest is caused when the heart suddenly stops, usually due to an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat and disrupts blood flow through the body.
Over 326,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually. NINETY PERCENT of these victims DO NOT SURVIVE.
Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.

I took a CPR course many years ago, and “back in the day” we were trained to use a combination of breaths and chest compressions. The AHA has done extensive research and found that in adults, hands only CPR (chest compressions only), performed at the rate of 100 chest compressions per minute is just as effective. If you want to know how to measure 100 compressions per minute, just compress to the beat of the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive”.

One of the highlights of the luncheon for me was getting some hands-on training in from members of our local fire department. They had dummies on which to practice that showed how hard you actually need to press when doing chest compressions. They said if you break a rib during chest compressions, that is a good thing! That means you are pressing hard enough. Who knew?

So why learn CPR?

I learned that 70% of out of hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes or residential settings.
Chances are, if you are called on to perform CPR, you’ll be doing it on someone you love – a spouse, child, parent or friend.
For every minute a person is “down” without getting CPR, their chances of survival DECREASE by 7-10%. That’s why it is important to know what to do and to do it quickly.
I learned that CPR is not hard. I could do it now, based on a few minutes of training, but I want to do more. I am going to sign up for a CPR course.

[bctt tweet=”For every minute a person is “down” without getting #CPR, their chances of survival DECREASE by 7-10%” username=””]

If immediately starting CPR would increase a person’s chance of survival and it is something I can learn to do, why wouldn’t I do it?

So join me, will you?

Find a training near you.

Mammograms, Ultrasounds and Taking Charge of Your Health

A few weeks ago, I had my annual mammogram. The report came back saying that everything was fine. But at the bottom of the report, it said that a breast ultrasound in 2012 revealed some abnormalities in my right breast and that there had been no follow-up.

I remembered that ultrasound in 2012. I have dense breasts. The mammogram showed “something”, so I had an ultrasound. The results of that ultrasound were inconclusive, but the radiologist assured me that she didn’t think it “was anything” and asked me to follow up in 6 months. I did – same result.

So, I didn’t think anything more about it. That is, until I read that one sentence at the bottom of my mammogram report that said “abnormality – no follow up since 2012”. How many times have you heard of a mammogram being normal, but cancer being detected in an ultrasound? My gut told me that I needed to follow up. So I called my doctor and requested an order for a follow-up ultrasound.

[bctt tweet=”How many times have you heard of a mammogram being normal, but something shows up in an ultrasound that ends up being cancer? @mysideof50″]

My Breast Ultrasound Appointment

I went to my ultrasound appointment last week. As I was waiting, I received a call from the nurse in my doctor’s office. She told me that the hospital was requesting a diagnostic mammogram and that my doctor would not provide the order. That was fine with me – I had just had a mammogram and didn’t need another. However, I was stunned by the next words out her mouth – “You know, we really weren’t supposed to provide an order for the ultrasound because you didn’t come for your annual exam last year”. Are you kidding me? Here I am, trying to be pro-active about my own health and my doctor is giving me a hard time about missing one annual exam. I have been her patient for OVER 30 YEARS and have rarely missed an annual exam. I expressed this to the nurse and assured her I would be making an appointment soon. But it was up to me to convince the staff at the Breast Center to give me the ultrasound.

I talked with the Breast Center staff, showed them my report and they talked to the radiologist who eventually agreed to do the ultrasound.

But what if she HADN’T agreed? What if I hadn’t pushed to get it? WHY did I have to PUSH to get it? Why were there so many hoops to jump through just to get a breast ultrasound?

The Takeaway:

• You have to be pro-active in taking care of your health

• Read the reports for medical tests that you have. I’m glad I read past the “mammogram is OK” part, so I could see that I needed to follow up with an ultrasound.
• When you have a medical test, do not depend on your doctor to tell you everything you might want to know. My doctor never called to suggest an ultrasound. If I hadn’t read the report and followed up myself, it would have never happened.
• Don’t hesitate to be firm and insistent when it comes to your health.

A Good Report

I am pleased to report that the ultrasound only showed some benign cysts, so I am just fine. It was also recommended that since my breasts are dense, that I opt for the 3D mammogram next year, which will save me having to have an ultrasound. My insurance does not cover the 3D mammogram, but I was told that it was only $50 more to have it, so I will gladly pay that out of pocket.

Have you ever had trouble getting a diagnostic test that you felt like you needed?

Is there a test that you need that you haven’t followed up on? An appointment for a check-up that you need to make? We only have one body. Take care of it. Make that appointment today!

After posting this, I heard from Dr. Aletha Oglesby who left this important comment:

“Neither mammography or ultrasound diagnoses cancer, we still need a biopsy for that; those tests help us determine the need for biopsy. Also, a diagnostic test is almost never a substitute for a face to face meeting with your doctor so you both fully understand the issue.”