Life is Good in Your 50s!

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As 2018 rolled in, I began to reflect on how good life can be when you are in your 50’s and 60’s!  We as women generally have more time to devote to our personal care.  If you have had children and are not an emptynester, (and I am not!) chances are your children are old enough to do most of their self-care, drive to their sport or music practices and help out with chores around the house.  That opens up time that we had spent earlier in our life, caring for pre-school and elementary school children.  Even if you work a full time job (and I do!) you can take more time before and after work to do the things you could not do when you were getting children up and fixing their meals.  If you have never had children, chances are your career is established and you can negotiate time for self-care.  The 50’s and 60’s truly ARE the decade to dedicate time to ourselves.  We are wiser, have more free time and ready to prioritize ourselves.

For this New Year, my list of goals hasn't changed much, but I am making them more specific. I am still going to focus on my distance running by picking two half marathons to train for. I will focus on strength training 3-4 days per week with a four-week program set out each month.  I am going to set aside time to practice my meditation and mindfulness daily.  And I am going to continue to grow my knowledge in our plant based eating through reading, research and following the example of several leaders in this field. 

I would love to have you join me in this challenge for 2018.  Remember to make SMART GOALS:

Specific.  Specific refers to what you are going to do.  Use action words such as exercise, eat, and coordinate.  Think about why you are choosing this particular goal.  A good idea of a SPECIFIC goal is: I am going to walk 3 miles in 45 minutes by March 1st.

Measurable.  If you can measure it, you can’t manage it.  Choose a goal with measurable progress.  You may have a long-term goal, but have smaller measurable steps along the way.  For example, if you want to run a 6-mile race in the spring, you should set your training program to build your mileage each week.  

Achievable.  Set goals that are achievable for YOU and you only.  Your friend may want to run a marathon in May.  This may not be important or attainable for you.  You may need to set a goal of running a 5k in March.

Realistic.  This does not mean easy.  It means Do-able.  Set the bar high enough to feel satisfied when you attain your goal, but not so high that the thought of your goal is overwhelming.  For example, rather than setting a goal not to eat sweets all month, it may be more realistic to set a goal to eat only one sweet per week.

Timely.  Set a time frame for your goal.  Next week, next month, by spring.  Putting a clear target in front of you gives you something to work toward and allows you start on it right away.  Remember though, if your time is more than a few weeks in the distance, set interim goals to get you there.

 I would love to hear from you about your goals for YOU in 2018. Good luck and let me know how I can help.

 

Why Paulo & I Dipped Our Toes into Plant Based Eating

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Oh my gosh!  September 9th was such a transformative day for me. I partook in Mindy & Bruce Mylrea’s One Day to Wellness workshop because I have been trying to “Raise my Healthfulness Game” in 2017.  This year I started with the goal of practicing meditation and mindfulness daily, while increasing my knowledge of nutrition and healthy eating.  When I read about the workshop, I thought it might be just what I needed. I had no idea it was going to be as educational and motivational as it turned out to be.  It raised my awareness game and seriously began our personal experiment into vegetarianism and vegan eating.

 

Bruce & Mindy spoke about their experience in what they called their “transition” to plant based eating, but they also presented significant amounts of the current research behind plant based eating.  More and more research is linking animal protein consumption to cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  There is a significant amount of research that support a relationship between high protein diets and kidney disease. (Even Arnold Schwarzenegger is turning VEGAN!)  And it is difficult to ignore the impact of animal food production on the environment, not to mention concerns regarding the ethical treatment of animals.

 

So, Paulo & I decided it was time to listen to science and see how our bodies responded to a change in eating style.  Right now we are 3 weeks in to our MOSTLY VEGANISM.  Admittedly, learning to eat this way is taking some practice.  There is a lot of volume of food required and we are rethinking our meals and meal planning.  But, we feel good.  Maybe a few pounds lost and body fat is down.  We are committing to our plant based eating style for the next month and checking the results of our experiment at our next checkups!   For the next chapter, stay tuned!

Running Workshop featuring Liz Bradley

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Calling all Runners or want to be Runners

Saturday September 16th 1-2pm

$10 Space is Limited so Register on the Studio Page Today!

https://www.arlingtonpersonalfitness.com/apfstudio/

 

Topics discussed include:

  • Cadence: Rate of foot turnover. What is research telling us?
  • Stride Length: How long or short should my stride be?
  • Posture: what is the ideal posture for running?
  • Shoe Wear: What is the best shoe for me to run in?

For More Information:

https://spark.adobe.com/page/k1oGGRIvtNlSP/

Mindfulness While Lifting Weights

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2017 is the year of my dedication to what I call “purposeful mindfulness.” I try daily to have a time out for meditation.  But as I practice this habit, I have realized how often I use mindfulness while exercising.  Focusing while training allows me to push my body further than I thought possible and making strength and fitness gains I would not have with out the practice of mindful lifting.

While you are lifting, take time to pay attention to what muscles you are using during a particular exercise.  When you are preparing for your set, know which muscles are doing what part of the exercise.  For instance, when you set up to squat, engage your glutes, your abs, your hamstrings and quads.  Focus your mind on your breathing.  Inhale with the weight on its descent, and exhale on the exertion. Take a moment and look at the muscle while it is contracting; see the muscle expand and contract. Then take a soft gaze away from the muscle (or close your eyes if you are seated or lying). Feel the tension in your muscles as they contract and move on the concentric and eccentric contractions.  Finish the first rep and then embrace the next reps as fully as you did the first.  Enjoy the feeling of the strength in the muscles that you are working.

Through weightlifting I have found strength outside my body; I have found it in my mind. Weightlifting, I have come to find, is my meditation. Breathe in, breathe out, lift, hold and repeat.