Getting In Shape Is HARD In Midlife – Part 2
Getting and staying in shape is a challenge for anyone and certainly for the man after fifty. In Part 1 of this series, It’s Hard To Get In Shape – EVERY Time!, I write about my own personal experiences and thoughts on getting in shape.
In this Part 2, I focus on some of the blocks/concerns to getting back in shape in midlife. My friend Debi Silber, MS, is a personal trainer, registered dietician AND a mother of four who is in better shape than women half her age!
Take a look at her picture to the left and you’ll see what I mean. She definitely walks the talk. You can learn more her and her work at The Mojo Coach.
These “hot spot” issues are based upon my reflections on Debi’s thoughts on the challenges of getting in shape for men after fifty (or anyone over forty!):
1. You’ve become more sedentary: Most likely we’re not as active as we used to be. Even if we go to the gym, that’s just not enough! We’ve got to move our bodies throughout the day. Living in Los Angeles, I’m certainly guilty of driving when I could be walking and parking as close as I can to my destination. We need to move more!
2. Loss of muscle mass: As we age, the tendency is for muscle mass to diminish. Not only does that slow down our metabolism (muscle mass burns more calories than fat), it leaves us flabby and feeling bad about that. ”Use it or lose it” applies here. We CAN reverse this tendency successfully.
3. Lack of accurate or updated information: Anyone who’s telling you that you’re too old to lose weight is either projecting their lack of weight loss success on you or is offering you information that’s simply untrue. They may be sharing with you (or you’re believing yourself) information that’s outdated or simply inaccurate. Again, Debi is “The Mojo Coach” and has great free information as well as informational teleclasses available at her website.
4. Stress: In the second half of life, most of us aren’t as carefree as in our younger years. We have financial responsibilities, family obligations, perhaps we’re even caring for an aging parent. Stress floods our body with hormones and chemicals that encourage fat storage (particularly around our middle). Our sleep is impacted by stress which also impacts our effort to lose weight. When we wake up groggy and fatigued after a sleepless night, we may look for immediate energy using caffeine and sugar. We may self-medicate using food. Stress MUST be managed!
5. Habits have more time to be ingrained: While habits may seem hard to break, habits lasting DECADES may seem even harder. Some of our daily lifestyle habits have definitely contributed to our current weight and health. Anyone have that morning coffee and muffin? Or an afternoon “pick me up” drink and snack? Fast food junkies, anyone? Be patient, yet start to make small changes.
6. Hanging onto story/belief: This is a big part of the work I do with my counseling clients. We explore their beliefs and the “stories” they tell themselves, many being told and retold since childhood. ”I’m just big boned!” “We have fat genes in our family.” ”It’s too hard.” ”Everyone in my family gained weight after having kids or after 40.” The PAST doesn’t have to equal the FUTURE! Lose the story and lose the weight!
Staying in shape doesn’t have to be about ego and vanity. To live the best life possible, we MUST take care of our bodies as well as our minds, hearts and souls.
Take care,
Adam Sheck
Adam,
Thank you for your thoughts on getting/staying in shape. I just read both articles and can relate to everything you say. I will turn 59 years old in just a few weeks and have found myself getting back in shape more times than I can remember, but I’ll keep trying for the rest of my life to stay in shape once I get there. For me, it does seem to be a pattern of working really hard for a very long time to get to where I want to be and then relaxing for a short period of time which then turns into a too long period of time and the cycle goes on. Two years ago I discovered an outdoor bootcamp that was a brutal workout but the group dynamics of guys who were mostly 20 years younger than me really inspired me. I had already been on a quest to get in shape but was stuck at 204 lbs. on my 6′ frame, which like you, nobody ever thinks I carry as much weight as I do. Long – story short in 3 months of boot camp classes 3 times per week in addition to all of my other workout routines, I got down to 187 lbs and BMI dropped from 24 to 16, waist size from 36+ to 33. I felt fantastic about myself and my new relationship to the most incredible woman I’d ever met, who I am now engaged to. Well, the weight came back in spite of working out but not hard enough and keeping too much ice cream in the freezer (for my kids
and I am now on the path to getting back in shape…..again.
A question for you, my fiancee has an extraordinary love for yoga and she recently became a certified yoga instructor that she will use part -time during her hectic dental practice but will always find ways to share her gift with others. I am nibbling around the edges of yoga mostly because I am so stiff and find even basic poses difficult to do and you know how guys think, we don’t like to do stuff that we can’t do well. And yes, I know this is entirely contradictory to what Yoga is about. My question – for someone who was doing Yoga 6-7 times per week and then seemingly stopped doing it -when you did Yoga was it purely about the physical aspect or did you appreciate the spiritual (not religious) aspect as well? I can’t imagine my fiancee not practicing yoga regularly since it has had such a dramatic positive influence on her. She has the gift of starting her day at 5:30AM every day and working out in the morning – my entire life I have been a PM workout person, mornings are really hard for me but working on it.
Please keep sharing your thoughts on all topics, i thoroughly enjoy reading them. Namaste
John
John,
I’m glad you enjoyed the article, it would seem like there was a lot you could relate to and perhaps we have similar experiences. Regarding yoga, for me it was an EMOTIONAL release. I learned from a school of yoga that used the practice to help balance the emotional body as well as the physical.
Yes, I was in the best physical shape of my life, yet it also helped me at least as much as my personal psychotherapy did (though of course it’s hard to separate the accumulative effect of both as well). And there certainly is that spiritual aspect, which you might define however YOU see fit. Yoga has eight limbs (parts), the physical asanas are only one piece which Western society (and especially appearance conscious L.A.) focuses on.
John, don’t want to pry into your relationship, but sounds like you’re asking me much more than you’re asking, perhaps about compatibility issues? Again, I don’t want to read between the lines. If I can help in any other way, please let me know.
Take care,
Adam Sheck
I love the tip on ” Lose the story” ” Lose the weight”Adam! I believe that this is huge as well as all the other points!
I want to lost this story too!
I seem to be noticing some flabs that were never there and thought I was not exercising as I ought. That happened at the turn of 45. Was wondering if sit ups would help. Doing those but not regularly. What would you recommend?
Anything is a good thing to do. Getting started is the key!
Wish you the best,
Adam