Discover your own fountain of youth
When people think of fitness, they automatically think of exercise, and of course, that is an important part of maintaining one’s health, but it isn’t the only thing that matters.
Taking care of yourself is hands down the best fountain of youth that we know of. Don’t take care of yourself, and you’ll speed up your aging process at an alarming rate. You want to be around to explore the world, see your grand-kids grow up, and do whatever else it is you’ve always wanted to do, and your family wants you around too.
You’ve worked hard in your career, shouldered a ton of responsibility while raising a family, and perhaps along the way picked up a few extra pounds, while leading an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. With advances in medical care, people are living longer lives. Good news. Even better is ensuring that you need as little medical attention in your 50+ years, as possible. Overall fitness is key! Tips on diet and lifestyle• Maintain regular bed and rise times – get to be by 10pm if you can, but when the clock strikes midnight, turn into a pumpkin and catch some zzz’s. Get a full night’s sleep.
Things to help you feel better
• Limit caffeine and alcohol, refined sugars, and junk food.
• Branch out in your herbal tea intake – for example, try rooibos tea (also known as Red Bush or Red tea), it has 50 times as much antioxidant power as green tea, and comes in different flavors.
• Buy organic foods, fresh whole grains, lots of fresh fruit and produce. Make a weekly trip to an organic market a fun part of your routine, something you’ll look forward to – browse the aisles of fresh, colorful foods, try new foods and recipes – even take a cooking class and learn from a pro.
• Toss processed food right out the window!
• Drink lots of water – all of your systems depend on it.
• Get a checkup – make sure your blood pressure, BMI (body mass index), and cholesterol are in line.
• And of course – don’t smoke!
Keep on moving
Exercise- While even the word exercise brings a sigh to many, we all know how important it is. If you are enthusiastic about exercise, you’re into the gym, yoga, pilates, running etc you are the envy of many of us that are not.
Keep in mind for those that even the thought of exercise makes you cringe; try not to think of it as exercise but of having fun and doing things that you can actually get to enjoy. Some activities to consider are golf, tennis, dancing, skating, fishing, gardening and other activities that are ways to help keep you healthy and active.
Men – get your prostrate checked. No fun, but a must. It’s also critical to keep your weight within a normal range. Carrying extra pounds around the middle is dangerous as you most likely know, but did you also know that if your weight climbs, your testosterone levels do the opposite, which can lead to what is known as ‘male menopause’. That can put you at risk for osteoporosis, diabetes, decreased mental ability and sexual dysfunction. Maintaining a good level of fitness and appropriate weight can dramatically reduce your chance of health problems and greatly improve your quality of life by boosting your energy levels, alertness, and your libido.
Women – you need to be focused on avoiding osteoporosis, and you know what, exercise reigns supreme in this. Osteoporosis is a serious disease that robs your bones of density and can leave you at risk for breaks and fractures. Weight training helps maintain bone health and density and should be a part of your workout. Recent research has shown that strength training, not endurance, is absolutely necessary in maintaining strong bones.
Keep Healthy!