Workout and Diet Advice for Women over 45

In the first part of this three part article, I introduced the concept that too much of a good thing like exercise is not always a good thing.  In part 2, I outlined the signs of the addiction associated with the “runner’s high” – much like a high associated with a drug.  In case you are still asking “so what?”; still wondering what the problem is with being addicted to something as wholesome as exercise, then read on.  Working out hard will let you see results quickly, but continually overloading the body will eventually lead to negative consequences.  Whilst working out hard is good for bones, going at high levels of intensity all the time puts enormous stress on bones, joints and muscles.  

Your friend says:  “I am addicted to cardio” – and you think Wow, that is a good thing to be addicted to, as you think of Belgium chocolate as the something you would normally associate with “addiction” – or worse, alcohol or drugs!

First let’s look at the definition of addiction. 

                        Addiction is doing something you know is detrimental to your mental, physical, or emotional well-being, yet you do it anyway.

Fifteen minute workouts!?
We are all pressed for time, and rather than skip a workout due to lack of time, it is great to have some exercises that we can simply do in less time and still feel that we got a good workout . I have taken the challenge to suggest such workouts, and will be blogging these suggestions for the time challenged over the next couple of weeks. The objective is to make the workouts shorter in duration and still be effective.

Last week, my guest spot topic on Carl Lenore’s Super Human Radio Show was about Women and Personal trainers.  (The link to the show is posted at the end of this blog post.)  The topic is so broad and deep, and on the show we covered a small part, so I have this pent up need to share more.   And specifically, cover some things that women have spoken to me about or asked me about.

Figured I would break it into three parts:

1. Choosing a Personal Trainer
2. Getting the Most out of your Personal Trainer

I don’t know about you – but I have been working out with weights for a lo-o-o-o-ng time.   I really notice it when the workout routine comes around to the start of the cycle and I think “man I just did legs….  or so it seems”.   Does no-one else get that feeling?  Is it just mydays and weeks that fly by, along with the workout cycle?

In a recent Tweet I said June would be the month to focus on stretching tips.  Well we are still in June, so this is just in time.   Summer is the time we think about getting to the beach or the BBQ or the County Fair – so we want to work out and get going.  The activity that generally suffers is the stretching.  I raise my hand – I am guilty of this oversight.  And am I the only one who has said ‘well I will stretch tonight when I get home’ and that is the last time the thought entered my head?  You don’t have to be a Boomer to forget to stretch; I think a lot of people forget.

I like the quote from jacket:

”The Slow philosophy is about giving each task the time and focus that it deserves so that you do it better and enjoy it more.”

It got me thinking about the power of slow in relation to training/working out.   And as in previous blog entries, I aim my comments (sage advice?) at  my primary audience – the female boomer weight trainer/bodybuilder.  We really need to train smarter and I believe we can see better results if we give each set, and each repetition “the time and focus it deserves”.  I offer this perspective:  get more from your workout (efficiency, effectiveness and enjoyment) through the power of slow.  I think your joints may thank you as well.

Sipping my electrolyte infused water between exercises, I glanced around the gym.  Couldn’t help but notice the woman on the adductor machine – staring into space as she rapidly worked her inner thighs – or at least intended to.  However, her mind was definitely elsewhere, likely anywhere but in the gym.  Then there was the guy doing lat pulldowns as he surveyed the scene.  His mind was in the gym  – well at least on the other patrons in the gym – but definitely not on his exercise.