Somewhere in my 40's I became a weakling! My thighs and ass burn walking up the stairs carrying the groceries. If I'm being honest I cant even lift the bag the Costco lady packed for me into the car with out throwing out my back! My husband and boys have set up a really nice gym in our basement and it is one of the most used rooms in my house, besides the bathroom. Young men need muscles if they want to attract the girls and my husband has always had an interest in fitness (and beer). Not this girl, if I was running, I was being chased and if I signed up for exercise it was likely for drinks after. I never had issues with my weight, even after my kids were born, I always fit into single digit clothing sizes.
My early 40's I saw a the weight creeping up and my mental health was challenged so I started running! I did learn to love it until I started getting pain in my hip. Fast forward to yoga, pilates, all non impact exercise and then a debilitating MVA that left me unable to participate in any exercise.
Fad diets worked temporarily but I like to eat, I like to enjoy cocktails and I used these as coping skill during the darkest of times. Welcome to my 50's!! The charts say I am obese, the scale says I'm heavy, the stores I shop say the sizes they carry don't go that high, and the camera says, I need to do something. Insert strength training with a mix of barre and pilates. I have been doing this for 3 weeks now, 4 x a week and can honestly say I am getting stronger. The scale is budging and the clothes feel loose but I can carry my own groceries up the stairs and that is a big one for me.
I haven't really set any goals aside from showing up on the mat! If I get there before I do anything else I am going to finish. Some days I am more enthusiastic than others, but 30 minutes of my day is the least I can give up. Plus,after that hard work, I really do want healthy and nutritious food to fuel me the rest of the day. I still crave chocolate and popcorn at night and if I do cheat, I allow myself 2 small portions a week. Cocktails? Lets just say it has been a drier January and February is sure to be more of the same until our beach vacation. (can you say poolside Pina Colada?)
Strength training and balance work is only going to serve us well as we get older since we know that as we age our bones become more brittle, our balance starts to change and we are at a higher risk for falls than any other age group (yes that includes brave young males participating in extreme behaviour like climbing roofs and hitting rails on skis-no names mentioned). I encourage you to research the internet for a program that suits you. Post Covid, many gyms and fitness leaders have taken to providing classes on line, Facebook and YouTube to mention. Better yet, join a local class at a fitness studio geared toward women where you might just meet someone you can connect with. And if it is the right person, you may even go out for a little cocktail to celebrate the hard work you put in at class.
Comments