1. Get a reality check
I find most of us in our 40’s still think we can lose weight, train as hard, eat what we want and that’s all we need to do to get those results like we did in our 20’s.
Unless you are Benjamin button, we can’t. Here’s why:
Between the ages of 25 and 40, our body begins to lose muscle mass, bone mass and as a consequence, we slowly put on weight and fat. So now, we have a slower metabolism and along with the daily stresses of life such as poor diet choices, late nights, alcohol and work this leads to lower motivation and energy levels for most of us, it is more difficult to shift the weight.
2. Stretch more and strengthen your core
I have seen so many people who start off training hard and get injured and a big reason why is that they haven’t stretched enough and got a solid core before they start squatting, jumping, pushing, twisting and running.
This why we should ALWAYS begin with a stretching and strengthening programme first.
Stretching rebalances your body and diminishes aches and pain. Strengthening your core keeps the pain from returning.
3. Alternate weight training with cardio
The number one thing for anyone over 40 should do is weight training.
Why?
It builds your metabolism again. It sheds fat up to 4 hours after performing it. It will transform your body with better posture and lean muscle.
Now add in a little bit of cardio and it is like taking your car out for a nice long drive with a full tank of gas in the engine (metabolism) that is now bigger from adding in weight training.
WARNING: Too much cardio or even worse, only doing cardio will strip muscle from your body important to build lean muscle. You may lose weight initially but it is like a car that gets good mileage, your body will shed less body fat as it becomes fitter.
4. Eat real food and eliminate all things you are allergic to
Your body is supposed to eat real food and consider your body will be intolerant or allergic to anything that is not real.
When you eat these foods, you may find your energy levels dip, you feel bloated, you still feel hungry only after eating a “big” meal or you crave sweets. This can be a food intolerance.
Go get tested, most doctors can do this or you can get some DIY kits online. We use Biorna Quantics.
5. Get to bed on time.
If you are doing all of the above and still not transforming your body or continue to injure yourself then you may be lacking sleep.
We should be getting to bed by 10.30pm as at 11 pm we have the largest release of human growth hormones and then at 4 am which means, our bodies will heal and build lean muscle mass with more sleep and timely sleep.