Yes, we’re getting older.  Yes, there may be a few more aches and pains or pops and creaks in our joints than there were 10 years ago.  Our joints are going to age as the years march on.  But, do we have to settle for getting pudgy and out of shape as we get older?  A lot of us in the boomer generation are doing just that, thinking it’s a natural part of aging,  but I submit to you it doesn’t have to be that way.

At this time in our lives, our hormones will come and go  (okay, admittedly, they’re pretty much “going” at our age!), and this will affect our metabolism, but we can’t blame it all on hormones.  Let’s be honest.  As you sit at your computer reading this, you’re living in the body you’ve EARNED. Good or bad—-you created it.

Although I am a fitness coach for people of all ages, I do have a contingent of Baby Boomer women in a my San Jose personal training practice, and I teach a boot camp for baby boomer women in San Jose as well. While helping Baby Boomer women lose weight, I find it interesting that our generation holds a number of weight loss myths near and dear to our hearts.

Here are my top three weight loss mistakes/myths held by the Baby Boomer generation:

1)    Do more cardio to lose more weight

Now, please don’t get me wrong.  There are a lot of benefits to cardiovascular exercise such as brisk walking, running, cycling, etc.    However, doing MORE cardio to lose more weight may be counterproductive, and there’s a more time efficient way to burn more calories:   Interval training. Interval training gives your body a metabolic boost that lasts hours after your workout is over.  Plus, an interval workout can be shorter than a long, drawn out lower intensity cardio workout, and it will yield better fat loss results for you.

2)    Eat a REALLY LOW calorie diet to lose more weight

Decreasing calorie intake to some obscene level  (it makes me hungry just thinking about it!) is a surefire way to mess up your metabolism and make your body shed muscle in order to survive.  Yes, you need to have a negative energy balance in order to shed body fat—but if you drop your calories too low for too long, your body will compensate by slowing down the rate at which it burns calories.

3)    Avoid strength training for fear of “bulking up”

This one really bugs me.  Most women just don’t have enough testosterone to get big, bulky muscles.  Women who don’t strength train will begin to lose muscle mass as they age and get fatter every year.  Women who DO strength train will have better posture, a higher resting metabolic rate, a leaner physique  as they age.

Are YOU holding on to one or more of the above false beliefs about what it takes to get slim and stay slim in middle age??

If you’re hosting a “spare tire” around your waist right now, and you see yourself in one or more of my “weight loss mistakes”, here’s your chance to bust that myth and start working on creating the “boomer” body you want!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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I’ve been invited to be a guest on a live teleseminar with Gregory Ann Cox, this Thursday, May 20th, at 1 pm Pacific Time, 4 pm Eastern Standard Time.  Gregory Ann, the woman behind the popular health website, www.midlifewithavengeance.com, is on a mission to reverse the rate of diabetes and heart disease among “boomer” women.

She’s asked me to spend about an hour with her to talk about the ways in which exercise can benefit boomer women, and how many of us have some outdated ideas on the best way to lose weight through exercise. We’ve titled the teleseminar: “The Exercise That Works Best and Fastest To Get and Keep You Fit — and Why”.  Curious??  Come join us!

If you know me at all, you know there will be some myth-busting happening! I always give you the straight scoop.

The teleseminar is free, and you’re sure to learn some great ideas on how to get better weight loss results in LESS time.

You can sign up for the teleseminar here:

ExerciseForMidlifeWomen

Talk to you on the call!

Becky

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Yes, I know I’m a bit of a broken record when it comes to the concept of interval training.  You hear about the benefits of interval training from me over, and over and over again!

A national news report came out several days ago that essentially said a recent study has found that women who wish to maintain their weight as they age have to exercise at least an hour a day .  Those wishing to lose weight have to do more. Well, gee whiz——that’s encouraging (NOT!).

Okay, so I’m going to rant a little here.   I’m a former researcher.  I’ve designed, coordinated and executed human research studies.  Granted, I worked for NASA, and my studies were based around the space program and advanced life support systems, but my point is this:  One research study doesn’t tell the whole story  AND, you really have to look at the research design and the number of test subjects to get a good feel for what the results indicate, and how they can be extrapolated to the general public.

I’m going to pick on just one little thing with the research design to make my point here, and I’ll be done with my rant.

The women in the study that was quoted in the national news exercised at a moderate pace.  Well, there ya go.

If you want to lose weight, but you choose to  walk on a treadmill at 3.0 miles an  hour (this would most likely be a “moderate”, not too taxing workout for most readers of this blog), then, yes, you’ll need to walk for an hour or so to get a significant dent in your calorie burning for the day.  Same thing for a gentle workout on the stair climber, the elliptical trainer, or walking your dog. The “dent” in calorie utilization you’re making just isn’t that great.  I’m all for any exercise, and there are fabulous benefits to longer, more moderate exercise sessions.  However, if weight loss is your goal— long, moderately paced cardio workouts just aren’t the best method.

Now, I realize that higher intensity training isn’t for everyone, and I’m not advocating that every single workout be a “beat me, whip me” workout!  However, more than one research study has found that interval training lends better fat loss results than shorter, more moderate level workouts.

Here’s why:

-Shorter bursts of high intensity exercise allow you to work out harder (therefore burning more calories) due to the short time frame.

-High intensity interval training has been shown to create a significant post-exercise oxygen consumption. Read:   Your metabolic rate is elevated for several hours after your workout is over (not so with moderately paced workouts).

-Interval training trains your body to utilize fat for fuel more readily.

-Research indicates that interval training elicits hormonal shifts that favor fat utilization during exercise recovery.

-And my personal favorite:  You can (and should) do high intensity interval training for LESS time.

We’re all busy!   I vote for higher intensity and less time

So, please don’t get all in a tizzy about that news report that came out a few days ago.

If you eat a healthy diet that isn’t over-the-top in calories, you should be able to maintain your weight on LESS than 1 hour a day of exercise IF you incorporate some higher intensity workouts into your week.  It’s simply a matter of WHAT you choose to do in the time that you have.

Don’t believe me?  Here are some studies that prove my point:

Gray, AB et al (1993) Endocrine response to intense interval exercise.  European Journal of Applied Physiology/Occupational Physiology 66:366-371.

Haram, PM et al (2008). Aerobic interval training vs. continuous m oderate exercise in the metabolic syndrome of rates artificially selected for low aerobic capacity.  Cardiovascular Research 81:  723-732.

Tabata, I et al (1995).  Metabolic profile of high-intensity intermittent exercises.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 29(3):390-395.

Tremblay A., et al (1994).  Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle.  Metabolism 43:814-818.

Committed to your success,

Becky

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Want to look younger?  Stand taller!

Next to wrinkles and being overweight, nothing ages us more than poor posture!  Many of us sit a lot during the day, often in front of a computer.  This shortens our chest muscles, brings our shoulders and head forward and rounds our upper back.  Yuck.

Although training and strengthening your postural muscles will do wonders for your posture and your appearance, so will training your brain!  Simply being mindful of pulling your shoulder blades down and back on your ribs, and lifting your chin and chest can make a huge difference.   Part of creating better posture is being aware of yours at all times.

I’ve put together for you four exercises that will help you strengthen muscles responsible for holding your body in proper posture. The exercises I’ve listed are not an exhaustive list of exercises you could do to improve your posture.  However, they’re a great start, and should be a part of a full body strength training program.  If you add these exercises into your workout, you will see and feel the difference!

Wall squat with shoulder blade squeeze

Starting Position:  Lean against a wall with your feet about 18 inches from the wall. Place your rear end, your shoulders and your head on the wall.   Slide down the wall a bit so that your knees are slightly bent and you’re in a semi-squat position. Put your arms up over your head in a “V” position as pictured

Action: Hold your semi-squat position as you squeeze your shoulder blades and bring your hands down to the level of your ears.  Try to keep as much of your arms on the wall as you can.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions and build up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Straight arm pull back

Starting Position:  Loop exercise tubing around a pole, post or sturdy tree (you can also use an adjustable pulley system at a gym).  Put arms in front of you, palms down.  Step away from the pole until the band is just getting tense.

Action: With straight arms, pull the band back until your hands are just behind your rear.

Be sure to: Keep your arms straight and your abs braced.  Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your arms back.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions.  Work up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Prone Back Extensions

Starting Position:  Lie face down on a mat with your arms folded and your head resting on your arms

Action: Simultaneously lift your feet and your shoulders off the ground

Be sure to: Take care not to over-arch your back .  If this bothers your low back, try this just with the shoulders off the ground.  You can put the “feet up” part of the exercise back into your program a little later on.

Add it into your routine this way: Perform one set of 10-12 repetitions and work up to 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions over time.

Good posture requires strong abdominal muscles, so a good posture improvement program should involve something for the abs.  You’ve seen “the plank”, one of my favorite core conditioning exercises, described in an earlier post about core conditioning for baby boomers, but I’ll show you again here.  It’s a definite “add” to just about anyone’s fitness program!

The plank

Modified plank

Starting Position:  Lie face down on a mat with your elbows right underneath your shoulders.

Action: Bring your hips off the mat and hold yourself up either at your elbows and toes (regular plank) or at your knees and your toes (modified plank).

Be sure to: Pull your abdominal muscles up toward your spine.

Add it into your routine this way: Pull up into the plank and hold for about 20 seconds.  Release and repeat.  Work up to longer hold times.

So, let’s review……….

-Stand taller

-Shoulder blades down and back on the ribs

-Throw a few posture-specific exercises into your regular workout

………….you’ll look and feel younger within weeks!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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It might sound a bit odd that a fitness coach is telling you NOT to exercise on machines at the gym.  But, hear me out first.  It’s not an “all or nothing” suggestion.  I see many, many women at the club where I exercise going from machine to machine when they do their strength training.  it’s certainly better than sitting on the couch at home–but I’d like to see them venture off those machines for at least a few exercises–and here’s why:

Machines control your range of motion

Sounds like a good thing, right?  Not really.  Machines often eliminate a lot of work on your part.  This is great for beginners and frail individuals, but once you’re past the beginner stage—pick up some dumbbells or use cables/pulleys attached to a weight stack.  You need to be in control of your movement, activating lots of muscle in each movement.

Lots of machines put you in a seated position

I like to see my clients do most of their exercises in a standing position (of course there are exceptions here, like push ups!).  Standing while working with weights, pulleys or bands loads your skeleton (good for bone health), requires you to engage your core muscles more, and challenges your balance.

Many machines isolate one muscle group

Our muscles rarely work in isolation. I’m a proponent of using functional, multi-joint exercises in strength workouts (if weight loss or general fitness is the goal). Although there’s nothing wrong with supplementing a good workout with exercises that isolate a muscle group (such as a biceps curl), I develop workouts for my personal training clients in San Jose that are chock full of exercises that use several joints at once and mimic real-life movements (examples:  squats, lunges, and assisted pull-ups). In fact, just today in my Fit and Fabulous over 40 class, I had my group perform a squat with an elastic band anchored low in a door frame, and as they came out of the squat, they performed a rowing motion with the band.  They worked their thighs, their back, their arms and their core in that one exercise! Performing exercises that involve movement around several joints is beneficial for you because you use lots of muscles at once (think: calorie burn!!), and many multi-joint exercises require you to engage your core muscles as well.

So, if you exercise at a gym and your workout is all based around strength training machines, grab the nearest certified personal trainer and have them teach you some new exercises using dumbbells or the machines with pulleys and cables.  You’ll improve your overall function, help maintain your bones, work your postural muscles and burn more calories!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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Supertrainer Val Fujii, my special guest in my last video, alluded to “power” being important when we chatted after his boomer workout in El Dorado Hills. I think the topic of POWER deserves it’s own blog post. Thanks for the idea, Val!

What is power? Power is the rate at which a movement is performed. As we age, a few things happen that can slow our movement down, namely:

1). A decrease in muscle mass
2). A decrease in muscle strength
3). A decrease in the speed at which our muscle fibers can contract

The result is that our muscles become smaller, weaker, and slower as we age (unless we DO something about it, of course!).

If you’ve read enough of my blog posts, you know I’m a serious supporter of women lifting weights to maintain muscle mass. I usually talk about this in relation to the metabolism boosting effects of weight training for women. There are functional benefits to weight training, too, and that’s where power comes in.

We need strong legs to get up out of a chair without assistance, we need strong legs to hoist ourselves up long flights of stairs at the ballpark, and we need a strong core and upper body to get that dang carry-on case that is packed to the hilt into that overhead bin on the airplane! These activities require not only strength, but power–the ability to move quickly and with force (just try getting out of a low, soft couch in slow motion, and you’ll see what I mean!).

A well-designed and regularly executed strength training program will help stave off age-related decreases in muscle mass and muscle strength, but you can also design your strength training program with power development in mind. It’s really easy and something I suggest you try on a few exercises each time you do your strength workout.

To improve your power in activities of daily living, train with power during your workout by putting the element of speed into some of your exercises.

Here are a few ideas:

If you do squats (or a leg press at the gym): Lower yourself slowly, and then accelerate out of the bent leg position and straighten your legs quickly. If you counted it out, it might be like this: Down for 3 counts, up on the 4th count. By doing the exercise this way, you’re forcing your muscles to contract quickly on the way up out of the squat or leg press.

If you do single leg step ups: Jump up on a low step (4-6 inches) with both feet simultaneously and then step off one foot at a time.

If you do dumbbell shoulder presses: Press up for one count, lower the dumbbells for 3 counts.

One note of caution, power training is NOT to be undertaken by beginner exercisers! Learn the basics first, and then incorporate power into some of your exercises some of the time. Mix it up. Perhaps one day you do power squats, and the next time you exercise you do power shoulder presses.

I tend to favor power training with lower body exercises with my Bay Area personal training clients because I believe they’re the most valuable functionally, but we need power in our upper body as well ( to push stuff over our heads, for example) so don’t neglect putting some power into your upper body pushing and pulling exercises.

You boomer gals who strength train and incorporate some power training moves into your workouts are going to be far better off in twenty years than your counterparts who are avoiding exercise all together.

My guess is you’re gonna look younger, too!

Now go out there and put some POWER into a few of your strength training exercises!

If you’re already incorporating power into your workouts, leave a comment here and share your exercises and experiences!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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It seems that you can’t walk through a gym or read a fitness magazine these days without seeing or hearing the term “core conditioning” or “core training”.

So what is all the hype about “core” training? More importantly – does it help whittle away your “meno-pot”?

Well……….yes. And no. You see, you can do core exercises all day and never see much of a change in your waist measurement. The reason? There may be a nice layer of body fat over those newly toned abdominal muscles! Unfortunately, doing crunches or abdominal stabilization exercises doesn’t get rid of the body fat over the muscles you’re working (don’t shoot the messenger, okay?).

A well designed core conditioning program, will, however, create a firmer, stronger mid-section. If your abdominal muscles are very de-conditioned before beginning a core training program, there’s a chance that your waistline may decrease in size a bit after 6-8 weeks of consistent training. But again, body fat reduction is key in slimming your waistline–and you need more than a core conditioning program to lose body fat (see my previous posts archived under “Interval Training” for fat loss information).

What exactly do we mean by “core conditioning”?
Many people think core conditioning consists of a bunch of abdominal exercises. I consider a true core conditioning program to be one that not only strengthens the abdominal muscles, but also the back, butt and hip muscles (strong hips lend support to the lower back). At the top of my list are exercises that force the back or the abs to stabilize you. Therefore, I’m not a fan of just doing a lot of crunches. In fact, I do very few crunches in my boot camp workouts and personal training programs in San Jose.

A good core conditioning program works the muscles that extend your spine. It works the muscles that keep your pelvis properly aligned underneath your spine. It works your abs the way they most often function–as trunk stabilizers.

As a woman over 40, you really must train your core muscles as part of your regular workout routine because it will improve your posture, decrease your chances of low back pain and increase your functionality in activities of daily living. Everyday motions such as lifting, squatting, reaching, twisting and bending will become less challenging after strengthening your core. If your body fat is low enough, core training will also help you create a great-looking midsection!

How can you strengthen your core?
I’m going to leave you with a few photos of some of my favorite core exercises below. But here’s something you can do right now as you read this: Pull your belly button in toward your spine, not by simply sucking in your gut, but by contracting your abdominals. Do you feel it? I call that “bracing”. Now make it a habit to do this exercise any time you sit. Like on the drive to work…at work…on the drive home – you get the idea.

There are many, many great exercises you can do to strengthen your core. Here are a few of my favorites to get you started. Do them 3-4 times a week for best results.

Back extensions

Starting position

Ending position
Perform 2 sets of 10 repetitions

The Plank

This is a modified version for beginners. Hold this position for 10-30 seconds. Perform it 2-3 times. and increase your hold time as you get stronger

This is a traditional plank. Hold this position for 10-60 seconds. Perform it 2-3 times. Do whatever length of hold you can, and work up from there.

The Bridge

Hold for 30-45 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.

Standing core rotations

Beginning position

Ending position

Stand at a right angle to a pulley system at your gym or use medium strength exercise tubing with handles. I’m using tubing here (anchored by one of my teenagers off camera!), but it’s kind of hard to see. Using the muscles in your mid-section, rotate your torso away from the base point of the pulley or tubing. Complete 10-12 repetitions on one side, then repeat on the other side.

A strong core will make you look better, feel better and function better!

Do you have a favorite core conditioning exercise? Leave me a comment here and tell me what it is!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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Three days ago on June 30th we hit the “half way” point of the year. Geez…..where did the time go?? Half of 2009………gone! Time flies.

I know we’re smack in the middle of summer and many of us can get out of our normal routines and fall off the fitness wagon due vacations, family visits and who knows what else.

However, this “half way” point is a great time to take stock of where you are with regard to your health and fitness. Are you where you want to be weight-wise and health-wise? If not, what have you done (or not done!) in the first half of the year that you need to change in order to improve your health and fitness or drop some body fat? Would you like to be in better shape in December than you are now?

Well then, DO something about it! Don’t wait until the holidays this year to realize you’re still overweight, out of shape and needing to make some massive New Year’s Resolution in January. Take some action NOW. Take some steps right now to improve how you look and feel.

I’ve got a little freebie for you here that can help you focus and re-start your efforts towards feeling and looking better. It’s a page from my soon-to-be-released book, “Ready for Prime Time in Less Time: The Ultimate Get Slim Guide for Boomer Women”.

Remember a few posts ago I talked about that fact that what you focus on grows? Well, my little gift to you today is something I give all my San Jose personal training clients when they start with me. I included it in my book for boomer gals because it’s the best way I know how for getting you to focus on what you DO want! I’m giving it to you here, as it’s my way of nudging you to get focused and take action.

It’s a simple goal sheet that will help you organize your thoughts (what you want) and your actions (what you’ll do to get what you want). If you’re not sure what to do to get what you want, leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to help you!

You can download it by clicking HERE.

Now, get to it! What changes are you going to make in the second half of 2009 in order to arrive at 2010 looking and feeling younger, leaner and more fit????

Leave me a comment below and share with your fellow boomers what you’re going to do!

Committed to your success,

Becky

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A couple of posts ago, I let you in on something I do with my “Fit and Fabulous for Boomer Women” FitCamp that I run here in San Jose. Each month I have a theme for the camp–and I mention it a lot in class.

I guess I’m really just a teacher at heart. I’m continually trying to send them away with “take home” messages (as well as take home workouts, healthy snack ideas, etc. I guess I kind of go overboard with the teaching thing!). It’s my way of trying to help my campers get the results that they’re after. I talked about “Focus”, this month’s theme in an earlier post, but I wanted to share with you our previous themes as well, as I’m hoping they will help you as you work toward better health and fitness in your boomer years.

Last month’s them was CONSISTENCY. Whether we’re talking eating behaviors or exercise–consistency matters. Exercising for three days and then putting it off for three weeks won’t get you noticable results. Eating well for two days and then eating poorly for the next 5 won’t get your belly to flatten. What you do consistently (whether it’s good for you or not!) shapes your body.

My campers who are more consistent outside of class with healthy behavior changes are the ones that enjoy the best results. Consistency is key whether we’re talking weight loss, muscle development, or decreasing back pain. You have to do your exercises regularly, you also have to make consistent behavior changes. Consistency will pay off for you BIG TIME with lifetime results.

Notice I didn’t say perfection. I said consistency. You need to consistently work on this stuff (”stuff” being eating well most of the time,and sticking to some sort of exercise routine). I’m not a big fan of quick weight loss schemes, as they usually have you eating things or doing things that are hard to maintain over time (think: The Biggest Loser). However if you can consistently work towards better eating habits and exercising regularly instead of trying the next hair brained scheme to lose 25 pounds in 15 days, you’re going to have long lasting results. I believe consistency wins over “all or nothing” types of behaviors every time.

I use this theme of “consistency” to drive home the concept of a fitness lifestyle. It’s the choices that you make MOST OF THE TIME that are dictating how you look right now as you read this. If you’re not where you want to be physically right now, it’s due to consistently making poor choices with regard to your health and weight.

So, I ask you now, what can you begin to do consistently over the next few weeks to bring yourself to a higher level of fitness, or a lower level of body fat?? I’d love you to leave a comment so other boomers can read what their peers are going to do to take their fitness to the next level.

Committed to your success,

Becky

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This is one of my pet peeves with regard to exercise. I often see people doing ineffective exercises at the gym. In extreme cases, I worry people are going to hurt themselves. I’ve ranted here about this before. Now, I’m ranting about it at another website ( I’m an invited author there—honest!!!)

I’ve ranted about why boomer women may want to re-think utilizing an “all machine” workout. Don’t get me wrong, some “machine” exercises are okay (depends on the machine!), but by and large, getting off the machines is a good idea for those of us north of 40.

I explain why here: Becky rants on “all machine” workouts

Make it a great day,

Becky

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