If you’re over 40 and have gotten out of shape, it may feel like you’ve wandered down a maze and can’t find your way back. Your body has become as soft as a marshmallow, you find yourself winded when you climb a flight of stairs or walk around the block and you may have started wearing plus size clothes.
Wanting to begin to get fit after 40 is easier said than done. For one thing, results are often not noticeable right away. Changing your diet and beginning to exercise may seem like they’re getting you nowhere. Many people become discouraged with lack of quick results and quit trying. Or exercise may lead to soreness and discomfort, making it more difficult to try again the next day.
Don’t give up! Others before you have transformed out-of-shape middle-aged bodies and you can too.
Here are 10 tips for beginning to get fit after 40.
1) Decide that you’re going to commit to getting fit. Make a list of the reasons that you have to make changes in your life. Maybe you have gotten a wake up call from your doctor. Maybe you are just tired of not being able to walk around the block without needing to lie down. The bottom line is continuing with poor health habits may lead to heart attack, stroke, or other stress-related illness. Remember that the longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be.
2) Let your family and friends know what you’ve decided. By letting those close to you know that you are committed to your goal, you are making yourself accountable.
3) Find a role model. There is nothing more inspiring that the story of someone who lost over a hundred pounds or someone who transformed their body through weight training in their seventies. Find a success story; know that that person succeeded and you will too.
4) Create a mental picture of how you want to look and how you want to feel. Picture yourself the way you will be when you meet your goal. See yourself with more flexibility and strength, wearing clothes that fit. Bring up this image in your mind every day.
5) Start slowly, but do get started. Many people abandon fitness plans because they try to do too much too soon. It’s better to complete five minutes on the treadmill your first day and gradually increase your workout time than to do thirty minutes your first day and then not go back because you were too sore the next day.
6) Schedule your fitness time. Set a time to workout and give it the same priority as any other appointment.
7) Get a buddy. By having a buddy pursuing the same goal, you will be less inclined to quit at the first sign of discouragement.
8) Pay attention to your progress. Keep a journal and record pounds or inches lost. A half pound or a half inch may not be noticeable at first, but if you’re keeping track, you will know that what you are doing is paying off.
9) Reward yourself for each small goal. This could mean a night out with a friend if you complete your first week exercising, or it could mean a new outfit when you lose the first five pounds.
10) Don’t give up. Above all, keep being persistent. Even when it seems you aren’t making progress, you are. Baby steps to progress add up.
Above all, get started. If your body is soft and out of shape, it’s only going to get worse from here. You can transform your body and your life, if you get started today.
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