AN EXERCISE A DAY KEEPS WEIGHT GAIN AT BAY

Hello dear friends,

It has been awhile since my last post about our 2019 holidays.  Just a week after our return in late July, my husband had to go back to Cape Town to help move his ageing father into a nursing home and to dispose of the family home and all its contents that was quite a sad and stressful process, as you can imagine.  After spending three weeks in Cape Town he flew back to Sydney only to get on a plane a month later to see his father again.  By that time he was gravely ill and was taken to the hospital where he shortly passed away. Luckily, my husband arrived in time and was able to spend some time with his dad before it happened.  I couldn't leave my husband to go through the grieving process by himself, I jumped on a plane to be with him and provide him some support and comfort.  

 

Anyhow, life goes on and writing is a good distraction from sad thoughts.  This post was meant to go public as soon as I finished writing about our holidays and that's when these photos were taken so as you can see I have acquired quite a sizeable "spare tire" around my waist 😃 which brings me to the subject of today's post.

I am pretty certain that almost everyone who, like me, has crossed the 50th birthday line, apart from the few genetically blessed who can eat anything they want at any time of the day and never gain an ounce, would agree that with age it is getting more and more difficult to keep weight gain at bay no matter how much effort you put into it.  Despite the fact that many years ago I quit my sugar consumption, only drink tap or sparkling plain water, avoid any soft drinks, fruit juices and any other beverages containing sugar, cut out carbs significantly, reduced eating red meat and cheese and only treat myself to a good piece of cake every now then, the weight still keeps creeping on.  

 

They used to say that if you are watching your weight, 80% of weight loss is the result of a healthy diet and 20% is due to being physically active but, in my opinion, staying fit and active is much more effective way of burning fat and calories and the new studies show that regular exercising plays a far greater role in weight loss than a diet would back me up.  

 

Different things work for different people.  As for me, it's going to gym.  I first joined the local gym for a weekly Pilates class after the birth of my second child at the age of forty to tighten up my stomach and pelvic floor muscles but being a full time mom I could only do it once a week.  If you are not familiar with Pilates, it is a physical fitness system developed in the in the early 20th century by German physicist, Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named.  He developed his techniques while helping soldiers injured in WWI to restore, improve and rebuild their physical abilities. 

The main focus of this system is the core or “powerhouse" as some instructors like to call it and the exercises are built around straightening and tightening your abs aka as "six pack" as well as buttocks, thighs, lower and upper back.   Pilates also improves your posture, balance and the muscle endurance elasticity that is very important, especially in advanced age.  There are degrees of difficulties available for almost every move that allow you to work at your own pace and ability.  I've been doing it for over 15 years and am in an advanced class which is quite hard and requires a high level of endurance but I can feel great after the class and am pleased with the results.

 

The other fitness activity that I chose to do is Body Pump that I now do twice a week.  It is a weight resistance set of exercises that targets all the muscles groups in your body, toning and conditioning them while helping you to burn calories.  Studies show that regular resistance workouts help to prevent diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular health not to mention that it gives you confidence about your body and mind.  Think about how great you look wearing a tight sleeveless top knowing that your stomach is flat and the upper arms are toned.

Both activities help to sculpture, condition and maintain your body in a good and healthy shape for many years to come.  It is not just our face that needs lifting, it's our body too:  saggy boobs, soft stomach and muffin tops around the waist, flabby arms, knees etc and if you don't want to subject yourself to radical body reconstructive procedures that not only awfully painful but also extremely expensive but want to get your body into shape, my advice would be - join your local gym.  They offer a good number of group classes that you can choose depending on your level of strength and what you would like to achieve on what parts of the body you want to improve. 

If being surrounded by strangers makes you feel uncomfortable or you might feel intimidated by the ability of other participants, then you might consider having a private fitness instructor who would help you set your goals and the means of achieving them, get you to become familiar with the gym's equipment etiquette and will be there with you every step of the way.  You can find a lot of information about the classes on a gym's website.  They also regularly run an open day classes where you can meet the instructors face to face and get a taste of the classes that you might be interested in attending.  A good gym also offers some free trials before you sign the contract.

 

If you are looking for something less strenuous then weight lifting or high aerobics class, yoga is another world-wide popular fitness practice with huge amounts of benefits.  I personally prefer a Body Balance fitness class which offers a mix of Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga and encompasses the benefits of them all.   Surely, if the gym is not your cup of tea, a good run, a jog or simply a long walk are all good and work towards improving your health and general well-being.  At the end of the day, the important thing to keep in mind, is that whatever physical activity you chose to do is better than doing nothing.

 

Stay fit, stay healthy, look fabulous and be happy.

I am wearing:  tights from Unigloo, Nike sneakers, B.O.D top, Sportsgirl jumper, Valley sunglasses

Until then

Anna

xoxo