Kicking off the new year with big health goals is a familiar story for many of us. We often start with high hopes that this time, our fitness and nutrition strategies will magically fall into place. But, as a seasoned fitness and nutrition coach with over 35 years of experience, I’m here to tell you that real, lasting health is not about chasing new trends or quick fixes—it’s about reevaluating and making smart, sustainable changes to our lifestyles.
In the ‘6 Essential Ways to Boost Your Midlife Wellness,’ we dive deep into midlife fitness. It’s time to find what works for you. I’ll guide you in dropping habits that hinder your health goals.
Then, we’ll tackle six strategies to supercharge your wellness in these key years. Stuck in your fitness routine? Ready to up your health game? This post is for you. Let’s journey together and master midlife wellness!
3 Things To Stop Doing In Midlife
1. Stopping Too Soon
Patience is essential in midlife wellness. Consider my client, Sarah. She overhauled her diet, embracing nutrient-rich foods and ditching processed ones. Despite her efforts, she didn’t see immediate changes.
Many in midlife face this. Sarah’s story teaches us patience and commitment to long-term health. Sustainable dietary changes take time to impact. Staying consistent with healthy choices is key. Trust the process, and the benefits will gradually appear. Achieving midlife wellness is a journey, not a quick fix.
Resource: 3 Tips To Start Eating Whole Foods Instead Of Eating Clean
2. Too Much All At Once
Imagine Lisa buzzing with excitement to begin her fitness journey. She dives in headfirst: a new gym membership, a diet overhaul, stacks of health magazines – a whirlwind of enthusiasm. But within a week, the overwhelm sets in. Juggling the diet, unfamiliar exercises, and an overload of information, she finds herself straying from her new routine and slipping back into old habits.
Lisa’s story is a familiar one. It’s a classic case of too much, too fast – akin to sprinting at the start of a marathon, only to lose steam quickly. The lesson here? Start with baby steps. A simple daily walk, gradually introducing resistance training, mindful meal choices – these small, manageable steps foster sustainable progress and maintain motivation, keeping you on track for a successful fitness journey.
3. Debunking Myths in Midlife Wellness: Truths About Fitness and Fasting
Intermittent Fasting as a Quick-Fix Diet: Intermittent fasting is often mistaken for a quick-fix weight loss solution, but it’s not that simple. It’s not about extreme calorie cutting or starving yourself; it requires a mindful approach. Misusing it as a drastic diet can lead to fatigue and nutrient deficiencies. Understanding and practicing intermittent fasting correctly is important, focusing on your body’s needs.
Resource: Intermittent Fasting In Midlife Special Series
Restrictive Eating: Super-restrictive diets that eliminate whole food groups aren’t ideal. They can trigger intense cravings, lead to binge eating, and disrupt your relationship with food. A balanced diet, rich in a variety of nutrients, is a more sustainable choice for long-term health and effective weight management.
Resource: Dissecting Diets – Which One Is Right For you
Overly Challenging Exercises: Starting with too intense workouts can do more harm than good, possibly leading to injuries. Sustainable fitness is about gradual improvement. Begin with comfortable exercises and slowly step up the intensity. This approach lets your body adapt and grow stronger safely, avoiding the need for extreme workouts.
The Pursue Your Spark Blueprint can guide you in recognizing and avoiding these pitfalls, helping you develop a balanced and effective fitness routine tailored to your body. With this blueprint, your journey to health becomes enjoyable and sustainable.
6 Things to Double Down On For Midlife Wellness
We talked about the three things to let go, and now it’s time to double down and what’s important for your fitness midlife success.
1. Simplifying Health Goals for Success
Start slow and take small steps in your health journey. It leads to steady, lasting progress and avoids burnout. Make big goals smaller and less daunting. For example, begin with a 15-minute walk instead of a long, intense workout, then slowly increase. This approach ensures steady improvement and makes exercise more enjoyable in your daily routine.
2. Focusing on One Thing at a Time
Concentrate on one health aspect at a time for better results. If you’re new to exercise, try starting with just cycling. Focusing on one activity at a time helps you get better at it and enjoy it more, making it a habit. After getting comfortable with cycling, you can then add more activities like strength training or Pilates.
3. Maintaining a Positive Attitude and Mindset
A positive mindset is crucial for achieving health goals. Mindfulness, especially for women in midlife, means being fully present and aware of our thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without being overwhelmed by them. It’s like tuning into your personal radio station, focused solely on your current experience.
Here are some examples of what integrating mindfulness might look like!
Integrating Mindfulness into Fitness Routines
Adding mindfulness to your fitness routine, like in Pilates, changes the experience. It’s about really feeling each movement, being aware of your body, and breathing in sync. This approach makes workouts more effective, reduces injury risk, and helps you understand and respect your body’s limits.
Shift to Mindful Eating
Mindful eating changes how we approach nutrition. It’s not about strict diets, but about really enjoying your food. Eat slowly, savor the flavors, and listen to when you’re hungry. This way, eating becomes more enjoyable, improves digestion, and helps you have a better relationship with food.
Mindfulness And Stress Reduction
Stress is an ever-present factor affecting our weight, sleep, and overall well-being in our hectic lives. Incorporating simple mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing or a short meditation session, can effectively manage stress. These practices act like a pause button amidst life’s turmoil, offering moments of tranquility and mental clarity.
Mindfulness in Building Healthy Habits
Mindfulness plays a crucial role in developing healthy habits. It goes beyond just goal-setting; it’s about being acutely aware of daily choices, identifying triggers for unhealthy habits, and deliberately choosing healthier alternatives. Making mindful decisions ensures alignment with our broader health and wellness objectives.
4. Setting Realistic Expectations
Jane wanted to eat healthier but knew changing everything at once would be too much. So, she began by simply adding a vegetable to each meal: spinach in her omelet, a salad at lunch, and steamed veggies for dinner. This small step helped her avoid feeling overwhelmed and gradually eat less processed food. Jane’s experience shows that small, realistic changes can make a big difference in eating habits over time.
5. Realistic Midlife Wellness Goals as a Lifelong Commitment
View your health journey as a long-term commitment, similar to growing a tree. Immediate results aren’t always noticeable, especially in fitness and strength training. Yet, significant improvements will become apparent with persistent effort over months and years. This approach emphasizes that quick fixes don’t equate to lasting health; it’s about building a foundation for enduring vitality and strength.
Resource: 3 Ways To Recapture Your Health And Thrive
Mindfulness in Building Healthy Habits
Mindfulness plays a crucial role in developing healthy habits. It goes beyond just goal-setting; it’s about being acutely aware of daily choices, identifying triggers for unhealthy habits, and deliberately choosing healthier alternatives. Making mindful decisions ensures alignment with our broader health and wellness objectives.
6. Integrating Health into Your Lifestyle
Creating a sustainable lifestyle in midlife is all about choices that fit into your daily life. Work out at a time that suits you and focuses on balanced eating, not strict diets. With Pursue Your Spark Blueprint, you’ll find the right strategies that work for you, making health and fitness both enjoyable and easy. Remember, your journey to midlife wellness is unique and filled with small, adaptable steps guided by our blueprint.
What’s one small change you’ll make today for your wellness journey?
🌟Pursue Your Spark Blueprint: Dive into our 8-week online group course, specially crafted for women in midlife. It’s more than just a program—it’s a life-changer. Learn to eat better, move more, and unlock boundless energy. With my guidance, you’ll step into a life of strength and confidence. Join me to transform your health and step into your most confident self. Ready for a change? Apply here
