Fitness

January is a time for setting new goals…and crowded gyms.  It happens every year.  Resolved to get fit and healthy, new members (or those who have been MIA) fill up group classes and the wait for using the cardio equipment becomes too long for my schedule.  So, I’ve learned to be patient because I know that in just one month, most of them will be gone and I can return to my own, stress-free pace. Until then,  I hit the outdoors for long walks and do Pilates floor exercises at home.  It’s always a fresh reminder that there’s really no excuse for not exercising.

For one thing, there’s so much available on the web to help us plan our workouts and monitor how we’re doing.  Here are just a few examples. [click to continue...]

I often write about the findings of research studies of interest to women in mid-life. However, I’ve recently learned about an opportunity to actually participate in one and I’m passing this information to you so you can sign up too.

It’s an internet study that is being funded by the NIH to explore ethnic differences in midlife women’s attitudes towards physical activity.  The goal is to “reduce health disparities in physical activity programs that serve ethnic minority women through the internet.”

The researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are seeking a total of 500 participants, 125 for each ethnic category (White, Hispanic, Black, Asian). To participate, visit their website  to learn more and see if you qualify. If you are eligible, you’ll receive a gift certificate of $10 per internet survey and an additional gift certificate of $50 for participating in an online forum for six months.

Daily exercise (and eating less) is certainly the best way to combat menopausal weight gain. But did you know that exercise also can help reduce more serious perimenopausal symptoms like heart disease, depression, and even bladder problems? An article I found on medpedia explains that in the case of heart disease, “a reduction in the heart-protective HDL cholesterol is common in perimenopause. Regular aerobic exercise elevates HDL and lowers triglycerides, glucose and blood pressure, thereby reducing heart-disease risk.” [click to continue...]

Can diet and exercise really eliminate belly fat? Recent research has shown that eating fewer calories, no matter what program you sign up for, will contribute to weight loss and thus, a smaller paunch.  But what about exercise?  Will just burning calories help eliminate the “muffin top” that a lot of middle-aged women (and men!) carry around?  Or do we need to target ab muscles with 100 crunches every day to do the trick? [click to continue...]

Not only is it fun to find innovative ways to shake up your normal routine, but all the body’s systems need to be surprised with diverse patterns of stress in order to continue to improve.  When I’m out for a run, I automatically look for inclines to run up, stairs to hop down and places to throw in 20 jumping jacks.  One man out for his morning walk said to me in passing recently, “You look like a kid with nothing better to do.”  Little did he suspect I was working on building bone, tuning up my cardiovascular system and burning off extra calories. [click to continue...]

Even though stretching is the third pillar of a well-rounded exercise program (along with cardio and strength training),  it is often the one we skip….until we become aware that we’re feeling a bit stiffer in the mornings, less agile as we go about our day, and not quite as straight in our posture as we thought we were.

A buoyant, youthful demeanor depends on our ability to stretch out the muscles and maintain range of motion in the joints.  Stretching can counteract the stressors of daily life, reduce pain and discharge tension from the muscles.  By correcting the tendency of certain muscles to shorten and tighten, it can improve posture. [click to continue...]

Note from Wendy – Because I receive so much feedback from women complaining about menopausal weight gain, I asked the “trainer of trainers,” Joan Pagano, to offer perspective and advice on keeping fit and healthy as we age.  This is her third of five blog posts this week.  Joan is the author of three books that I highly recommend: “Strength Training for Women,” “8 Weeks to a Younger Body,”  and “15 Minute Total Body Workout.” Her latest book and DVD, “15-Minute Abs,” will be in bookstores in early December. Visit her website to learn more about her and to preview her books.

Cardio exercise has been the focus of fitness programs for many years, and now strength training has emerged as an equally important component of a well rounded exercise regime.  Study after study reveals its beneficial effect on weight control, energy level, bone density, posture, balance and the ability to resist diseases like osteoporosis, hypertension and diabetes. [click to continue...]

Are you dedicated to your cardio routine….and not seeing results?  Stuck in a metabolic rut or on a weight plateau?  At any level of fitness, your body will eventually adapt to a consistent level of exercise and stop improving because it doesn’t have to.

Ramp up your program by varying the length, intensity and frequency of what you’re doing. No matter what your starting level, you can improve your results – lose weight, grow stronger, build heart health – by creating a mix of workouts. [click to continue...]

Note from Wendy – Because I receive so much feedback from women complaining about menopausal weight gain, I asked the “trainer of trainers,” Joan Pagano, to offer perspective and advice on keeping fit and healthy as we age.   Joan is the author of three books that I highly recommend: “Strength Training for Women,” “8 Weeks to a Younger Body,”  and “15 Minute Total Body Workout.” Her latest book and DVD, “15-Minute Abs,” will be in bookstores in early December. Visit her website to learn more about her and to preview her books.

Joan will be offering advice every day this week, so I hope you’ll check back daily.  She will gladly answer your questions posted in the comment section.

I call the decade of the 20’s “The Body Prime” when all physiological systems are peaking.  We can exert ourselves in a daily high-intensity workout or sport, feel great and have a trim body to show for it! 

The decade of the 30’s is when we need to “Keep our Edge!”  It’s when a very subtle decline beings to occur throughout the body, causing a decrease in bone mass/strength, muscle mass/strength and resting metabolic rate.  Usually these changes don’t fully manifest until later, but they are occurring with each year of aging and can be offset with appropriate exercise.

The 40’s serve as a “Wake up Call!” for many women who notice real changes in their bodies, hormonal changes for one, but also creeping weight gain, loss of flexibility and changes in posture. [click to continue...]