NEW YEAR... NEW LIFE!

Since last Christmas I have lost forty pounds and with it has gone lack of energy and lack of motivation!!! I have allot more energy now and more motivation to do the everyday things! My new goal, which started New years eve is lose at least twenty pounds by my birthday, which is March 7Th. Two ways that I have already implemented is another form of exercise, along with my workouts three times a week at Bally Total Fitness, a class called Silver Sneakers, which is great for my mature bones and muscles!!! The second way is my diet!! Allot more fiber, fruits and veggies and only ten to twenty percent meat!! Also fish is a big part of my diet, for me that means anything from salmon to sardines!! I am 60 and I believe that the only way to feel great and do the things I still want to do in my later years is to eat healthy and exercise regularly!! Also very little if any processed foods or other products! The things that we put on our body, such as toxins in hair dye for example, are just as important as things we put in our body! Let's do this!! We are all trying to improve our lives and I believe it starts with how we treat our bodies!!

I also have Ataxia, which I have been dealing with for a few years and most of the symptoms that are associated with it I can not stop but I feel that doing the best I can in terms of exercise and diet are a big help in living life the way I want!!!

It gets easier each time!

As I got up today I wanted a cup of coffee and then read the paper, thinking about my afternoon nap!! That is the way I feel most days and now that I turned 60, its harder not to carry out this lazy day attitude! But I find that if I get into a routine, that means going to bed by ten and getting up at six, going to Bally Total Fitness(which is the gym I go to), is easier the more I keep to that routine! Getting enough sleep is essential for anyone, but particularly when as we age! A a routine as far as bedtime seems to work great for me! I have been trying to follow this for several months and I find my body accepting this and getting stronger as a result. It is true what I have heard for years, your body IS like a car! And sleep the gas I need to keep going!!

There's always something!

Everyday I go to the gym, I am surprised! Some people that go there think it is a social club, talking and chatting with anyone that will listen. While I am not against talking, in fact I do have a need for it most of the time, when I work out I am there to do just that! That is why I usually go early, between 6:30 and 7:30 am, with the older folks who want to get our workout done and go home to take a nap! And another thing, the older I get and the less money I have, the more important exercise is. Remember, exercise is a poor persons plastic surgery!

Church is a part of my exercise program!!

To some church might not be a part of your life and certainly you never thought of it as a part of an exercise program. But for me your emotional health affects your physical health! And my emotional health has always been enhanced when by going to church! When I go to the Bally (the gym I work out at), it does not seem to matter how much I lift or do cardio. If my mind and emotions are not positive and in sync, all the physical exercise I do not does not make me feel good. And for me going to church and believing in God are the main reasons my emotions are positive!! To feel in tip top shape physically you have to feel 100% emotionally, and for me that means church and God!

After the gym, I feel like a new man!

I just got back from bally, which is the gym I go to here in Michigan! During the Christmas season and these winter months, it is VERY important to get to the gym!! Not only do we tend to eat more of the food that we should not, but just the cold and yucky weather makes us want to crawl in bed till spring!! One of the tricks I use is to get up, go to the bathroom and look in the mirror.. NAKED!! That always seems to get me motivated to brave the cold and ice when I look at that whale looking back at me!! Whatever little trick you need to get to the gym or do your workout at home, JUST DO THE WORKOUT!! I always remember how good I feel AFTER that gets and keeps me going too, I want that guy in the mirror to be great and feel better about himself the next time we meet!!

Fall!! Don't let it be the excuse to fail!!!

Fall is a great season, brilliant colors, pumpkins, brisk cool winds, Halloween, and of coarse, great comfort food!! But just cause it is called comfort food does not mean it has to also mean unhealthy!! One of the purposes of this blog is to tell you what I believe will get us healthy and keep us that way as we get older. That is why whenever I see a recipe that can be made healthy I like to put a link to it on here! I know from my own experience that eating unhealthy, fattening food; ironically called comfort food, is one of the major reasons getting fit and healthy fails! I love to eat, but there is no reason why I, or you, can not eat the foods we like, just good healthy versions!!

Better butt!

Everyone wants a better butt! Not only is this good for your self-esteem, but it has many health benefits! Like any other muscle in your body, the glutes, or your butt, makes your body feel and work better if it is toned and strong! Whether you're young, or as in the focus of this blog, in the mature age group, toning and muscle strengthening is very important! The main thing I want to address is :DO NOT USE BIG WEIGHT! At any age, but specifically over 60, keep the weights you use low! It is much easier to strain or pull a muscle when we get older! Here is a great exercise to firm and tighten your backside as we all enter the "backside" of our life!! Better butt!