“Learning to listen to your body is one of the best things you can do for your health” - Wendy Kleinke

Introduction:

Our bodies are constantly evolving and so is the way that we need to care for them.

We are taught that calorie restriction and high intensity exercise is the way to lose weight. This is not completely true, and following this protocol for a woman with changing hormone levels can actually make things worse.

We openly accept that our skincare and the way that we care for our hair changes as we age. The texture of our skin changes, so we begin using different products.

Our hair becomes different, it may be getting grey or possibly breaking or falling out. It's easy to adapt to the need to change that, because we can SEE it.

Just like we are not using Noxema on our face anymore, we also have to change the way that we exercise.

To find out more about how things change after 40, be sure to check out the Unmasking Menopause Workshop.

Whether you are new to exercise or you have been doing it your whole life, things change in your 40s.

Here are 4 things to consider when planning your workout routines

1. Focus on strength training

Regardless of how you have worked out in the past, you now want your primary focus to be on strength training. You should be looking to 2-3 days per week of moderate intensity strength training. Allowing rest in between. More is NOT better here.

Getting your muscles strong is one of the best things that you can do for your overall health and fitness.

Here are a few perks to keeping your muscles strong

• increase your metabolism,

• help keep your bones strong,

• provide support to you joints

• have an easier time in day to day life.

2. Incorporate cardio

Cardio these days should also be moderate intensity. 

I recommend 30 minutes of walking everyday. 

You want to be walking fast enough so that you feel slightly winded, but not breathless. 

If walking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to get cardio in, such as dance,, swimming or biking

You should feel good throughout your workout and afterwards. 

If you are looking for a home workout that does not require a lot of equipment, I highly recommend the Visual Impact Fitness Kettlebell Program. It is affordable and gets great results

3. Include rest and recovery

Rest is an important factor that many people don’t consider or plan for. This includes not only the rest needed in between workouts, but also the rest during your workout.

For strength training, you should be taking time off in between workouts in order for your muscles to recover. 

If you do not allow this time, the muscle will not have the opportunity to rebuild. 

Not allowing for proper rest can really impact your results, and may even cause set backs. 

Don’t worry, resting doesn’t mean that you have to sit around and do nothing, there is plenty of things you can do, and ways that you can help your muscles to recover quicker, 

There are some things that you can do to help your muscles recover

• Sit in the sauna

• Drink water

• Get a massage

• Active rest such as yoga, golf, volleyball or pickelball

4.Consider your cycle

Depending on where you are in your cycle will determine how much rest you may need. 

There are times during the month that are better for exercise and your workouts can be more intense, and times when it doesn’t feel so good and you might need to scale back. 

It is important to listen to the cues your body is trying to give you and to rest when it’s needed. 

To get the most out of your workouts, you should be tracking what you are doing, along side of where you are in your cycle. 

You will find that your energy levels change throughout the month. 

This is natural and normal. 

When you have more energy, you can push yourself a little harder.

So if you’re not feeling it, don’t beat yourself up about it. 

Do what you can, when you can. 

Scale back and rest as needed.

How to Get Started

If you are new to working out, here are a few things that you can do to get started with exercising

• Keep your body hydrated

• Plan out time for exercise-put it on the calendar

• Try different classes-find something you enjoy

• Meet with a trainer

• Find a workout buddy

What is most important is that you get started. 

 Once you start, you will figure out what you enjoy and what your body needs.