Hold up! Pump your brakes! Have you seen all of the hot rocking bodies of celebrities in their 40s and 50s? If you’ve fallen off the wagon again, don’t despair. Starting again is easier than you think. BDO’s Fitness Expert, Bridget Smith, shares how to keep it fit and fabulous in your 40s.
By the time you’ve hit your best years, a couple of things have likely happened: You’ve mastered your fitness go-to routine or you’ve given up on your goal winning the gold medal of fitness. You’ve also probably noticed your mind might be ready to move but your body isn’t because it takes longer to recover after exercising or doing anything physical. During those years, your muscle-aiding hormone levels, like estrogen and testosterone, decrease and the unruly cortisol, a stress hormone that can break down muscle, increases.
Exercising helps manage hormone levels and helps retain fat-burning muscle in your body. More importantly, it will help keep your weight in check and fight off heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. Even though it’s never too late to get in shape, now the difference between being fit and unfit really starts to show physically. The good news is, even if it’s been months or years since your last workout, your muscles have memory. It’s just like dusting off that bike your haven’t ridden in years. When you start riding again, your body just flows naturally.
Follow the B360Fit Tips below to stay lean, strong and sexy for good!
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Step up your weight training: Incorporate lifting weights that are heavy enough to challenge your muscles. Your last few reps should make you yell, “UGGHHHH!!!!!”.
Do more yoga: It will boost flexibility in your spine and hips that will promote good posture. Also, the Downward Facing Dog is amazing for your complexion because it brings blood flow to your face.
READ: Eat Smarter In Your 30s, 40s & 50s
Get creative: The exercise rut is easy to fall into in your 40s. Trying a new activity like line dancing, aqua kickboxing and hip-hop yoga can pump up your enthusiasm and jumpstart your metabolism.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Fitness center for more articles.
Bridget Smith is a Celebrity Health and Fitness Expert, Certified Life Coach, a National Spokesperson for American Heart Association. Bridget has trained with Master Fitness Guru Billy Blanks and has been featured in over 30 TaeBo Workout videos as well as media appearances one Bravo TV, TNT, VH1, BET, QVC, Fox. Bridget’s reputation in the health and fitness community resulted in partnerships with General Mills, BET, Coca Cola, Radio One and American Diabetes Association and other Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. She conducts master fitness classes and workshops worldwide and for annual conferences including the National Urban League, NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus. Bridget was selected as an elite trainer by NIKE and is also the founder of B360Fit. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram @b360fit to keep up with her B360Fit Tips.