You’ve come to that time in your life when you are more financially stable, and the path is set with most things. Your family choices have been made, your career is partially behind you and your life has a nice routine about it. You may or may not be a grandparent, and life is full. However, the effects of time and life can be seen in higher cholesterol, more stringent medical exams by your doctors and a general slowing down of your metabolism and energy levels. You try to fight against the effects nature is having, but it’s not an easy thing to fight decades of habit. Exercise is even harder to achieve and easier to excuse as a trial on already short time. To be plain, to be healthier, it is imperative that people exercise at least three hours a week, and eat low-fat, lean meats and higher levels of fruits and vegetable to achieve optimum levels of health.
Get plenty of sleep. To find your way to a regular exercise regime, it’s necessary to realize that it is not an option. But that’s not to say that you have to stop sleeping to be healthier. In fact, a good seven and a half or eight hours of sleep every night is necessary for good health. Turn off the television earlier and get to bed at the same time most nights to take advantage of the benefits that sleep can provide.
Step2
Schedule some time each day, even if it’s fifteen or twenty minutes, to walk or jog. The cardiovascular exercise will increase your lung capacity and strengthen your heart. You can do this exercise in ten minute intervals if need be, but try and do it every day. You may even learn to use it as a relaxation tool as your body reaps the benefits of the endorphins released in your brain as a result of exercise.
Step3
Add three days of weight training a week to your exercise routing. This increases your resting metabolism, which can burn as many as 50 calories a day per pound of muscle in your body. This isn’t to say that you need to begin bodybuilding, but increasing your muscle mass protects your joints and helps fight the gravity that has begun to work on your body. Thirty minute routines are fine, being careful to watch form and not worry so much about the weight of the dumbbell. If you lift weights on both Saturday and Sunday, then you’ll only need one more day a week to increase your muscle mass.
Step4
Watch you diet--it's a key component to rebuilding your health. A good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with lean meat and the rest with starch. Don’t cut out carbs completely because they allow for absorption of some key vitamins and fats. Dairy is essential, especially for women in their 40's to help maintain bone density. Although the timeline to increase bone density ends in your mid-30's, you can still fight off osteoporosis by taking in three portions of cheese, milk or yogurt every day. Lactose intolerant? Try soy-based products or a calcium supplement. If you don’t already, take a multivitamin to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs.
Step5
If you’re following all of these practices and still not seeing results, have your thyroid levels checked. Problems with this gland most commonly arise during the 40's and can affect your metabolic rate along with your ability to burn fat and calories.
Tips & Warnings
Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.
A stress test may be in order for those beginning exercise for the first time.
If you’re trying to lose more than 10 pounds, don’t try to lose more than two pounds a week so you’re not losing muscle along with fat.
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