Sunday, May 14, 2017

15 Tips for Fitness for Women above 40

Tall claims are in no way scientific. But that women above 40 become susceptible to be affected by serious ailments if they do not pay special attention to their health is not tall talk at all. If you are a woman above 40, you must understand that it is due to the reduced secretion of a hormone called "estrogen" that your proneness of getting affected by health issues increases. This hormone has all along been protecting you but its secretion may have come down considerably if you have attained menopause or are nearing that stage. 

But what is the difference between maintaining fitness and having good health? Maintaining fitness certainly triumphs over having good health because it provides you with the required immunity to combat infections and lead a healthy life. In other words, by maintaining fitness, you can equip your body with the "silent power" that can help you in exercising control over many things that may impact your day-to-day life. This internal resource can help you overcome almost all your health issues. 

On the other hand, if you do not pay attention to your food and exercising habits, you are almost likely to have some trouble spots. The first trouble spot is that your waist will disappear. Your lower tummy will start expanding. In short, the shape of your body will resemble that of an apple. You yourself may start hating the shape of your body.

Apart from reasons that are aesthetic in nature, there are other reasons why you should start re-focusing on your fitness. The foremost reason is that if you do not bestow the required attention on your fitness, you become prone to be affected by heart diseases. Now that your system does not secrete as much estrogen as it used to, chances of you being affected by major ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases increase manifold. 

Thanks to your abdominal fat, your body will be sluggish in using your calories as energy. Instead, the calories you consume readily and easily get converted into fat. So, you have to put in much more efforts than necessary for reducing your weight.

In addition to your disappearing waist and your fat abdominal area, there will be fat accumulation in your butt and thigh areas as well. So, you may have to forgo your desire of wearing shorts or bathing suits. You cannot also wear sleeveless shirts or shirts with short sleeves because your triceps may have become flabby.

But there is good news for you because there are certain genuine steps you can take for maintaining your fitness and surmounting the health issues you may face. Let us have a look. 

1. If you have a notion that squats will hurt you and they will more particularly hurt your knees, you cannot be more wrong. It shows that you have not understood the fact that there cannot be a better exercise than squats for effectively firming and toning the back of your legs, butts or hamstrings. But you should ensure to do your squats in the right manner so you can once again have shapely legs and a firm butt area. Squats can strengthen your knees as well. Thanks to the strong muscles you develop, your knee joints will get good support also. 

But the proper way to successfully derive the benefits of squats is to know the right depth up to which you can do them. You must do your squats slowly also. The aim is not to feel pain while doing them. You should exercise caution also and avoid being over-ambitious which means you must not aim to do hundreds of squats initially. You should begin modestly and increase the number over a period of time. Your knees will begin adapting as your musculature develops.

2. Lateral lunge is another exercise that can help you maintain fitness. This exercise more particularly targets your lower body, the glute area and your inner thighs. In fact, even if you generally experience pain in your knees, you can do this exercise without feeling any knee pain. You can add a hop as well between lunges or speed up the pace for deriving the cardio benefits of this exercise. 

3. The third exercise you can try is the stiff-legged deadlift. Apart from addressing flexibility, this exercise can help in strengthening the back of your legs and the hamstrings.

4. In general, being a woman above 40, you may be very busy and so, you may not find time to do your exercises on a daily basis. So, it is enough if you steal time to do your exercises at least 3 or 4 days every week. This will provide you with enough recovery time also. But you should be committed to follow this regimen strictly so you can easily achieve the amazing fitness you are aiming at.

5. You can do intense exercises 3 or 4 days a week and after that, you can take *active rest* during the remaining days. By "active rest," it is meant that you should involve yourself in all your routine activities and can additionally go for hiking, bike riding, brisk walking, etc. also.

6. Being a woman above 40, you need more time to recover than younger women. Not only that, you are likely to develop soreness of muscles also. So, it is wrong if you ignore the aspect of recovering after intense workouts. At the same time, you should not keep idle during your rest days. You should be active and ensure that your commitment to keep fit does not diminish.

7. Similarly, the importance of supportive nutrition need not be over-emphasized. This means you should ensure to get adequate doses of the required nutrients.

8. You should ensure to drink plenty of water daily. This means that your body should always remain well hydrated. A well hydrated system will help you in succeeding in your efforts in maintaining your fitness level.

9. Consistency in following a good diet regimen is the key for maintaining fitness for women like you. Experts opine that if you want to have lasting benefits, you should not commit the mistake of discontinuing a good diet regimen after starting it with all the fanfare. This means that you should ensure to stick to the diet regimen you have begun at all costs. But you should be careful to choose a diet regimen that helps you lower your body fat and improve your lean muscle mass.

10. Nothing can be more harmful to your health than consuming bad carbohydrates. You can get good carbohydrates from fresh fruits or vegetables but if you consume bad carbohydrates that are abundantly present in ice creams, pastries, cakes, sweetened drinks, etc., you can never succeed in your efforts in maintaining your fitness. Remember that even if you eat a handful of chips or crackers, it can jeopardize your efforts to keep fit. You should remember the fact that if you eat nutritionally dense items and stick to a balanced diet, you will not experience any craving for junk foods.

11. Instead of eating large meals, you can opt for eating several smaller meals. If you ensure that your meals contain lean proteins, you will have a satiated feeling. This will go a long way in helping you maintain stable levels of blood sugar all through the day. This strategy will help you avoid eating unsupportive, junk foods also.

12. Regardless of how you have been eating when you were young, you should now learn to eat slowly. You must make it a point to bite each morsel of your food thoroughly. Apart from helping you digest your food well, this helps you avoid over-eating as well. Researchers have found that the brain realizes that a person is eating only after 20 or 25 minutes after he or she starts eating. By eating fast, you may over-eat because the brain may not have realized yet that you are eating. Not only that, if you eat slowly, you may feel fullness sooner and this also helps you avoid over-eating.

13. You should ensure to drink at least two glasses of water 30 minutes before you begin eating. This will help you avoid eating belly-full. Likewise, you should avoid drinking water immediately after finishing your meal. A few experts advise that if you develop the habit of drinking several sips of water during the course of your meal, you can avoid over-eating.

14. You should begin your meal with fresh fruits and vegetables. "Eat your salad first" is the dictum. By eating a good amount of vegetables and fruits before the main meal, you can reduce your food intake because vegetables and fruits will help you feel "fullness" of your stomach.

15. You should make small lifestyle changes so you can maintain your fitness easily. For instance, instead of using the elevators or lifts, you can use the stairs for reaching top floors. Similarly, you must utilize every opportunity for having a walk. You can walk to the nearby shopping mall for doing your shopping or walk to your workplace if the distance to your office can be covered by foot, etc.

By maintaining fitness, you can unlock your enormous reservoir of energy. You can be active and so, can lead a purposeful life. We have come across several older women who have accomplished great feats despite their age. Though you can also aim to scale great heights in your life, the least benefit you can derive by maintaining your fitness is that you can enjoy happiness and peace of mind till the end.


Friday, August 3, 2012

How Mothers Can Maintain Their Energy Levels And Lead A Fulfilled Life


You will certainly be happy when you become a mother but sometimes, you may feel that the tasks involved are quite exhausting. Even if you want, you may find it difficult to have some time for yourself also. But, there are certain steps you can take so that you can have the required relaxation and enough time at your disposal also.

- You should first learn to prioritize your tasks. For doing so, you should first list out your daily tasks and schedule them according to their importance and priority. You should be careful not to give unnecessarily longer time for unimportant tasks. If you do an honest assessment, you will find that you may be giving unduly longer hours for tasks of low priority. There may be certain tasks that can be got done by others also. If you delegate them to others and allocate the right amount of time to your tasks, you will find that you have a lot of time at your disposal. You can use this time for relaxing or doing a thing that you like the most.

- Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, etc. are very good for relaxation and hence, you can learn them from experts. You will be alone when you indulge in these activities and this is an added advantage. These techniques will relax both your mind and body and so, you can get rid of your exhaustion and stress.

- You should realize that your diet plays a major role in maintaining your energy levels. If you eat junk foods, processed foods, fatty and spicy foods, etc., you are likely to get exhausted very soon. On the other hand, if you make it a habit to eat healthy and nutritious foods like fiber diets including fresh fruits and vegetables, etc., you can keep your energy levels in tact. This means that the alkaline contents of your diet should be much more than its acidity contents. Likewise, if you are not getting enough of essential vitamins and minerals, you may get tired more quickly. Even if you do not drink adequate water, it may also cause exhaustion. You should therefore make it a point to keep your body well-hydrated by drinking sufficient quantities of water.

- You should never forget the dictum that laughter is the best medicine. You should practice this. You can not assume that you can complete all your tasks on time. Some of your plans may go awry due to extraneous factors. So, you should not get upset over such things. You should have back-up plans to put things on the right track. If you are mentally prepared for such hiccoughs, you will not get upset. You can take things smilingly and win over such situations. If you are cheerful, your energy levels will go up and this will drive away your exhaustion.

- You should not hesitate to pep up your enthusiasm by indulging in leisurely activities. You can go on short camps or trips, listen to good music, relax on a beach and so on. If you apply your mind, you can easily find out what rejuvenates and revitalizes your body and brain. Such activities will add spice and happiness to your life.

- A little philosophical attitude is absolutely necessary for keeping the vitality and energy of your body and mind. You should understand that life can throw surprises and shocks. If you are not philosophical, sudden shocks may shatter you. But, if you are rational and are mentally prepared, you can put your life back on its track, though you may certainly feel the impact of the shocks initially.

As a mother, you should take these steps and prepare yourself mentally and physically. This will help you to always maintain your energy at the right levels so that you can lead a fulfilled life.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Motherhood Is A Woman's Delight


Every woman wants to bear children and experience motherhood. But, getting pregnant is not as easy as many women think. Timing is very important in the process. Some women get pregnant very soon and for a few others it takes many months or even years. In general, a woman may not become pregnant on their first attempt. If the age of a woman is below 30, she may conceive if she keeps trying for about a year or 18 months. According to a study, only 25% of the women get pregnant immediately after their first menstrual cycle and another 60% take about six months to conceive. The study also shows that 90% of the women get pregnant within a period of 18 months.

If you are a woman, you should understand your cycle first to plan for your pregnancy. If your menstrual cycle is regular, ovulation will occur from Day 11 and will last till Day 21 of this cycle. The most fertile period starts 4 or 5 days before the ovulation begins and remains till 1 or 2 days after ovulation. A day just before and a day just after the ovulation are the most probable days on which you have maximum chances of conceiving.

If you are eager to get pregnant, you are advised to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You should shun all the junk foods and the processed foods that contain preservatives and chemicals. You should switch to nutritious diets that consist of wholesome grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc. You are advised to take appropriate doses of Folic acid supplements to increase your chances of conceiving. If you are a smoker, you should reduce your smoking or if possible, stop it completely. Likewise, your consumption of alcoholic beverages should also be brought down. It has been found that smoking reduces the chances of getting pregnant by 40% and excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages inhibits hormone production. Drugs like cocaine, heroin, etc. are also harmful for hormone production. If you generally consume excessive amounts of coffee, you should reduce it also because caffeine may also delay pregnancy.

You should ensure that there is no increase in your weight. In general, obese, overweight and underweight women may take more time for getting pregnant.

You should learn to manage your stress levels judiciously. If your stress levels are high, your hormone production may be affected because Hypothalamus, that is mainly responsible for controlling production of hormones, may not function normally. So, the ovulation may become erratic and so, it may delay pregnancy.

If you keep these points in mind and take suitable steps, you are certain to conceive very soon.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

How Stay-At-Home Moms Can Choose A Suitable Home-Based Business


Home based businesses are suitable for everyone and especially, stay-at-home moms will find them very useful. By choosing a good home-based business, these women can earn well and supplement the income of the family. But, since there are many such jobs, they should do a good research and choose the most appropriate one. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you may find the following few tips useful:
- It is better you choose a product or service about which you are very much passionate. Only if you constantly remain enthusiastic, you will be able to succeed in your business. You should enjoy doing the required tasks of your business. If your levels of enthusiasm come down or if you get bored after some time, you will not be able to put forth your optimum efforts. So, you must invest sufficient time for choosing the right niche.
- You should then check the popularity of the niche. If the niche is quite popular, there will be a large number of results on the search engines for the related keywords. Likewise, a large number of people will be using these keywords for searching for information regarding the niche. You can know this through Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Once you are sure that the niche you have chosen is quite popular, you can proceed to the next step.
- There is competition in every field. But, competition is comparatively less in certain fields. Hence, you should know the level of competition in the field of your choice. If there are a large number of websites on the search engine results pages related to the field you have chosen, you can come to the conclusion that competition is quite stiff. The point is that if the competition is less, you can succeed easily. So, you should choose a niche that does not have a very stiff competition.
- You should make a study of the top websites on the search engines. This research will give you insights as to how you should make your own sites, how you should serve your customers and so on. You should make it a point to go through the testimonials written by customers on the websites also. This will give you an idea as to how these companies have taken care of the needs of their customers. Your aim should be to surpass the performance and efficiency levels of these companies.
If you follow these steps, you can choose the right niche to do your home-based business. If you put in consistent efforts, you can certainly succeed in the home-based business you have chosen.


Thursday, May 26, 2011

Protect The Delicate Beauty Of Your Eyes By Using An Appropriate Anti-Aging Eye Cream

There are certain organs of our body that can clearly show our age. Especially, skin is an organ that will show signs of our age. But, the good news is that by bestowing special attention on skin care, we can have young looks. Another point is that skin is the largest organ of the body and it protects our internal organs effectively. Therefore, we should necessarily take care of our skin.



In general, women are more worried about their looks and even if a single line or wrinkle appears on their skin, especially on their face, they dread it. But, nowadays, even young women get wrinkles on their skin, particularly on their face and more so, beneath their eyes. This is perhaps due to excessive exposure of their skin to the sun and also due to smoking. Using make-up products that contain a lot of chemicals is also another factor that causes wrinkles. When there is a moisture loss and when the skin becomes dry also, wrinkles may be caused. The problem of wrinkles beneath the eyes can be solved by using the right eye cream. These thin lines or wrinkles formed around the eyes are otherwise called crow's feet.



Though aging is a process that can not be avoided, by taking the right steps and by using the right anti-aging products, women can have beautiful and attractive looks. Sun's UV rays accelerate formation of wrinkles and hence, they should use a good sun screen lotion or cream before they go out in the sun. In addition to that, they should use an effective anti-aging eye cream to remove the crow's feet underneath their eyes.



Women should refrain from using a sunscreen or an eye cream that contains chemicals. They are advised to choose creams that contain natural ingredients. Natural products with non-oxidized Vitamin C are very good because it is a proven fact that non-oxidized Vitamin C is an anti-aging agent.



Women must remember that the eye cream products that should be used around the eyes are completely different from other skin care products. These products should be able to provide extra moisture to the areas beneath the eyes. While moisturizing the areas beneath the eyes, these creams rejuvenate collagen and this will remove the wrinkles. The main point is that when the skin is exposed to sun's rays, certain vitamins are lost and so, the anti-aging eye creams should provide these vitamins to the skin.



But, women should examine their skin type and choose the most appropriate eye cream. Women with dry skin should opt for creams that can moisturize the skin more. There are separate eye creams for women who have oily skin.



In addition to using these anti-aging eye creams, these women should drink plenty of water, eat nutritious diet, shed the habit of eating junk and processed foods and do their exercises regularly. They should also ensure to have a good night's sleep. They must manage their stress levels also wisely. Simply put, if they lead a disciplined life, they can prevent wrinkles beneath the eyes and continue to have young looks for a longer period.