Don’t Let Perfection Stop You from Improving Your Health: Start Where You Are With What You Got

Don’t Let Perfection Stop You from Improving Your Fitness and Health After 50:

Start Where You Are With What You Got

Feel overwhelmed with the fitness advice out there or the ideal start to your day? Feel like it is impossible to achieve the ideal workout plan and morning routine everyone is touting?

I feel you. You are told to:

• Walk for 30 minutes in the morning
• Do a cold plunge
• Incorporate HIITs twice a week
• Perform the Norwegian 4 x 4 (4 minutes at 85-95% of your maximum heart rate, rest for 3 minutes and repeat 4 times)
• Weight lift 3-4 times a week
• Do breathwork
• Meditate before work
• Journal right after meditating
• Walk for 30 minutes after dinner
• Sleep for 8 hours

You hear this, and you give up before you even start.

“I can’t walk for 30 minutes. High intensity for 4 minutes, are you crazy? Lifting weights 4 times a week, my body can’t handle that. I don’t have time to do all these things in the morning. Yeah, I wish I could sleep for 8 hours.”

It all feels impossible, so you don’t even try. You go back to sitting on the couch and determine, it’s no point. You tell yourself, “at least I can get around in the house, and even though grocery shopping and running errands can feel a little hard at times, I can still do it.”

Any of this sound familiar? The stories we tell ourselves to convince ourselves that we can still manage.

But is that enough? Just managing? Can you go for walks to the park and play with your grandkids or take your dog for long walks?

Do you skip going on outings because it is just too hard and exhausting?

Is your body, your fitness level keeping you from living the life you want to live?

Is your less-than-mobile body keeping you from traveling to the places you used to dream of going? Just thinking about walking the distance in an airport, let alone wandering the cobbled streets of Paris for hours, walking the steep hills of San Franscico, or the winding mountain terrain in Switzerland makes you shake your head, because no way you could do that.

Well, all is not lost.

Start Where You Are

First let’s get over the “perfect” workout and morning routine everyone is promoting. Not because they are wrong. They are not. Science backs up all these claims.

HOWEVER

You have to start where YOU are with what YOU are capable of right now.

Stop thinking that if you can’t do all these things just the way the fitness and health experts present it to you that it is no use doing it at all.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, that is ideal, but we deal in reality. Where something is always better than nothing. Make that your mantra and repeat it to yourself when you feel like giving up.

SOMETHING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN NOTHING

Start Small

So, what do you do?

You start small. It can be as small as you need to make it. No one is judging. And if they are, who cares.

That Norwegian 4×4, forget about 4 minutes. Start with 15 seconds and recover for 2 minutes. Then increase to 30 seconds when you can. Or maybe you don’t begin this at all until you have established a habit of doing low-intensity exercise regularly, like walking or swimming.

If you can only walk for 10 minutes, then you walk for 10 minutes. The key is to make it a consistent habit. You just don’t walk for 10 minutes now and again. You make it a habit.

You plan your day so you can fit in 10 minutes of walking in your day. And don’t tell me you don’t have 10 minutes. I know it might not feel so appealing in the dead of winter when the weather is horrible, but try to get outside when you can.

If you work from home or are cooped up in the house all day, walking outside can have real benefits. I know for myself just getting outside first thing in the morning, hearing the birds chirp, feeling the fresh air, getting the first morning rays are priceless to me knowing I will be stuck in front of the computer the rest of the day.

Being outside has real benefits. Exposure to sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which supports bone health and immune function. Walking outside has mental benefits as well and is highly effective for stress management. Science tells us natural environments activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promote relaxation, and reduce mental fatigue. Spending time in nature has also been shown to lower the risk of depression, and it certainly helps me think more clearly.

On the days you can’t get outside, walk in your house, march in place while watching a show,  move to your favorite music, or go walking in the mall. The mall is a great place to walk when the weather is not cooperating, whether it is raining, too cold, or too hot. Plus, who said you can’t do some shopping while getting your steps in.

And if you can only walk for 5 minutes that is okay as well. Just make it a habit. Then build from there. This week you walk for 5 minutes. Next week you walk for 6 minutes.

No matter where you start, building a habit and progressing each week is important.

Think You are Too Old to Start Lifting Weights?

Feel like you are too old to start lifting weights? Watch the Rebuilding Mum & Dad series on YouTube where Clare Johnston documents her parents’ strength training journey in their 80s and then tell me you can’t pick up some dumbbells. It really shows you that it is never too late to regain your strength and muscles. I found it very inspiring. It is amazing what our bodies can do if we just treat it right.

Always get your physician’s okay before embarking on a new fitness routine, especially if you suffer from any illness or ailments. Seek guidance from a professional to ensure you don’t injure yourself when starting out.

Having muscles and strength as we age is one of the most important aspects when trying to stay mobile, independent, and to avoid sarcopenia. Strengthening and building your muscles also stimulates bone growth, helps with weight control, and lowers blood sugar. All so important in living a better, healthier, more mobile life. 

How easily do you open a jar, tie your shoes, bend down to pick something up, pull weeds in the garden, or clean your house? These once simple tasks are starting to feel harder and harder. Do you think it is going to get better or worse as you age? Definitely not better if you do nothing. It will gradually get harder and harder.

Did you know that after only 2–3 weeks of inactivity, your muscle starts to atrophy, and your strength starts to decline?  Scary, right?

Weak muscles also make it harder to balance, increasing the risk of falls. Not something any of us wants.

If you don’t use your muscles, your body thinks you no longer need them. When you stop doing weight bearing exercises and resistance training, bone loss accelerates, raising your risk of osteoporosis and fractures, especially in the spine, hip, and wrist. Even everyday activities can cause fractures if bones are weakened. You know that saying, use it or lose it? Well, that is exactly what happens as we get older.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

The good news is, you can start rebuilding your muscles and regain strength at any time.  Even if you have never lifted weights before. You just start small.

Start light and learn proper form if you are new to lifting weights. You can just start with your own body weight at first. It’s important to do things with proper technique so we don’t injure ourselves, especially if you have back or knee problems or other issues.

If you suffer from osteoporosis, consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any exercise program so they can guide you to exercises that are safe for you.  

Enlist a Professional

Don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional or experienced friend who can teach you the proper techniques, and which exercises are best for you and your body. 

Having a personal trainer does not have to be forever. Look at it as seeing a specialist for a bad back, for example. You want to make sure you don’t get injured, do the right exercises, and that you actually see results. 

You are investing in yourself. And you are worth it.

Find a Way

Everyone is different. Just because you can’t do one exercise, doesn’t mean you can’t find another one. I struggle with my shoulders, so I am very limited in overhead type exercises like shoulder press, so I have to take it easy on the weights and find just the right position when holding and lifting the weights to avoid further pain. 

It can be frustrating when you want to improve and your body has other ideas. But if there is a will, there is a way. Always.

Just don’t give up. as possible.

Easy Tips to Get You Started

Increasing our activity level and movement throughout the day is important. And it is easier than you think to get started on building new habits that last.

First, remember the benefits. Remember why you are doing it and how important it is so that you can live the life you want to live, independently and strong, for as long as possible.

Here are some simple ideas and tips to bring more movement your day:

1. Stop looking for the closest parking. Park further out and get more steps in. 
2. Switch it up. Take a different route or walk in a different park to keep it fresh. 
3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when you can.
4. Housework = exercise. Look at housework as exercise instead of a boring chore. Housework is hard and absolutely count as exercise. It is very satisfying knowing that you got a 2 for 1 – a clean house and exercise at the same time. 
5. Get out and garden.
6. Join a walking club. You get to meet new people that will encourage you to keep going.
7. Put on your favorite music and just dance around the house.
8. Stand up and sit down 10 times while working in front of a computer or sitting on the couch. Repeat 3 times throughout the day
9. Walk in place while watching the news or during commercials.
10. Do pushups against the kitchen counter or do squats and toe raises while waiting for the coffee to brew or tea to steep.

The idea is to think of things that gets you moving and gets you off that couch. Little things add up and before you know it you are a person that moves. Pick a new thing to try or add each week.

In Conclusion:

• start small: work with what you got
• make exercise and movement a daily routine, just like brushing your teeth
• gradually increase the weight, the distance, or the speed each week to progress
• seek professional help from a trainer or your doctor if you need to
• stay consistent: consistency wins the race
• adjust the exercises to fit your needs and your body

And most importantly, never give up. Stop letting perfection dictate what you do and how you live. It’s your life we are talking about after all.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be hindered by limitations, and I want to be strong, mobile, and independent for as long as possible.

What are you going to start doing this week? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear how you will start your journey of incorporating more movement into your day.