Imagine yourself 12 months from right now in the best shape of your life.
Yesterday I got a message from a Flipping 50 community member because it was her anniversary. A year ago she had decided to train for her first triathlon, after 60. She included a picture from last year and a recent one in her message. She has aged backwards. She’ll be on the Flipping 50 podcast soon.
You may have zero desire to do a triathlon. But what would you love to do? And yes, I say do. How do you want to live? Not how much do you want to weigh or what size clothes do you want to fit in.
Spoiler alert: If you want to just dream about being in the best shape of your life, this post is not for you. If you think that this is only for someone retired or rich with tons of time and money to spend, this is also not for you. If on the other hand you’re looking for solutions, and ready to accept that it doesn’t take tons of time, it actually GIVES YOU BACK TIME… then keep reading.
Read on to learn how 4 health professionals can help you once you have everything you need to know.
Know every possible health measure available.
If you want to get in the best shape of your life you have to know where you are now. Women tend to get addicted to the scale. In addition to your weight, get your body fat test done, do your measurements. BMI is less important in your overall health if your body fat percent is good. But waist measurement is predictive of health or of disease so it’s valuable as an independent number.
Get your cholesterol, blood pressure, your inflammation markers, information about your liver and blood. I recommend that you get your hormones tested by a functional doctor or order your own so you get the right thing measured. You want to know your thyroid function.
Test your micronutrients and food sensitivity. If you haven’t done a program already to test and remove your sensitive foods or you keep going back to them and end up feeling bad all over again, seeing it in print from a lab test will convince you to finally commit.
If you’re going to splurge on anything this year, make it your health.
What does your DNA say about your best diet and your best fitness? What is your muscle fiber composition? What nutrients are you predisposed to deficiency for?
When you know your genes, you can control whether those genes are expressed or not.
Even after 34 years of fitness and health coaching I tested my DNA last month and either confirmed or learned plenty.
I let go of some of the things I was SHOULDING myself about when it comes to exercise (because, turns out, they aren’t all that helpful for me based on genetics).
I also COMMITTED on a deeper level to taking certain supplements daily since I’m predisposed to deficiency in Omega 3, Vitamin D, and magnesium. I already had the habits but I confirmed how important they are.
I stopped skimping on the warm up, cool down and started doing more regular physiowork since I’m predisposed to ligament and tendon issues. (Sadly, I must get more frequent massages)!
Do you know what happens when you confirm healthy habits that you’re already doing? You benefit MORE. It’s proven scientifically in studies. If you are already doing things that are good for you and then mindfully reinforce what you’re doing… you make greater gains. (Including weight loss, blood pressure and cholesterol improvements in one study, and improved hearing, sight, fewer wrinkles in another).
From these measures you can determine daily habits.
You know what to eat and what to avoid. You know which types of exercise are going to get you in the best shape the fastest based on your genetic type. You can spend less time exercising and get better results from doing it.
Get a personal trainer who can train the whole you.
By the time you’re 50 you’ve done some things: some things that potentially damaged joints or ligaments. You may have some genetics that already went to work on you and caused disk degeneration or other issues. Maybe you’ve had car accidents, sports or other injuries. You need someone who can help you work around those types of things.
You have hormones that are changing or already changed the game. Find a hormone-balancing exercise expert (we’ll soon be a directory for working with someone locally!) who can combine your joint needs with your goals and with your hormones.
The fat-burning exercise is easy for a trainer when they’re working with young, fit men, or younger women. But there’s a whole lot less research (39% total and maybe half that for you) using women flipping 50 as subjects. So if you’re in a bootcamp that a trainer says will burn X amount of calories … it may have in a lab with a 20-something male working at 110%. Does that mean it will work for you if you’re stressed, tired and 55? Nope.
And if you want to do something special – a triathlon (it’s SO doable and a perfect way to train your body in a balanced way), a 5K or 10K, hike a 14er, or something else, a strength and conditioning specialist can help you do that, too.
Get a health coach.
Some trainers can double as health coaches. Some say they can. But health coaching is different. It’s deeper into your change and the steps you take BETWEEN sessions. A trainer hopes and prays you do the workout before you see them again or that you don’t go through the drive-through on the way home from the gym.
A coach though, collaborates with you to develop your homework, and decide what you’re REALLY willing to commit to and do. She helps you be successful in small steps, or sometimes big ones, in the right sequential order. You and I left to our own devices (Yes, even a coach needs a coach in some area of their lives) do things. But random order gets random (or no) results.
A coach also will not allow you to beat yourself up if you don’t get it the first time. It’s data. She helps you figure out why you’re getting in your way.
By the time you’re 50 you have some unlearning to do. You have stinking thinking, not because of a bad attitude but because of the way you’ve been conditioned and taught about fitness and health. You may need to lose old ideas of what “a good workout” is before you can have a good fitness routine that is more than compulsive exercise or obligation. Your best shape may be attainable far easier than you think. That’s not to say change isn’t hard. It’s in part why a health coach can help you break it into manageable parts.
Find someone to help you undo socialization that is limiting you so you can have your fittest year ever. Trust me, it will be followed by the fittest decades you can live on the other side of 50.
Get a nutrition coach.
Your exercise (and your sleep, digestion, and elimination) can’t work magic on you if you’re not eating the right thing. The old RDA food plate recommendations have dropped us all on our a____. What you need to thrive is another woman’s poison. There is no “healthy” diet that fits all of us.
That said, there are a lot of ways to lose weight. We’ve seen all kinds of people with all kinds of genetics lose weight on low carb and as many lose weight on low fat. Your history, and your DNA together with a blueprint (not a diet) can help you determine how to fuel yourself and feel better faster.
Getting in the best shape of your life may NOT be at all about weight loss. Maybe it’s body composition, or a specific athletic pursuit.
If you can’t do much exercise – because of your schedule, limitations or conditions – nutrition is your best ally. It has the potential to reduce inflammation and enhance sleep, helping you improve hormone balance, productivity, health and prevent disease. You may end up able to move more if you start with diet. Food is medicine.
Look for a nutritionist not limited by RDA standards, who has life experience, and a track record working with women like you. Ask for referrals so you can talk to them. I would keep looking until you find it. Nutrition is the one area most of us are reluctant to get support with because we don’t want to be judged on what we’re doing or have to give up things we love. This person matters a lot. You need to like her.
Get coach who will help you set goals.
Dump the SMART goals. I know EVERYONE still talks about them. But for 34 years, I’ve observed (I majored in exercise psychology) most people don’t get squat from SMART goals. No pun intended.
You’ve got to find out why you’ll be committed even when you won’t be motivated. (It’s 5:22am right now. I might like to be sleeping but I’m committed – to you). Getting in the best shape does require goals. But more importantly it requires habits. We want to automate the actions so it’s just a natural part of your life to be in the best shape!
If you’re adding up experts that’s a personal trainer, a medical exercise specialist, a health coach, a nutritionist, and a behavior change coach so far.
I can help you with all that.
I put together a BEST YEAR best shape package that is includes:
- assessing where you’re at now and measure what matters along the way
- your DNA
- Fasting mimicking diet – one month to change fat burning and rejuvenate
- your access to direct labs for more numbers
- private VIP coaching – for exercise, nutrition, planning for obstacles,
- setting goals that make you smile spontaneously (and a tiny bit nervous)
- an open door to all of the Flipping 50 programs to pull from so that you have what you need in video, or cheat sheets
- 12 month membership to the Cafe
BONUSES include:
- You’re invited to be a guest (free) at the live Flipping 50 retreat June 14-17
- a half day live with me (IF you get in during the special promotion period this month). It’s your virtual gym and I’m your virtual coach, trainer, and nutrition support
- Your question featured in a Season V episode of Flipping 50 TV in 2019
- Complimentary copies of my (2) books to get and give
Whether you want to be the best you can be in limited time to grow your business as a #ladyboss who needs to be on top of her game, or you want to focus on your best shape as the physical ability to challenge what you can do and push limits instead of settling for an age limiter.
I can help you recover from injuries, train for endurance events, do your first triathlon, your next half marathon, and move with less pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis or fibromyalgia. I can help you find love the food you eat and love how it makes you feel. I can help you know exactly what questions to ask your allied health practitioners and what tests you want to ask for based on your signs and symptoms.
I can help you feel and look your best this year. All you have to do is decide you are ready, show up and do the work (it won’t be overwhelming: it WILL help you make steady forward progress faster than you can do yourself).
CLICK HERE to save on your BEST YEAR.
You can get in the best shape of your life after 50. Connect with me with questions.