Getting in Shape After 50 - Easier Than You May Think

You're over 50. No sense talking to you about what happens when you get older. You're there. You've been around the block; been there, done that.

Now you're thinking you'll get in shape but when you come home after a long day you're too tired. Excuses have become your specialty. Sure, once you were in shape but that was when you had no troubles, or fewer troubles. Maybe you were never in shape. You'd like to be but you don't know where to start.

There is some good news but you have to turn off the TV. That insidious box is stealing your life away. Before you know it, you'll be dead and all you'll be sorry. Turn the life sucking, brain vaporizing thing off. You may need a week or two to decide. That's OK but make the decision. Does it mean you'll never turn the silly thing on again? No, of course not. But it does mean it gets last priority. LAST priority. We'll pretend you made the decision to pull the plug and move onto the next decision. It's about your attitude. It sucks. I know, you're 50 years old or maybe even worse, 60. Could it be you're 70? Egads.

Who cares? Nobody but you. If you were looking and feeling like Jack Lalanne you'd be proud of your old age. It all starts with a great attitude; not a good attitude, a great attitude. Some of you take solace in being like Garfield and his dark depressed humor. I think he's funny too. But, when it comes to getting into shape, I'll kick his little cat ass every time.

So we'll make believe again. You turned off the TV and you made the decision to get fit. Your attitude is not great yet but you're willing to work on it. It will get better. Who feels great when their body is falling apart?

What are your goals? Is your goal to lose 50 lbs.? Maybe your goal is too get off insulin or blood pressure medicine. Whatever your goal is, write it down. Write it down. When do you want to reach your goal? Remember you didn't put the weight on in a week, so don't expect to take it off in a week. Figure losing about a pound a week if you're doing it right. Doing it right means losing the fat but keeping the muscle. Kabish? Since muscle weighs three times more than fat, it ain't going to be that easy to lose 50 lbs, right? That's all right. If your blood sugar is down and your pressure along with it, and you're fitting into those 36 to 38s, then you're doing all right. Nonetheless, we all like the scale to lighten up a little, y'know.

Ok, so if we're going to lose 50 lbs. and it takes a week a pound your goal statement should look something like this: "I am losing 50 pounds by April 30, 2010."

Now you can rest. Yeah, right. Now you can get to work to make this happen. Forget about every "try this, try that" solution out there. Here's your plan. Exercise more and eat less. Exercise more and eat less.

The details should flush out something like this. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. Drink 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Eat your fruits in the morning and veggies in the afternoon. Walk 1 hour at least 4 times a week. Now, here's the tough part. Get a partner. I walk with my daughter. With 16 year old girls being what they are today, I don't expect you'll have much success. I started years ago so she's brainwashed by now. How about your spouse? You can talk....or not. After a few months you'll need a partner. Get one.

There's lots more but those are the basics.

Here's the wrap up: I live in health care whether I like it or not. I have been in the healthcare industry for 20 years first as a personal trainer who owned a fitness center and then as an owner of ten multi-disciplinary clinics. Now I market for home health companies, run an elder care foundation, own a PT company and run a training association for health care trainers. My head hurts. Let me tell you that your health care coverage is going to get worse, a lot worse. Your health care plan is going to start encouraging you a lot more aggressively to get into shape because health care costs are going through the roof. You better get in shape. Yeah, I know, it's funny how youre allergic to exercise and all that but it ain't too funny when your doctor tells you that you have diabetes or you better not get too upset because your blood pressure is so high that you'll risk a heart attack.

Get into shape. You'll love it and once you're half way there your family will love it to. Get off the couch, turn off the TV and start moving. One more thing, eat less , will you? Can't you control yourself?

You may have noticed that I repeated myself a lot during this article. I also give talks on Alzheimer's and if you're over 50 you're getting it. Get into shape and you'll grow more brain cells. You can thank me later.

God bless!
Bill Ranieri
321-626-9031

Bill Ranieri is the renaissance man of health and fitness. He has done just about everything from own multidisciplinary clinics to start personal training certification courses. He is a man of attitude, pure positive attitude. He believes that anything can be achieved with an unrelenting positive attitude. He currently owns a PT company, talks on Alzheimer's and other senior issues, runs a training association for health care trainers, writes articles and is an expert in health care marketing. Above all he loves fitness and thanks God everyday for his talents. If you want him to help you personally or professionally you may contact him at 321-626-9031 or e-mail him at waranieri@aol.com. First he will determine with you if he can help you. Then you'll talk price. If you're motivated, it's affordable!

Steroids - Help Or Harmful?

Steroids are fast catching up with antibiotics as the most abused class of drugs in your doctor's black bag. There is no doubt that the discovery of steroids over 50 years ago was a major advance in medicine, but a lifesaver?

The problem is, like antibiotics steroids appear to be a miracle 'cure'. Patients with crippling arthritis or asthma seem to be instantly better on steroids. The wheezing, the swelling, the pain goes away. Understandably the doctors turn to them fast, often first line of attack.

Antibiotics were once reserved for extreme emergency are now being used on the most trivial of conditions. Steroids are now handed out as readily as antibiotics even to babies, at the first sign of inflammation of any sort.

Steroids make up many over-the-counter skin drugs, and are considered the drug of choice for asthma, arthritis, and back problems, bowel problems and for all inflammations or allergic reactions.

Far from being a wonder drug 'cure all', steroids cannot cure one single condition. All they do is suppress your body's ability to express a normal response. In a few instances, this type of suppression will give the body a chance to heal itself. But more often, the effect is immediate, devastating and permanently damaging. Doctors are more commonly realizing how quickly damaging side effects can occur even after a short period of taking the drug.

Unlike antibiotics, steroids are all broad-spectrum, they don't simply affect the area of the body you wish to treat, but scatter their effects through every cell. This is turn may cause numerous side effects. For 30 years we have known that steroids can routinely cause over activity of adrenal hormones, which produces Cushing's disease, characterized by a fat abdomen and face. They can also cause muscle wasting, hyperglycaemia, water retention, insomnia, mood changes, osteoporosis, diabetes to list a few. Do you still want to use them?

Steroids in Children

For 30 years we've known that prolonged use of steroids for asthma and eczema retards growth in children and delays puberty. Studies have shown children even suffering from chronic arthritis, stunted growth and adrenal suppression.

Steroids may also affect a child's cognitive performance. Cataracts and glaucoma has been associated with oral steroids.

Bone density has been found to be lower with children the longer they stay on steroids. Even inhaled drugs for such as asthma are found to have adverse effects on bone metabolism and adrenal function. Steroids can cause the break down of bone joints, resulting with joint replacements.

Despite these dramatic effects on such crippling conditions, new research shows that some of these anti-inflammatory effects appear to wear off in time, leaving suffers worse off than before.

Highlighting a few effects steroids can cause, can possibly give readers an opportunity to think before they make the quick decision to pop to the doctors for a quick fix cure, as it can sometimes be more harmful than a cure?

Lucy Bridges Level 2 Coach at Dax Moy Personal Training Studios