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Contrary to what you might have been told, fitness has NO age limit and there is absolutely no reason why you cannot be in the best shape of your life through your 40’s and beyond. After all, life begins at 40 right.

In fact, as we get older the benefits of exercise have never been so prominent. With exercise comes a plethora or anti-aging benefits; improved muscle tone, balance, confidence, strength, hormone balance, coordination and bone density to name a few!

Are you ready to feel in the best shape of your life regardless of your age? Have a read of these benefits to incorporating exercise into your everyday routine below.

  1. Weight loss. This might be a no brainer, but ALL types of physical activity can be beneficial throughout 40’s and beyond for lowering body fat and burning calories efficiently and effectively. Regular strength and resistance training allows our bodies to build lean muscle mass which in turn burns through calories quicker and boosts our metabolism. A healthy weight is essential as we age for lowering our risk of diabetes and heart disease.
  2. Keeps your heart healthy. Again, more important as we get older than ever, a healthy body equals a healthy heart. Regular movement and activity will ensure our heart remains healthy and strong.
  3. Builds muscle and bone mass. From the age of 30 onwards our muscle AND bone mass decreases. This also speeds up rapidly when we are in menopause (the stage when you have not had a period for over a year). This is when starting sooner rather than later (in our 30’s & 40’s) can all help to protect our bodies. Bodyweight, resistance and strength training are vital for protecting our joints, muscles and bones.

Starting your fitness journey does not have to be laborious and complicated. Have a read of these tips to get you started on your journey of feeling fitter, stronger and confident regardless of your age: Set yourself some goals and a plan. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Finding your WHY and set clear goals to remind you what you are doing this for, when it comes to dragging yourself out of bed in the mornings! Think about your goals and WRITE THEM DOWN. I cannot emphasise this enough. Having goals written out in front of you to tick off along the way is essential to a successful plan of action. Break these goals down into smaller steps. For example, if your goal is, I want to improve my fitness, make it more specific, i.e. I want to be able to work-out for longer. Once you’ve established this, think about the small daily changes you can make to get there. For example, moving your body for 10 minutes a day this week or reducing your alcohol intake to just once a week and so on. Have a read on our latest blog about setting fitness goals here.

Pick activities you actually enjoy. The best workout is the one you will actually DO! If you hate your usual routine it is time to switch it off. Yes, you may not find every exercise enjoyable (i.e. burpees are a common example!) BUT at the very least choosing a workout where you know you will feel fantastic after is key. As busy women, our time is limited, make sure you utilize it so you have fun while you are working towards a better and healthier you. We’re always keeping things fun and varied at niix. Keep an eye out for our latest fitness challenges!

You cannot out train a bad diet. Your hard work will be wasted if you are not paying close attention to your diet. As we age our hormones levels change making it more difficult for us to lose/ maintain our weight. The key here is to really cut back on the sugars and processed foods. Make a conscious effort to try and focus on whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. Try smarter, healthier snacks and limit your red meat and alcohol intake.

Schedule, schedule, schedule. As you would an appointment, meeting or anything else. Write your workout down in the diary and stick to it like glue. The more you do this, the more exercise will be embedded into your everyday life without even a second thought. Honestly you won’t be able to imagine a life without it!

Ease into it. If you’re just starting out, there can be a temptation to dive right in all guns blazing. Change won’t happen overnight. Give yourself time and be patient. If you have never exercised before it is unrealistic to assume you will be able to take on an hour a day. Ultimately you will be left feeling defeated, this is where most people fall off the wagon. Start small. 10 minutes a day is all you need to get started on making exercise a habit. Overtime you will find you will naturally want to dedicate more time to this, so just stick with it and you will reap the rewards! Remember when you are starting out it is very normal to feel sore and achey. Be sure to factor in regular rest days and listen to your body when you feel you need a break.

Ready to get started? Head over to my IGTV where you will find a brand new 20 minute strength workout!

Join our brand new niix community group for daily motivation, tips and tricks, recipes and the chance to chat with like–minded women sharing the same journey click here

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