Live fully in midlife and beyond
All about the body
I was hoping that this fall I’d be able to go back and teach Yoga at my local space.
But that’s not possible, given these Covid times.
So, that’s the bad news.
The good news, though, is that I’ll be teaching Yoga on Zoom, which allows me to reach many more of you!
Continue reading “Belly Fit Yoga this fall – on Zoom”
It seems like this is the advice that’s we’ve been given forever for fat loss.
Just eat less and exercise more.
And it’s still popular, despite the evidence to the contrary.
It’s based on the theory of “calories in, calories out.”
Eat less calories, and burn more calories.
It’s exactly what I learned when I studied to be a personal trainer 15 years ago.
But it turns out that calories have never been the issue.
Continue reading “Why “Eat less, Exercise more” doesn’t work”
Summer is definitely here, and if you’re living in the east of Canada, like me, it’s a beautiful one so far.
Of course, with summer comes more skin.
And maybe you’re noticing your belly isn’t as bikini-ready as you wanted it.
Is it your changing hormones?
Ya, maybe.
If you’re getting close to, or are smack-dab in the middle of menopause, then this is possible.
In that case, you may have some extra belly protruding around, or just below, your belly button.
But there may be another explanation.
Could your belly bloating woes be seasonal?
Continue reading “Do you have Summer Belly?”
Around 4:30 every day – when I get home before dinner – I have a salt craving.
And my salt of choice is chips.
Any type of chip will do, but I particularly like Miss Vickie’s Lime and Black Pepper.
I know it’s not a healthy habit.
But it’s a habit I allow, and now I’ve learned to allow it without guilt.
So why did I decide to do this?
Well, there are 4 criteria that I’ve got to meet, and as long as I do, I’m good.
And you can apply this criteria to whatever you food you want…
Continue reading “Why I eat chips almost every day”
You no longer have your 20 year-old booty.
Like it or not.
Your fluctuating hormones, your eating habits, your exercise or lack of exercise, your injuries and pain, your genetics, your thoughts and emotions…
Your body reflects all of it.
It’s less forgiving than it used to be.
Continue reading “Get serene about getting older”
Every day that you wake up (which is every day that you’re alive), you can do everything just as you did it yesterday…
Or you can start something new and change the course of the rest of your life.
Daily, you have the choice.
Continue reading “No time BUT the PRESENT”
The act of moving literally changes your body.
When you move your body, you…
The list is endless and the research is overwhelming: Moving creates positive changes in your body.
And not only that.
Your body NEEDS to move to function.
Your blood flow depends on it, and that’s why you’ve got all those joints, and muscles, and ligaments.
So, when you DON’T move, your body can’t do what it needs to do, and that will cause things like…
And the thing is, you don’t need to do a lot of movement, you just need to do it daily.
I plan just 15 to 20 minutes of dedicated exercise a day.
And I see everything else I do as bonus.
Walking, climbing stairs, shoveling, gardening, …
But you may be wondering what are the best ways to move for fat loss?
If you want to have a leaner mid-section this is the best place to start.
Resistance exercise.
Resistance exercise is when you move against added weight, or elastic force, or gravity (using your own body weight.)
Resistance exercise builds lean muscle.
And building more muscle in your body increases your metabolism, because muscle is metabolically active – and fat isn’t.
In addition, when you build muscle, you also build stronger bones.
As you know, bone density decreases with age, and post-menopause many women are susceptible to osteoporosis…
So, resistance exercise can keep your bones healthy.
I’m not going to go into specific exercises here, but I am providing 10 exercises in my 10-day Belly Fit “Build-Up-to-Spring” Challenge – which you can still sign up for.
Here are some things I suggest:
Cardiovascular exercise is essential for burning fat, especially that stubborn fat that accumulates around the middle.
It includes anything from running, stair walking, jumping, jumping jacks, skipping, jump rope,…
Basically any exercise that increases your heart rate to where you can only talk in 2 or 3 word sentences.
Higher intensity cardio – meaning vigorous exercise for short bouts of time – will increase your testosterone and growth hormone which will help block the cortisol (stress hormone) and increase your ability to grow muscle.
And more muscle means higher metabolism. Yay!
Now, that’s not to say that lower intensity, moderate exercise like vigorous walking or distance running – which I love – isn’t good.
It’s great for bone density and heart health.
But higher intensity is best for the best fat burning.
So, here are some guidelines I suggest for cardio exercise to decrease belly fat:
As much as your body needs to move, it needs to rest in order to restore and regenerate the body and brain.
Calm movement like walking, yoga, and tai chi, are all known to decrease stress (lower cortisol) which is THE major contributor to belly fat.
In addition, meditation, breathing exercises, and getting good quality sleep are all powerful ways to reduce stress and keep you comfortable and feeling better through perimenopause.
I use the Headspace app for easy 5 to 10 minute meditations that I can do each morning when I wake up.
These activities don’t have to take much time, but you need to do one or a combination of them every day to get the best benefit.
What’s your favorite type of movement? Walking, running, weights, yoga?
Share it in the comments below, I’d love to know!
Keep moving forward my friend,
Debbie
If you’re a woman who’s over 40, and noticing a change in your shape (namely extra folds in your mid-section), then you need to know about four particular hormones.
These hormones work great together together when everything’s in balance.
But when you head into perimenopause and through menopause, and things become unbalanced, these four hormones will play a big role in how and where you gain fat.
Continue reading “The Four Hormones Every Woman Should Know About”
There’s a lot of talk about the importance of having a strong core, especially as we age.
And maybe that’s a little worrying as you may not currently be the proud owner of a well chiseled 6-pack.
Luckily, you don’t need that kind of definition to have a strong core.
And, in fact, your core goes a lot deeper (and wider) than those superficial bumps.
If you’re going through menopause, there’s a very good chance that you’re experiencing hot flashes.
Or night sweats – the night-time version.
About 75% of women going through menopause will experience hot flashes and/or night sweats, over a few months or several years.
It’s the most common issue during menopause.
But the good news is there’s a lot you can do to keep your cool and turn down the heat naturally.
Continue reading “How to cool your hot flashes”