Archive for March, 2008
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
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Are You Turning 40 and Looking for a Profound Life Change?
Have a great day!
My 40th birthday is just around the bend. In fact, it’s coming at me like a teenage boy in his daddy’s sports car with a backseat full of girls he’s trying to impress. Sigh. I’d much prefer to think that middle age was still taking its sweet time to get here— much like a silver-headed granny driving the precious cargo that is her grandchildren as she takes the Maximum Speed Limit to the letter of the law and then drops it by five miles per hour.
At whatever speed it traveled to get to me, I suppose there’s no point denying that it did. So I sit here pondering the advice and declarations of my senior sisters, who warned me years ago that it pretty much all boils down to gravity.
“Oh, honey, you start waking up in the middle of the night and then, before you know it, you’ve got bags the size of those Prada totes that are sold for thousands on the pages of Vogue.”
“My upper arms make me look a lot friendlier than I feel with all that waving they’re doing.”
“How much do you love it that Britney Spears’ rump has started to sag? If that youngster is suffering from continental drift, it’s no wonder my land mass is a case of full scale plate tectonics.”
“The only magazine cover I could ever grace is one of those topless tribal tributes in National Geographic. Hmmm. The Suburban Tribe of Almaden? I might as well go in for the piercings and have my people get in touch with the editors.”
The funny thing is, I only seemed to notice when my pals were talking about gravity in the physical sense of the word. You know, in the way Sir Isaac Newton intended it to be. It never even occurred to me that there would be a sense of emotional gravity to come along with it.
Yes, I realize this makes me a little too literal, and also explains the rash that climbs up my neck whenever someone brings up the subject of poetry. All I know is I should’ve spent as much time preparing my psyche as I did my vessel when I assessed myself with all those rounds of Body Part Limbo while doing my best Chubby Checker impression of “How low can you go?”
Now that the Big One is upon me, I see that the emotional issues that invade a middle-aged mind have twice the gravitational pull as their physical counterpart. I’m no physicist, but I am thinking that if you don’t take conscious steps to counter them — or dress in 50 pounds of magnetic shield — it’ll be enough to suck you into the depths of the earth’s core.
You see, at 40, all of a sudden it makes sense to ponder whether you embarked upon the right path in life, instead of forging ahead robotically while whacking away at the wild tundra in front of you, as you did throughout your thirties. You can’t help but wonder if one of the choices you made along the way might have led you to a different career, different relationships, better health and finances. And as you get all Robert Frost about your own “road not taken,” you also cope with the fear that own your parents might soon hit the end of their path, or that your children are starting down one you don’t approve of.
These issues invade your busy mind the only chance they can—when you finally have a moment to catch your breath. After work. After your volunteer commitments at the school. After you chauffeur the kids to their sports and hobbies. After homework. After dinner and laundry. Okay, and after a glass of wine and an episode of “Desperate Housewives.”
It’s got me thinking that our physical slide may have very little to do with Newtons’s theories, and way more to do with Eeyore’s. But you won’t find this girl sticking around in a boggy place too long. I’ll be skidding out of there whenever I can, because even an up and coming granny knows when to put the pedal to the metal. And, sugar, this joy ride has nothing to do with impressing teenage girls and everything to do with preserving the sanity of middle-aged ones.
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Shana McLean Moore is a resident of Almaden Valley. She invites you to listen to her free podcast and read more of her columns by visiting www.caffeintedponderings.com.
Posted in Getting Closer, Humor | No Comments »
Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Seems like turning 40 is THE thing to do. Here are 40 other people who are doing it this year too!
Cuba Gooding Jr., American actor (January 2)
John Singleton, American film director (January 6)
LL Cool J, American rapper and actor (January 14)
Chad Lowe, American actor (January 15)
Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast (January 24)
Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer (January 28)
Edward Burns, American actor (January 29)
Lisa Marie Presley, American singer (February 1)
Gary Coleman, American actor (February 
Molly Ringwald, American actress (February 18)
Jeri Ryan, American actress (February 22)
Daniel Craig, British actor (March 2)
Mark McGrath, American musician (March 15)
Kenny Chesney, American musician (March 26)
Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress and singer (March 29)
Céline Dion, Canadian singer (March 30)
Patricia Arquette, American actress (April
Anthony Michael Hall, American actor (April 14)
Ashley Judd, American actress (April 19)
Tony Hawk, American skateboarder (May 12)
Kylie Minogue, Australian singer (May 28)
Jorja Fox, American actress (July 7)
Gillian Anderson, American actress (August 9)
Eric Bana, Australian actor (August 9)
Debra Messing, American actress (August 15)
Rachael Ray, American television chef (August 25)
Will Smith, American rapper and actor (September 25)
James Caviezel, American actor (September 26)
Naomi Watts, English-born actress (September 28)
Jane Krakowski, American actress (October 11)
Hugh Jackman, Australian actor (October 12)
Shaggy, Jamaican singer (October 22)
Vanilla Ice, American rapper (October 31)
Parker Posey, American actress (November
Sammy Sosa, Major League Baseball player (November 12)
Owen Wilson, American actor (November 18)
Jill Hennessy, Canadian actress (November 25)
Lucy Liu, American actress (December 2)
Margaret Cho, Korean-American comedian (December 5)
Rachel Griffiths, Australian actress (December 18)
List compiled by Andi of List-O-Rama
Posted in Celebs | No Comments »
Monday, March 24th, 2008
Well, today is my 40th birthday. It is the day after Easter, so it’s been over-shadowed by the holiday, which is fine by me. My physical appearance is great. I’m often mistaken for 31. I have two great kids, a 16 year old son who is an honor student and an 18 year old daughter who graduated high school and is working as a hair stylist. I have a wonderful father and great brother.
I have many good friends and my job schedule is great. I am an RN and have made many professional strides and received much recognition for being a good nurse. I survived the treachery of youth. The teen years, I WOULD NOT WANT TO REPEAT AGAIN!! My 20’s were lovely, I had my two children early and I don’t regret it at all. My 30’s were very turbulent. I divorced my husband and my mother passed away. My daughter also went through a lot in high school and it was a very difficult time for me. I also traveled much more in my 30s and have done extra work in movies and on television. I have had a pretty good life so far. I learned to cherish what I do have, and not try to lament over what I don’t have.
I am dating a guy–but not sure where this is going. I would hope to get re-married again.
My biggest fear..is not growing older, but growing older alone without a partner to buffer life’s hardships. I feel this is a new leaf for me in some prospects. I am not afraid to speak my mind. I am not afraid to venture and try new things. I am looking forward to the summer and looking HOT in a bikini and traveling with abandon. I feel free to cut myself away from disingenuous people in my life and pity anyone who dares to stand in the way of my dreams.
I feel comfortable in my skin and ready for the journey that lies ahead. It’s a challenge, bring it on! Today is my 40th birthday & to quote one of my favorite movie lines. “Dear God, I’m here.”
Posted in New Outlook | No Comments »
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Turning 40 may mean your youth is gone but it doesn’t mean that your youthful look has to go with it. Elle McPherson and Cindy Crawford are looking hotter than ever, and although you may not be a former model, there are some things you can do to help you stay looking vibrant as you age.
- Drink water: The more you keep your body hydrated the longer your skin will stay elastic and supple. Your inside will be happy as well and be less likely to hold on to water weight due to “water faminine” just like your body adjusts and slows down your metabolism for “calorie famine” when you severely cut back on eating.
- Create a support system of positive people: As you get older, life changes become far more stressful thus reeking havoc on your body and your appearance. Life is much easier and less lonely when you have a support system of really wonderful people who will back you up and remind you of your strength and lovability. Your support system will also help make you laugh which is something you need to do more of during those stressful life changes.
- Stay physically active: You don’t have to go to the gym more to stay fit after 40, you just need to keep moving and participate in activities that involve movement like dancing, kayaking, or dog walking. As we get older, we tend to sit more thus minimizing opportunities to burn calories and keep the muscles active. Joining activities that involve groups of people can also help you make new friends or make you feel like you belong to a group which leads to better overall happiness.
- Bask in the sun sparingly: If you’re over 40 and have a hot bod, by all means you should show it off at the beach or the pool, but do it sparingly. Basking in the sun for hours and days will only increase the rate at which your skin wrinkles, shows spots, and mature faster than your actual age.
- Stop taking yourself too seriously: Because we’re grown-ups now many of us feel the need to always act like a grown-up and be serious all the time. After all, we’re now parents, leaders, business people, and the “example to the younger ones,” so with all that seriousness you smile less and feel more stress. Phewy! You can be the adult and still radiate some kid-like vibrance. So much of your life is spent on the serious things going on that you forget to have fun and be playful along the way. When you lighten up, your whole glow lightens up too.
More about Stephanie and her blog - Back in Skinny Jeans
Posted in Health/Fitness | No Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
Today I turned 40. Although I have dreaded the day’s arrival for over a month now it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I had a much more difficult time turning 30 when I look back on it. During the past 40 years I have had two wonderful children, aquired amazing friends, a loving partner, and the opportunity to receive a facinating education. It was curious for me that the first thing I thought of this morning was my 1st husband who drowned when he was 31 and will not see our daughter graduate this June. Interesting… the things you think about on your birthday.
I was actually looking forward to this day for only one reason. I had been told by several individuals that I would learn the meaning of life when I was 40 and not before. Last night about 10:55pm I turned to my partner (over 40) and exclaimed in frustration “Look it’s an hour and five minutes before midnight and the closest I have come to guessing about the meaning of life is that everyone should take more naps and get more sleep because sleep is great if you can get it.” He said “wrong” and then he fessed that the meaning is that at 40 you learn that it’s important to roll with the punches and not let the little things upset us so much.
I considered this “meaning” all day on my 40th and by this evening I had learned something else. For my partner it’s “we need to roll with the punches” but the meaning of life is different for me and likely for every individual. I realize I should be very grateful I have lived to 40 because I have had so many remarkable and memorable experiences, acquired lots of wonderful friendships, lost/gained love and had the opportunity to be born in such a beautiful province/country. In the end I just feel really lucky to have more time to do it all some more.
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Posted in New Outlook | 1 Comment »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
” Turning 40 ” impressed me as I am also turning around to it in a few months.
How to take it, many different things come to mind. First of all i start looking back what have done so far all these 40 big years ? and look around people who are very young and going ahead with more than one life time achievements.
I want to know one thing also, is there any one , who could not do better under forties, later on went to do things of their life in next forty years. I have one man in my mind that is great, Abraham Lincoln, who had many failures in his earlier life, but still could finish life with great achievements. so, I can though i am little bit satisfied with what has gone so far in my life, taking the base from it, I can get big.
If any one has idea about the people who have done wonders after 40’s, kindly put it on this page, so they will become inspirational for all such kind of people who have reached or will be reaching 40s.
Thank u all for giving me this opportunity to share some thing with my age people.
Posted in New Outlook | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
You know, this whole idea of turning 40 years old is really getting to me. In 19 days I will have lived four decades, nearly half a century, that’s halfway to 100 years! To some people it’s “just a number.” To me, though, it’s a major step in my life that I really don’t want to take.
When I was a child, I thought 30 seemed old. That age came and went without any issues at all. Turning 40, though, seems like jumping into a bottomless abyss or something. Once I take that step off the edge, I”ll have no control over what happens to me and no way to stop the fall.
At 40, my life is more than half over, statistically speaking. This first half of my life flew by! Will I be 80 just as quickly?
My parents are both gone. My mom had a stroke at 71 and my dad died from cancer. My mother didn’t suffer much but my dad lingered on a little while. They lived long lives and made an impact on those around them, but in just a few generations, no one will even remember they existed. I don’t want to be lost to history.
My mother-in-law is still living. She’s 83, or somewhere around there. She doesn’t own a computer, just got touch tone phone service a few years ago and still drives around on Saturday mornings to pay her bills. I’m afraid of falling behind the times as she has done and being lost in society.
If she gets a letter from her bank, she always calls my wife and asks her to come explain the letter. I’m afraid of not being able to understand the tasks of daily life or make decisions on my own, as seems to be happening to her. Oh, she’s all there mentally, she just doesn’t understand the “modern” way of doing business.
I don’t like the idea of turning 40 at all. I see older folks around me having a hard time keeping up with the times. I see them suffering through financial hardship with no chance of ever getting out of it. All they’ve worked for seems to have gone up in smoke. What’s the point of it all?
My children are 15 and 17. I’m kind of looking forward to them being out on their own because my wife and I had children early and didn’t really get the chance to enjoy being a married couple. At the same time, though, I’m afraid of not being needed anymore.
Can you tell this is really, really bothering me?
Written by Barryo
Posted in Aging | No Comments »
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
By Megan Hazel
Turning 40 can be a powerful and transient event even though many women believe that everything starts to change or even fall apart at 40. This doesn’t have to be so! Women can stay strong and competitive, healthy and fit well over the age of 40. There may be some changes you need to make, but it is an important time for you to make these changes so that you can continue to stay in shape.
Some basic dietary changes can help you to supplement your workouts and keep you strong. Calcium, for example, has always been important in a woman’s diet, but it is critical to start supplementing calcium now if you haven’t already. Bone density begins to decline and if this gets really bad, it can lead to osteoporosis later in life. Ginseng is an herb that can help to give you energy when you start to feel fatigue, and some people swear it is what helps keep them young. Consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables is crucial to keeping yourself young. Not only is it very healthy for your body, it is quite beneficial for your skin as well. Natural foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are full of antioxidants, and these help keep free radicals from destroying that youthful appearance of your skin. Also good are salmon and other foods such as almonds, flax and fatty fish which provide a strong source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Again, this is good for your heart health but also for your radiant skin.
Staying in shape also means getting - or staying - physical, of course. You may discover aches and pains that you haven’t noticed prior to turning 40. It’s not because 40 is some magical age, but rather a useful timeline to gauge when women tend to start feeling less energetic, more rigid, or have tighter muscles than they used to. A fun and relaxing antidote to this is yoga. Yoga has been said to be the true fountain of youth! A good, long yoga session a few times a week or a simple practice of ten to twenty minutes daily can relax, tone and lengthen your muscles as well as your spirit. It also helps to de-stress your mind, which has been shown to have an effect on cortisol levels in the body. By reducing cortisol, you can help reduce the belly fat that may be more stubborn to remove these days. Any time of stress-relieving mechanism you use will help keep you young, but yoga is an especially good one.
If yoga isn’t really your speed, pick something that is. Maybe you enjoy spinning, or a step class or kickboxing. Whatever it is, don’t stop now just because you’ve reached that dreaded age. Keeping active now is just as important as it was when you were twenty, if not more so. If your aches and pains feel like they are preventing you from doing what you like to do best, it probably means you need to stretch more. Stretching can be a wonderful tool to keep you young and keep your muscles supple and strong. It can help prevent muscle tears and help you reach new levels of fitness by warming up the muscles and ligaments, but it can also just feel great after a nice, long bout of exercise. If you run or bike, be sure to stretch the calves and quadriceps muscles as well as the hamstrings. If you like to partake in a class at your gym and there is a lot of jumping involved, make sure to stretch the ankles as well. Simply adding ten or fifteen minutes of stretching to your daily routine can make you feel years younger if you are faithful about it.
Staying in shape doesn’t just mean looking good or staying in good shape on the outside. Once you reach the age of forty, keeping up with regular doctor appointments becomes more important than it was in days past. Make sure to get a mammogram and screen for early detection of breast cancer. Make an appointment with your general practitioner for a complete physical. Consult with a dermatologist, and keep regular full-body skin checkups once or twice a year, which can help screen out skin cancer and suspicious moles that may crop up. If you used to see the eye doctor once every couple of years, cut that in half and see him once annually. Unfortunately, the eyes are quick to deteriorate as you age, and you will want to keep up with these check-ups for safety reasons, to be able to keep reading, and to check for signs of glaucoma and other age-related diseases.
Nobody said getting older was fun, but it does not have to be painful. The age-old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies to the aging process very well, and if you take these measures you too can age gracefully.
Posted in Fitness | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Well, I’ll be turning 40 in a few months, and I cannot wait! I’ve had several people ask me if I am freaking out about turning the big 4-0, and I’ve given them a resounding, “Hell no!” My life is going swimmingly and promises to just get better in the near future. Besides that, I have a kickass party planned, so how could I be bummed?
Ever since adopting and actually following my “letting go” attitude, everything has been so peaceful and easy for me. Roxy (my vintage ‘63 convertible Mercury Comet) is getting fixed up, my book and stand up comedy show are flowing, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying being back at school after a year and a half leave.
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to sub in several grade levels (3 last week alone), and I have been reminded of why I went into teaching in the first place. I simply love working with kids. I love captivating them by using an accent when I read a story and having them believe I actually am that character. I love having them suddenly get what I’m teaching because out of nowhere I try a different approach that happens to make sense to them. And I love having random parents come up to me on campus and ask, “Are you Mrs. Aubert? You were in my son’s second grade class last week, and he loved you!”
On Wednesday, I overheard a first grader telling her friend as I walked to the staffroom at recess, “Ooh! Lucky! You have the best substitute today!”
I just smiled and thought, “Oh my God. This is why I went into teaching.”
Trust me. I’m completely surprised by this revelation. And don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely still following my writing and performance dreams with a vengeance. But I am finding it quite easy to marry that passion with my passion for working with kids.
When I started my charity to keep the arts alive in schools, I had no idea that would mean me fighting to create a position in middle school drama to utilize my own charity. I figured I would be running the charity and doling out money to schools that needed it. But I now know that I want to be one of the drama departments asking for contributions!
I’m always looking for signs that validate where I am on my life’s journey. Yesterday one showed up that couldn’t have been more obvious if it were flashing neon and had an arrow pointing right to me.
I was thinking about next year and what I’d be doing. I had seen the superintendent of our schools at a little concert the kids gave on Thursday night and asked him if he’d received my intent to return letter. He had, but said he couldn’t tell me anything about a specific position until later on. No worries. I just wanted to make sure the letter had been received. But it got me thinking about my credential and wondering when I needed to renew it.
Um…it expires in October of this year.
I thought to myself, “Oh boy. This may be a stumbling block,” because you have to have 150 hours to renew your credential. Now, before I took my leave I made sure I had more than enough hours to renew, but it’s still a bit of a pain to get it all documented and signed off. I figured if somehow it were really difficult to renew, maybe the Universe would be telling me something.
Anyhow, I called a girlfriend of mine just to chat and mentioned that I needed to renew my credential. She said she had to renew hers this year, too.
But she went on to say that the state has updated the way you go about that, and it was all done online now. I was thrilled!
When we hung up, I immediately got on line, punched in my social security number and birthday, and voila! There I was. Within moments I had verified all my info, paid the fee, and had a confirmation number in my hot little hands.
Professional clear credential officially renewed.
Definitely a sign that I am on the right path.
Another sign? Right after that I opened my book Word document and cranked out several pages of writing. It just flowed right out of my brain and into the keyboard. It was easy.
I think that’s the key. When things come easily, they are definitely meant to be. If it’s a struggle and you’ve done everything you can to make it happen, you need to let go so it can unfold organically instead of being forced. It’s taken me a long time to figure that out. But when I just let go, it always works out in the way that it should, whether I understand it or not.
Back to the birthday. I had been trying to book this particular venue for months now, and the woman just wouldn’t get back to me. Finally I called the lead singer of the band I hired and asked if he had any suggestions. He gave me the name of a place nearby, and the hubby, the kids and I checked it out. I called the number, spoke with the girl in charge, and had the place booked within minutes.
Easy.
So, am I worried about turning 40 in a few months? Not a chance.
Anytime I can celebrate a milestone with an 80s themed party complete with “Pretty in Pink” Cosmos and “Long Duk Dong” Lemondrops…I know I’m on the right path!
Written by Mel Aubert - find out more about Mel at www.melaubert.com
Posted in Celebrating, Getting Better with Time | No Comments »
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
For the last year or so, there’s been a book called “The Secret” at or near the top of the nonfiction bestseller list, its reign broken only by Steven Colbert’s outstanding “I Am America And So Can You!” and various other short-term winners. I have no earthly clue what the book’s about, as I tend to regard anyone claiming to have deduced “the secret” to anything with the sort of dubious caution normally reserved for streetcorner Rolex salesmen and infomercials.
However, I’ve discovered a secret of my own that far outweighs anything peddled by any bestselling author or anyone with a bunch of silly college degrees or actual formal schooling: the secret of youth. Specifically, it’s the secret to guys turning 40, like your humble scribe, keeping their youthful outlook and demeanor. All you have to do is wait until your late 30s to start having children.
I spent a lot of years convinced that I had no business proliferating my own sort of genetic weirdness and sending more little Wilsons out into the world. It took a good woman who knew me far better than I know myself and in whom I found endless wonder, challenge and delight to convince me otherwise. Never in my life has a change of mind turned out better. Alex and Cooper, my sons, have taught me that I had only scratched the surface of my capacity to love, and that my capacity for patience still needs quite a bit of work.
It’s not all that sort of touchy-feely stuff, though. Take this afternoon, for example: I piloted my trusty Dodge Ram to the local home improvement joint and purchased one of the largest backyard playsets known to mankind for Alex’s third birthday. According to the trusty apron-wearing fellows who helped me load the boxes into the truck, the assembly will require 24 hours of labor by two people. How long it will take for one moderately skilled suburban dad with a full-time job and two classes this semester remains to be seen. I’m hoping to have it finished before Alex goes to middle school.
I’ve got acquaintances my own age who have kids. Their kids are in high school, heading off to college or threatening to make them grandparents. When I tell them I’ve got a toddler and an infant in the house, their initial reaction is to doubt my sanity and remind me that I’ll be pushing 60 when Cooper graduates high school. Almost always, though, they immediately begin interrogating me as to whether Alex is going to play tee ball, if he’s learned to throw a football yet and when I plan on getting him his own set of golf clubs. I hear a wistfulness in their tone, remembering when parenting was a simpler proposition and Daddy was the unquestioned authority on everything from why rain fell to how birds flew.
While they spend their quality time with their kids visiting college campuses and doing all the other work required before we turn our offspring loose on an unsuspecting world, I spend mine teaching Alex how to dig holes in the mulch pile and working on Cooper’s skills at the all-important art of rolling over. I wash and mix bottles, change diapers, answer myriad “why?” questions and try to explain in as even tones as possible that using crayons to color on the pages of Daddy’s books is not a good thing.
This summer, I have high hopes for teaching Alex the fine art of dangling a piece of Niblets corn in front of a perch in a manner that will cause the fish to pounce on it like a shark on a tourist. Some of my friends are looking forward to taking the tops off their German roadsters. I’m looking forward to teaching Alex the mysteries of the Zebco 404 rod and reel combo.If you’d asked me 20, 10 or even five years ago, I would have given you a list of things I thought I would be, do or have by age 40. Almost none of those, other than the salt-and-pepper hair and penchant for bad puns, have actually come to pass. I find myself not terribly saddened by my inability to Nostradamus my own future. Yes, I’ll be spending the years when most guys are learning new hobbies going to school plays and baseball games … and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I turn 40 on Saturday. If you’re buying me a present, remember that I want it black with black leather interior and at least 8 cylinders. I’m planning on starting my midlife crisis soon, and I’ll need to be ready. Got a rant? A rave? Bigfoot tearing up your petunias? Drop me a line, anytime!
Reprinted by Permission. Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
J. Scott Wilson, Food Editor, National Morning Editor, Quizmaster, Columnist
Internet Broadcasting Visit us at: www.ibsys.com Read our blog: www.StateofLocal.com
Posted in Family, Gratitude, Humor | No Comments »
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
Source: Oprah Magazine
Oprah.com — If there’s a magic pill for staying youthful, it may be one that’s hard to swallow: exercise. Daily doses have been proven to thwart a number of aging factors — stress, obesity, heart disease, diabetes — and the longer you’re physically active, the less you’ll notice getting older.
Weight training is good at any age.
The catch is that a 50-year-old’s body is not the same as a 20-year-old’s; you can’t push it the same way you once did, nor should you if you want to keep it in working-out order.
So listen to these coaches — they’re talking not just professionally but also firsthand — on how to remain fit, and proud of it.
There’s a big difference between how we should work out in our 20s and how we should work out when … we’re no longer 20.
The 40s
Rx: One hour of weight training 3 days a week if you do your whole body at once (4 days for half an hour if you split it up), plus 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week (it’s more than in the 20s and 30s but with less impact and intensity). Take one day off.
This is the decade of the triple whammy: gravity, hormones, and yet more slowing of metabolism as lean muscle mass continues to decrease and body fat increases. Even women who don’t put on a pound may expand, according to Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of “Body for Life for Women.”
“After 40 and certainly after 50, virtually all women find that they gain fat more easily in the torso — below the bra, through the triceps area, on the back, and in the belly,” she says. “You’re not doing anything wrong; your body composition is changing.”
Cardio work at least three days a week is still important for keeping weight under control, but resistance training is crucial now. “Women should be doing more weight training — and really going for it,” says New York City based celebrity trainer Kacy Duke, who is in her 40s. “You have to find the time to do it consistently and train hard.” If you’re just starting, says Peeke, “you must learn proper form — take a class, get a trainer, make sure someone is there to correct you so you don’t get hurt. And add intensity.”
Certain body parts may call out for extra attention. “Pilates can help some with the midsection,” says fitness veteran Karen Voight, who teaches and writes a workout column for the “Los Angeles Times.”
To tone the back of the upper arm, she instructs, “get on all fours in a bent-knee push-up position, with fingers facing forward and hands directly under your shoulders. Make sure your elbows point backward when they bend, and lower only halfway, which works the muscle but avoids strain on the joints.”
Then there’s the butt. “For that,” says Voight, who is in her 40s, “I’d try squats with weights or stair-climbing.”
It’s also about enjoyment. “I find exercise that’s satisfying on a deeper level,” says Donna Richardson Joyner, 43, creator of the video “Sweating in the Spirit” and a recent appointee to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. “It’s not just about moving my body — it’s about strengthening my mind and my spirit.”
By Carol Mithers from “O, The Oprah Magazine,” October 2006 E-mail to a friend
TM & © 2007 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Posted in Fitness | No Comments »
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