As one crosses the threshold of 40 various things start to happen. The first one might be your friends making fun of you for being on the ‘wrong side of 40’ but more importantly, you might start to feel not as vitalized or energized as before. This happens not only because of the physical aspects of aging but also the fact that in your 40s you are juggling several different things leading to stress and exhaustion. If you haven’t been particularly careful about keeping fit till now, you may feel that it is now a lost cause. Tons of people think that unless you have a history of exercise, it is too late to start or that it is not viable to be doing what those in their 20’s and 30’s might be doing easily.

But let me assure you, this is not so. Anecdotally I have seen many patients and friends who have taken up workout regimes late in life while up until now the only exercise they got was the non-existent walk from their car to office. In fact many people have completely turned their lives around after 40 and are reaping the benefits of it much later in life. I have watched and admired my father-in-law’s lifestyle for the past one decade. He follows a simple but consistent regime of food and exercise daily without any excuses or any ‘missed days’. The only days that I have seen him not adhere to his routine is on the wedding days of his three children! At 70, he stands tall with radiant skin and capable of physical activity that any other 70 year old would flinch away from. He is also devoid of any chronic illness his peers discuss about and the only medication he takes are daily vitamins. I had assumed that he was always like this. Much to my surprise, he was a smoker till he hit his midlife. I am not sure what spurred the radical change but he took up exercise and a well-balanced diet regime then and has stuck to it ever since. This is truly inspiring.

In our 40’s we start to take stock of our life, question our mortality and wonder if we will continue to lead active fit lives in the future. 50’s and 60’s can herald the onset of many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, bone loss, muscle and joint pains, hypertension, stroke and many others. We no longer feel invincible and immortal like we did in our 20’s. Add to this the fact that we are juggling parenting, aging parents and our careers and we struggle to make time and effort for exercise. If we decide in our 40s to begin the journey towards fitness then it is not too late. Even research has looked into this with positive results. In 2007, Dr Dana King of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston looked at the adoption of healthy habits in middle age. The report brings encouraging news to any middle aged people who feel it is too late to get fit- it showed that those who adopted healthier lifestyles by eating better and exercising more had a 35% less chance of cardiovascular disease and their mortality risks went down by 40%. Another recent study by Dr Benjamin Lewis showed the same results. Hence, even if you haven’t been very active so far doesn’t mean that it is futile to start now.

Understanding that the amount of physical activity required to attain fitness is not high might motivate many to begin as well. According to the 2008 Physical Activity guidelines published by the US department of health and human services, substantial health benefits can be achieved with just

a. 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity per week (only 21 minutes every day) OR

b. 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week (only 10 minutes a day)

Moderate aerobic activities are brisk waking at 3 mph or faster, bicycling slower than 10 mph, tennis doubles, dancing and gardening. Vigorous aerobic activities are jogging, running, swimming, tennis singles, biking faster than 10 mph, jumping rope, heavy gardening, hiking uphill. Remember that weight training either at home or the gym can assist greatly in maintaining muscle mass, bone health and in attaining fitness.

So depending on your history of exercise and physical status opt for one of these options and say Yes to Midlife Fitness and No to Midlife Crisis!

Many people suffer from fatigue and low motivation to carry on through the day and may be wondering why. Sometimes it could be due to some medical problems like diabetes, thyroid, blood pressure variations and others but more often than not it is just pure lifestyle!

There are simple ways to keep yourself energized through the day- just by keeping your metabolism up. A few simple tricks about how you move and what you eat can completely alter how you feel. So go ahead and try some of these.

Get moving in the a.m. 

Start every day with 15 minutes of cardio intervals, such as brisk walking or jumping jacks or push ups- before you even think about eating breakfast. Doing cardio on an empty stomach is scientifically proven to burn fat and it will seriously prep you for the day ahead.

Eat clean

I hate the word ‘diet’ and instead believe in eating clean or eating mindfully. Clean eating is more about a lifestyle change and forming new habits. This means choosing unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and lean proteins instead of fast food. Fueling yourself with the right food is the key to transforming your body, sustaining energy, gaining muscle, and dropping fat. Heavy processed food, while feels good on the palate can zap you of your energy and make you feel bloated and lethargic. Clean light food can keep your energy up much longer by making sure your metabolism stays boosted.

Have the most important meal of the day

Most of us understand how important breakfast is because studies show people who maintain the right weight are regular breakfast eaters, but few of us make the time to eat in the morning. Making sure your breakfast includes a combination of protein, fat, and healthy carbs will give your metabolism and YOU the right jumpstart it needs.

Refuel often- Aim to eat three meals and two smart snacks (like nuts, eggs, curd, etc) a day to keep satiated so you’re less likely to give in to your junk food cravings. You should be eating less calories and minimizing carbs as the day progresses.

Work out smarter, not harder. Focus on fat loss and not weight loss. Rather than focusing on losing weight you should be focusing on staying fit, staying healthy and changing your body shape by lifting weights, eating well, and doing a small amount of cardio. Weight training three to four times a week can help you build muscle while burning fat, and muscle boosts your metabolism because it torches calories all day long.

Follow these ways to keep energized all day. Remember, to achieve your dreams you have to be alert and focused!