About 10 days ago, a follower of mine on IG asked why I had not been going to the gym. She explained she had not seen any recent posts of me working out. I do not personally know this follower, nor had we ever messaged one another so I was quite flattered. I do occasionally post my gym workouts hoping to inspire someone, but to know that someone is looking at my posts or stories is thrilling.
As a blogger, my goal is to inspire and uplift for the betterment of humanity. Whether that be through my gym workouts, my lifestyle modeling or commercial acting, my health and wellness routines, my experiences, good or bad, being a mom, a wife, or whatever other life lessons, I share with all of you. It is especially important we all share our experiences because it will help someone somewhere, but I also know not everyone is comfortable sharing. So, now you can understand my surprise at her message because it is validation that someone is always watching!
I admit it; I am having an affair with Gym. I always tell my husband this, and he laughs. The reality is I GET to go to the gym. I love Gym and I am in love with Gym. Even when I do not want to see Gym, I go and always feel better afterwards. I am a gym-rat and have been for the past 20+ years. I have experienced a few serious injuries during this time. With one injury keeping me out of the gym for a little over two years, and the road to recovery was brutal. That’s a long time, and this injury occurred in my early 40’s. My point being that it is easier to recover from injuries the younger you are.
Then after getting back into the groove again, a few years later, my stress levels went through the roof during a series of events, and we all know how stress can affect the body. My body took a major hit and it started to breakdown. Unbeknownst to me, I was in serious trouble for quite a while, but I kept hammering on. Once my biomedical doctor discovered what was happening, I was unable to lift weights for another two years. All I was able to do is walk, and it has proven to be the right course of action. I still walk as much as I can.
And to answer her question (which I already have, btw), yes, I have been going to see Gym regularly and did not realize it had been a short while since I posted anything. The photos along with this post are from last week. I know I have said this before, but I will say it again. I roll out of bed, throw on my workout clothes, and head out. I look like something the cat dragged in, but Gym loves me for my warm and bubbly personality and not for the way I look. LOL.
Am I a bodybuilder? No. hahahaha. Not even close, and you are thinking, she doesn’t even look like she lifts weights, but I do three times a week. The benefits are overwhelming for women over fifty. The benefits are overwhelming for women, period, but after age 50, it is critically important. You can google the benefits for yourself, and you will be surprised. But for your reading pleasure, here are some important benefits starting with the prevention of bone loss, possible reversal of muscle loss (we lose muscle as we age), joint health, increased metabolism, improving cardiovascular health, any the list goes on.
My personal favorite and overall benefit that keeps me going back to Gym is stress relief. I get enormous stress relief from my exercise regimen that without it, I am not sure I could do as much as I do daily. We all have stress in our lives, and it’s to our immense benefit to release it. Stress kills. Stress damages more in our minds and bodies than we can ever imagine. Stress causes all kinds of unhealthy conditions. Not only will you be relieving stress but will also be benefiting your mind, body, and soul in a myriad of ways.
Before beginning any exercise program, you must first consult with your doctor. This is of utmost importance.
Once you have clearance from your doctor, it is equally important to lift properly, and this is where a personal trainer can help. Hiring a personal trainer is vitally important, in my opinion, and not as expensive as you think. You do not have to hire a personal trainer forever, but to get off to a good start, I highly recommend doing so.
When I was able to finally get back to weight training after my second “leave of absence” from Gym, I hired my personal trainer, Daryl Maddern of Fit Beyond Fifty. I specifically chose Daryl because he is experienced with people 50+ and was willing to work within the parameters of my biomedical doctor. Experience is what we pay for. I sought out more several highly recommended trainers in my local area, and they all wanted me to train with heavy weight right from the get-go even though I told them I could not do that. Repeatedly I heard, you will not see any benefits without lifting heavy weight. I knew my body could not manage that, so I kept looking. I finally found Daryl from an online magazine article for those over fifty, and he proved all those lesser experienced trainers wrong.
Daryl is in Australia, and we train via his app and Zoom. His patience has served me most because I was not used to going so slowly, but I trusted his knowledge and now I am back to lifting what I consider to be non-embarrassing weights. I am not lifting heavy weight but have progressed beyond the 5- and 10-pound weights. Another thing Daryl insisted upon is stretching for 20-30 minutes after each workout. I think this has contributed greatly to my working with weights this time around. I also end each workout and stretch routine with legs up the wall. For people with thyroid issues, like me, this is extremely beneficial. But who doesn’t like legs up the wall? It is so relaxing.
The difference in my body is noticeable to me. I am not sure if anyone else notices (although I have gotten compliments lately here and there) I can see and feel the difference. This has been accomplished with steady workouts and adhering strictly to my personal program. Daryl checks my input on the app weekly and makes changes when necessary. If I have any questions or concerns, I will email him, and arrange for a Zoom call. It is extremely easy and well worth it. His accent is so lovely, too. I enjoy Gym now more than I ever have and that is what keeps me going back. I am finally seeing the results of Daryl’s expertise. What’s that saying, slow and steady wins the race? Yup, that is the one.
Daryl is also a certified nutritionist and can help with a dietary plan as well. He has suggested a few ways for me to incorporate some particularly important foods to help balance out my daily regimen specifically for women over fifty. Luckily, I love most of the items he has suggested, and I look forward to adding more “interesting” foods to my diet. When working with weights, it is important to be sure you are eating properly so you stay healthy. If you do decide to take this next step, let Daryl know I sent you, and let me know, too. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you, my dear IG follower for checking in on me prompting this blog post. I don’t brag enough on my trainer, Daryl, and this is a good opportunity to do so. If anyone is interested in contacting Daryl Maddern, check out his Fit Beyond Fifty - Blog. You will have to copy and paste into your browser, and here is another series of articles with some great nutritional information. Daryl Maddern, Author at AGEIST (weareageist.com).
All these statements are my experiences and opinions only. Before starting any workout regimen, be sure to check with your doctor.
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