How is exercise a path to better health for women over forty? Let’s consider this. If you are a woman in your forties or older, you, or someone close to you, has at least one of these conditions:
1) Prediabetes/Diabetes
2) High Blood Pressure
3) High Cholesterol levels
4) Overweight/Obesity
As a matter of fact, being diagnosed with three or more of these conditions means you have metabolic syndrome.
Why is metabolic syndrome such a big deal?
Metabolic syndrome puts you at a greater risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in women. Unfortunately, at least one in three women have metabolic syndrome.
What can you do about it?
The single most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome and subsequent heart disease is to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
What is a healthy lifestyle?
Undoubtedly, there are tons of information available online about a myriad of “healthy” diets and weight loss. However, there is far less information about how to get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Why is exercise equally important?
Let’s review the following table together:
From the table, it is obvious that exercise, without a doubt, addresses the four components of metabolic syndrome. In fact, you need to make sure that any exercise program you are considering can help lower your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol toward normal levels. Check out the video below for the six things I look for in any exercise program.
In addition, exercise can prevent the two leading causes of death in women – heart disease and cancer.
| Leading Causes of Death in Women | Percent |
| 1) Heart disease | 21.8% |
| 2) Cancer | 20.7% |
Wow! Why, then, do we not exercise?
First, here are the top 10 reasons we don’t exercise. Secondly, review the reasons and identify which one applies to you. Thirdly, I have included some ways to overcome these “perceived reasons or barriers.” Finally, in the next section, I will tell you the fundamental truth about why we don’t exercise.
1) I don’t have enough time to exercise. “Are there some things you can give up to create more time? For example, spend less time watching TV?”
2) I think exercise is boring. “Think about this carefully, because so is a majority of the tasks we complete daily.”
3) I’m self-conscious about how I look. “This may come as a surprise, but people care more about how they look than how you look.”
4) I’m too tired to exercise after work. “But, have you considered exercising before work or even during work?”
5) I’m too lazy to exercise. “Okay, this one is tough to puncture, I admit. But if you can get up and walk, then you can exercise – I tried my best on this one!”
6) I’m not athletic. “The good news is that there are tons of exercises you can do that has nothing to do with athleticism. Thank God, because I am probably one of the worst athletes you will ever meet”.
7) I’ve tried to exercise in the past and failed. “Please think back. How many times did you eventually succeed at something you had initially failed at?”
8) I can’t afford gym membership fees. “But you can exercise without a gym membership as long as you have moving body parts and at least 6 feet of space around you”.
9) I’m afraid I’ll hurt myself if I exercise. “You can reduce your risk of injury by exercising safely and with caution. Furthermore, you are more likely to sustain injuries if you don’t exercise regularly.” In actual fact, exercising, especially strength training helps prevent falls by improving muscle and bone strength.
10) My family doesn’t support my efforts. “Your family is more likely to support you if they see that exercising is important to you. Therefore, let’s use our female superpowers to garner support from our families when we need it!”
The Truth About Why We Don’t Exercise
The truth is that we don’t exercise because we haven’t made it a priority!!!
I get it; we are all busy. We work, take care of our homes, our families, our jobs, and everything else. And let’s not forget the time we have to commit to our spiritual growth and social life. As a pediatrician, entrepreneur, wife, and mom, I understand how difficult it might seem to exercise regularly. Yet, I know that it is very doable. In fact, I have met countless women with fuller plates who still managed to make exercising a priority.
What next?
Here is the problem. We are getting older, and these chronic conditions are catching up with us. Fortunately, one solution to the problem is to exercise. Most importantly, we have identified that the reason we have not applied the solution to the problem is “lack of priority”. Think about it, if something can reduce our risk of death from the two leading causes of death, why wouldn’t we do it?
Good news!!! There is a solution!
My work will be unfinished if I stopped here and just asked you to exercise. Therefore, my next job is to show you how to prioritize exercise by using the mind.
Mind over matter:
“used to describe a situation in which someone is able to control a physical condition, problem, etc., by using the mind.”
His ability to keep going even when he is tired is a simple question of mind over matter.
– Merriam Webster Dictionary
When it comes to prioritizing exercise, the key is to “manipulate” our minds. Fortunately, exercising is one of the conditions that we can control with our minds. Next, I will give you some tips on how to do this effectively.
Top 10 Mind Hacks to Start Exercising
1) Start with five minutes – Surely, you can spare 5 minutes of exercise daily. And to avoid what we call the “dread factor,” you can break your exercise into several blocks of 5 minutes a day.
2) Make it easy to exercise – Have a plan for what you will do and when you will do it. For example, “When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will walk around my neighborhood for 10 minutes”. Get your clothes and shoes ready the night before. Also, get your phone and music playlist ready beforehand.
3) Link your exercise to something you already do, especially something you enjoy doing. For example, while walking or running, you can listen to your favorite podcast, music, or audiobook. You can also chat with a friend during your walk.
4) Become accountable to someone by announcing your exercise goals. Most importantly, find someone that will motivate you and tell them what you are trying to accomplish.
5) Change your mindset towards exercise. You don’t have to feel “resigned” to exercising. Instead, you can get to a place where you want to exercise. For more on how to change your mindset towards exercise, please watch this video:
6) Be consistent. Schedule a regular time to exercise until it becomes routine.
7) Don’t beat yourself up when you skip your exercise. Instead, focus on the progress you are making each day.
8) Track your progress. You can stay motivated by tracking your progress. Using an app or fitness tracker is one way to track your goals and progress. Or, you can simply use a notebook.
9) Know your “why.” On some days, you will feel like quitting. Those are the days to focus on your reasons for exercising in the first place. Remembering your “why” is the ultimate motivational tool to keep you going.
10) Celebrate your wins. Find ways to reward yourself and celebrate your accomplishments. For example, you can treat yourself to a spa visit after walking your first mile. Knowing there will be a reward at the end of every milestone pushes you to take that next step.
If you are ready to incorporate exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle and don’t know where to begin, please check out this article titled, “Change Your Mindset Towards Exercise.” There, you will learn to develop a new attitude towards exercise using “The A.C.E. Method.” You will also learn how to create the habit of exercising using “The Quadruple S Method.” See you there!
Yours in Health and Fitness,
Doctor Abi
