Over 40 Fitness Guide » fitness over 40

Using Herbs For Libido Improvement After The Age Of 40

Scott — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:49:53 +0000

After you hit the age of 40, loss of desire in men or in women starts to become quite common.

Once this starts happening, many people lose their desire for life. They live life as if they are holding onto life by a thread.

They’re emotionally unsatisfied, and often, so are their partners.

Low sex drive is when you don’t have a desire to have sex, or your desire is a lot less than usual. A person with low sex drive is also associated with:

Moodiness
Depression
Not feeling virile or vital
Lack of interest in other pleasures in life
Weight gain or lack of muscle tone

Why Loss Of Libido Is Becoming More And More Common

Some experts say that we’ve created our own circumstances that led to the development of loss of libido.

For example, years ago, a researcher found that alligators in Florida were not reproducing as they should have been.

Their numbers were dwindling to the lowest of all time.

Now I don’t know about you, but I personally think this isn’t a bad thing…

#1 Reason: Disruption Of Reproductive Hormones In The Environment

But the fact is that the researchers traced the problem to the estrogen-like compounds in the environment that were interfering with reproduction.

If male alligators had too many female hormones, then reproduction wasn’t going to happen. The same thing is true for women.

Increase the estrogen too much from too many estrogen mimickers in the environment and you get a PMS, stressed-out woman who is too bitchy to have sex!

And when the estrogen mimickers increase in the body of men, that’s when you’ll see symptoms such as man boobs, a condition where the man’s breast size starts to grow and essentially look like woman’s breast tissue.

How much sex drive do you think a man with this condition is going to have?

Oh, the power of hormones!

#2 Reason For Loss Of Libido: Diabetes

Diabetes interferes with blood circulation. It interferes with the production of NO or nitric oxide, which is essential to the lovemaking process.

It is associated with neuropathy whereby the nerves to different parts of the body lose their proper function and result in numbness or odd sensations like feelings of coldness, heat, or pins and needles.

#3 Dependence On Prescription Drugs

This problem is just a matter of not knowing that one’s prescription drugs are causing loss of libido.

There is a whole list of medications that can interfere with sexual function, and many of them are used in the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, and pain killers.

Herbs For Libido For Men

1. Muira Puama

This herb is used for low libido, fatigue and to enhance sexuality and sensuality.

In France, this herb has been used to treat erectile dysfunction. Working on the nervous system to offer support to it, this herb is great for when a person is stressed out.

And often in life, it’s a matter of dealing with one catastrophe after the next, which doesn’t exactly help create passion in the bedroom.

2. Yohimbe

Yohimbine is the active ingredient in this herb that the medical profession uses to treat impotency.

However, it can have side effects where the penis stays stiffened for far too long, and causes pain in a man.

The natural herb Yohimbe, however, doesn’t have that side effect.

3. Ginkgo

Known for effects on increasing circulation, ginkgo has been shown in research to increase blood flow to the reproductive organs.

More blood flow too the organs brings more oxygenation and better functioning of the organ, too.

4. Catuaba

Used for its aphrodisiac properties, Catuaba bark is often combined with Muira Puama.

It increases erotic dreams.

5. Oats

Oats contain beta sitosterol, which can be used as a precursor for testosterone or female hormones. Some experts think it can modulate a man’s hormone levels or a woman’s.

6. Ashwagandha

Used for testosterone boosting, this herb has been used for centuries by Indian Ayurvedic physician.

7. Coleus

This herb relaxes the smooth muscles and increases circulation to the sexual organs.

8. Stinging Nettles

This herb has been shown in the research to be helpful for testosterone levels.

9. Maca

Maca increases nitric oxide which is created during the mating process. It can counteract male impotency.

Herbs For Libido For Women

1. Dong Quai

This herb can help modulate female hormones.

Without female hormones that are in the proper ranges, women’s moods are high and low, low and high, and totally unpredictable.

It’s difficult to have proper sexual functioning when moodiness predominates.

Many of the same herbs mentioned above are also used for loss of desire in women, too.

It turns out that the herbs can work in both male and females in many cases.

If you have loss of libido, there are many solutions.

But the most important thing to start with is to check your prescription medications to see if loss of desire in men or loss of desire in women is listed as a side effect.

This simple step has helped a lot of people, who then don’t even need herbs for libido.

Celebrity Secrets To Maintaining A Hot Body After 40

Scott — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:37:35 +0000

For years, top actors and actresses in Hollywood have held celebrity diet secrets and celebrity fitness secrets close to their hearts that they never shared.

Then something mysterious happened.

Divorce rates skyrocketed, even among religious groups of people who didn’t believe in divorce.

Possibly it was the breakdown of the family in society that led to the development of lawsuits against family members.

A son or daughter sued their parents for mismanagement of money the child earned as an actor or actress.

Another son took vengeance into his own hands and shot the mother or father to death for all the brutality that he suffered as a child.

Another daughter wrote a book on how bad Mommy Dearest really was.

As more and more of these family secrets came out into the public limelight, the philosophy to tell all seemed to spread to extended family members.

Celebrities usually had an entourage of staff with them at any time, and a butler or maid might write a book and tell all.

Secrets got out. Hollywood diet secrets of top stars, and celebrity fitness secrets of men like Arnold Schwartzaneggar, the Hulk and other top bodybuilders were shared in popular magazines.

Some of the celebrity diet secrets and workouts became well known from personal trainers of celebrities.

One personal trainer in Hollywood, Natasha Kufa, is telling all her secrets in her book released just this month. She’s the most contemporary of all those who are telling their secrets.

Google her name and find out more about how she whips the celebrity bodies into the fittest shape of their life and what celebrity diet tips she has to offer.

Celebrity Diets And Workouts: Some Don’t Diet And Workout!

And here’s one of the celebrity fitness secrets that you really need to know now if you want to get in the best shape possible with the least amount of work:

Use the Victoria Morton Suddenly Slender Body Wrap process.

Victoria Morton is an amazing woman in her own right. Now well past the age of 40 and into her 70s, Victoria still has a body of someone in their 20s.

She’s used the proprietary solution she created for the celebrities on herself for all these years. And it’s worked.

Her proprietary solution is a combination of minerals and other substances that penetrate into the skin and facilitate a detoxification to occur. When cells are detoxified, they give up their toxins.

In other words, the pesticides and chemicals we eat and breathe are trapped in our body until we physically do something to remove them.

The chemicals are associated with ill health, and the more toxic the cells become, the more sick we become.

Hollywood Celebrity Diet Secrets Are Often Ancient Detoxification Strategies

Detoxification and cleansing is a simple principle of natural health that has been identified since very early times, and early civilizations.

Loofah

Japanesse and Korean women scrubbed the skin with loofahs until the skin glowed, rubbing away all old skin cells and did so on a regular basis.

When they did, people felt better and their skin breathed.

It was easier for the body to eliminate toxins once the skin was cleaned in this manner.

Celebrities have also used loofahs to get their skin looking good, but now they’ve been replaced with exfoliation treatments and microdermabrasion at the spa.

That’s how they have always had beautiful, camera-happy skin that looks like peaches and cream.

Celebrity Fitness Secret: Carve Out A Body By Getting Mummified

Victoria’s body wrap process involves soaking elastic bandages in her proprietary solution, then applying the bandages to the skin.

In other words, the person is wrapped like a mummy. During the hour or so that the bandages remain on the body, it’s important to baste the bandages with more of the proprietary solution.

When the bandages are removed, then several inches are gone from waistline, hips, legs, and arms, as the skin tightened up.

The cells that lost the toxins suddenly became skinny and so did the person. This is a natural byproduct of the detoxification process.

If you have a series of wraps before a big event such as a wedding, awards ceremony, anniversary party or school reunion, you can expect to fit into a size smaller clothes in your closet.

There have been people who signed up for weekly wraps and slowly whittled down their size for 300 pounds to 170 pounds.

Slowly they forced those toxins out of the body and began losing inches, feeling better and better, and repeating the process again and again.

It’s important to repeat the process; since we all are constantly being bombarded from the environment with chemicals, we all have to constantly detoxify. It’s just the nature of life.

Victoria Morton’s body wraps can be found online by doing a Google search for her name and the wrap. She has a franchise chain of salons that service the world.

Celebrities have used her method for decades and it works.

And this Hollywood celebrity diet or fitness tip will still work, whether or not Hollywood goes away.

For more info on how to improve your health over the age of 40, and how to look as good as any celebrity, see the ebook Fit Over 40 program.

The Best Exercises For Men Over 40

Rodney — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:50:33 +0000

If you’re getting ready to start up on your workout plan, one thing that you’ll definitely want to consider is the best exercises for men over 40.

While many of the exercises that this group should be doing are fairly similar to those that younger males should be, there are some key differences that you must know about.

By selecting the right combination of exercise for men over 40, you can be sure that you’re maximizing muscle growth, without putting your body at risk.

Males of this age do have slightly different hormonal environments, recovery abilities, and other related issues that can factor into workout selection, so by noting these and then formulating your plan, you can be sure that you’re on your way to success.

Let’s go over some of the important factors that need to be assessed when looking at the best exercises for men over 40 and then give you a great list of movements to choose from.

Being Aware Of Joint Pain

The very first thing to think about when designing a workout program for yourself is that now that you are older, you are at a slightly higher risk of experiencing joint related pain.

While this won’t impact all males, many of those who do have a background of quite heavy lifting or other intense physical activity pursuits behind them (such as endurance running training) could be dealing with nagging chronic injuries that don’t seem to quit.

For this reason, it’s helpful to look at a few substitutions.

For example, rather than performing full front squats, which will place a great deal of strain on the back and knees, try leg press instead.

This way you’re supported by the bench the entire way through and it’s a lot less taxing on the body. As you can still lift very heavy when doing the leg press, it won’t hinder muscle growth in any way.

Likewise, rather than doing a standing shoulder press where you’re going to experience a very high amount of tension coming down through the spinal column, consider doing a seated shoulder press instead or consider doing upright rows if you are suffering from elbow pain.

Again, you’ll still get great strengthening benefits from both of these movements but won’t have the level of stress on the body that you would with that standing shoulder press.

It’s always important not to cut out any muscle groups from your workout plan but make minor adjustments that will keep the body safe and comfortable.

Factoring In Recovery

The next thing that you must take into account as well is your recovery ability. Many of the compound exercises will really place a high degree of stress on the CNS since you are lifting such a heavy weight and working so many muscle groups at once.

To help get around this, you may want to start doing some pre-exhaust isolation exercises first. What this means is that rather than going straight away into the bench press for instance, you should perform a few isolated chest fly’s first.

This isolation exercise will tire out the chest muscles so that when you do move to the compound lift of bench press, you require fewer overall sets to really fatigue the muscles and bring about that growth response.

You’ll still see great strength gains as you are doing the key compound lift, but the entire session won’t be quite as taxing.

Normally for men under 40 they would choose compound first and then move to isolation movements, but for selecting the best exercises for men over 40, the opposite is generally a smarter move.

Of course this doesn’t have to be the case in all situations, but for many it is. Especially when you are dealing with a chronic injury in one muscle group.

Hitting The Trouble Spots

Finally, last but not least, when thinking about the best exercises, consider your trouble spots. Typically males do tend to accumulate the most fat in the abdominal and lower back region as this is where your body naturally tends to store fat.

As such, you’ll likely want to be doing something to help you rid yourself of this. While getting down to a low body fat percentage overall is always the top way to reduce fat from the abs and ‘love handles’, you can also firm up the muscles underneath so that you look better in that area.

The plank is going to be great for this as it works the entire core as well as all the muscles that run along the spinal column as you try and maintain good balance while doing the movement.

Also remember to perform the side plank as part of your routine as well, as that will really hit those muscles on the side very well.

Another great movement for lower back fat will be weighted supermans, where you lie flat on a bench, have someone sit across your lower legs for balance, and then holding a weighted plate lower and rise back up again using the back muscles to guide you.

This is great for hitting those stubborn areas that many other exercises miss, especially if you are going to be doing more seated exercises as we mentioned above.

So there you have some of the key things to note when choosing exercise for men over 40. It’s definitely important that you do make a few adjustments to your workout routine as you go along so that you can see that much better results.

The one thing that puts a stop to many men who are seriously involved in their training is injuries, so this can help keep you injury free and ensure you stay the course.

For more help designing a fully customized workout plan that is targeted towards those over 40 looking to get fast results, please check out the Fit Over 40 program.

It has everything you need to make a dramatic body transformation.

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Workouts For Men Over 40

Rodney — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:43:12 +0000

Finding the perfect exercises for men over 40 will quickly help to catapult your success so that you can reach all your fitness goals and develop the body that you’ve always dreamed of.

Far too many men who are over 40 incorrectly believe that it’s just too late to change the way they look.

They think that they’re just carrying too much body fat or that their body will be resistant to change, thus they choose to give up before they even start.

If this describes your sentiments right now, it’s time to really rethink this because the truth is that there is plenty that you can be doing to change the way you look and build a body that you can feel proud of.

The problem is that many people simple don’t know what to look for in workouts for men over 40 so even if they do get started on a workout routine, they’re literally wasting their time not seeing the results they had hoped for.

Let’s take a little bit of time right now to assess what any workouts for men over 40 should contain so that you can get on the path to success.

Compound Lifts

The very first thing that any workout routines designed for males who are forty years of age or older should have is compound lifts.

Just like when you were younger, these are simply the best movements to provide the greatest strength and muscle gains, and they’ll also help to keep you the leanest as well.

If you are someone who has already been working out for a number of years and does have a very good muscle base behind you, then you may want to start looking into more isolated movements instead to further refine the muscle that you’ve already built.

But, if you’re just getting started and want to make the fastest changes to your body possible, then compound lifts will be the way to do this. Hands down this is the best way to spend your time.

Plenty Of Recovery Time

Another thing that you’ll want to look for when seeking out exercise plans is that they provide ample recovery time.

Since you do still want to be pushing your body quite hard during the sessions you complete as this is what will bring about the best results possible, you need to also make sure that you are getting the recovery time to grow back stronger.

Now that you are in your 40’s or beyond, your recovery rates will be slightly slower so don’t expect to come back as quickly as you may have in your 20’s. Taking a much needed day off after each workout may seem like you’re slacking, but it really is the fastest way to keep yourself right on track.

If you want to do some light recovery cardio training on these days off that should be fine as it won’t impede your recovery all that much and will offer you the cardiovascular boost that you may be looking for as well.

Moderate Rep Ranges

Moving on, in workouts for men over 40 you will want to be focusing in the moderate rep ranges of 6-10 reps.

You likely won’t want to go much lower than this, down to 3-5 reps total as you may have in your younger years, due to the fact that this will call for more total weight lifted and that can place huge stress loads on your joints.

While weight lifting definitely will make your bones stronger, you don’t want to really overload yourself or you could start to experience shoulder joint, knee joint, or even hip pain.

Joint problems are quite common in men who are past the age of 40 and who are still lifting incredibly heavy weight, so save yourself from this.

Lift more moderately now so that you can ensure that you have a long lifting future ahead of you. It’s simply not worth sacrificing your potential long-term results just to add another 20 pounds of weight to the bar and crank out a max set of 3.

If you perform weight just under that for 7-8 reps, you’ll still be evoking a great growth response and be feeling a lot better while doing it.

Full Body Or Upper/Lower Split Design

Finally, the last thing that you should be looking for when seeking out workout routines that will help transform your body is one that utilizes either a full body or an upper/lower workout split design.

While those who are in their early 20’s may still decide to use the traditional ‘bodybuilding’ split workouts where you work just one or two muscle groups at once, these aren’t going to be the best option for you at this age.

Since you do have that slightly reduced recovery capacity and you still do want to be hitting the muscles with a high enough frequency, you should instead be using a full body or an upper/lower split design.

This will allow you to work each muscle group at least two times, if not three times per week, therefore making great gains without over-exerting yourself.

Some men may also choose to do one upper body day, one lower body day, and then one full body day throughout the week with one day off in between and this tends to work incredibly well for adding a bit more specialization, while still maximizing both rest and frequency at the same time.

So there you have some of the most important factors that you must be sure you’re taking into account and looking into as you search through workouts for men over 40.

Remember that there’s definitely no one best routine that you should choose to use but rather you should take into account your personal preferences, how your body responds to various workout program designs, and how much time you have available to devote to your routine.

When all of these are accounted for then you can feel confident that you’ve found a workout that will take you to your end goal.

For more quick tips and complete workout programs to get started with, please check out the Fit Over 40 program.

Workouts For Women Over 40

Rodney — Mon, 30 May 2011 10:41:26 +0000

If you’re looking for workouts for women over 40, then it’s time to learn a few of the key concepts that you should know to make sure your chosen workout has all aspects of fitness covered.

Many women over forty who are looking for a good workout program tend to miss out on some of the elements that will bring them quicker success, thus they fail to make the progress they had hoped they would and quickly become frustrated.

Fortunately though, the search for exercise for women over 40 doesn’t have to be a struggle when you know precisely what you’re looking for.

Let’s have a quick look at what you should be looking for when choosing a properly designed workout program.

Three Resistance Training Days

The very first thing that you’ll want your workout program to have is a good resistance training component. Many women over 40 are very quick to gravitate to the cardio machines only, often because they are firstly scared of adding too much muscle bulk and second because they feel that it’s just too late to start weight training.

This isn’t the case. It’s never too late to start weight training and the fact of the matter is that it’s even better at this age than it ever was before. Now you’re at the primary time when you could start to see bone loss taking place due to lack of weight bearing activity, so weight training will completely help to reverse this.

In addition to that, you know that slow metabolism that so many women over 40 complain about? Weight training will take care of that as well. The metabolic slow-down that often accompanies later age is mostly due to the loss of lean muscle mass that takes place.

Since weight training will promote lean muscle mass building, it will help overtake this loss so that you maintain a higher metabolic rate and fight future fat gain.

Since you will have a slightly lower overall recovery ability however, limit your weight training workouts to just three days per week. This will still be a high enough frequency to see excellent progress, but not so high that you’re feeling drained at all times.

Progressive Cardio Training

The next thing that you want to have in your workouts is a progressively intensive cardio training regime. While if you’re first getting started you definitely won’t want to jump into interval sprints, that should be your end goal.

There’s no reason why you can’t see significant improvements to your cardiovascular fitness levels and interval sprints are the perfect way to accomplish this.

Being that you are slightly older however, aim to take your intervals to the 60 second mark, pairing them with an active rest period of 60 seconds as well.

This will allow you to go at a slightly reduced pace (but still quite intense) compared to if you were doing 30 second intervals. The intensity has an indirect relationship to the length of the interval, so 60 seconds will be perfect for your cardio sessions.

Some Form Of Relaxation Training

The fourth element that should be in place with your training session is some form of relaxation based training.

Chances are you’re at the point in your life where you may experience more and more stress on a daily basis due to a demanding career that you’ve worked hard for many years to achieve, which means finding a way to take care of this stress is imperative.

Relaxation based exercises such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation will be perfect for this and will really help to round out your workout routine.

In addition to this, these forms of training tend to further improve your overall recovery ability between those intense workout sessions as well, so that’s yet another reason to add them to your program once or twice a week.

Even if you just prefer to devote 20 minutes to lying quietly and practicing some deep breathing – just make sure you get it in there. Do what works best for you and what you feel helps you handle your stress.

Female Specific Exercises

Finally, the last thing that you’ll want to have in place when designing a workout routine is specific exercise for women over 40.

Most women of this age group tend to experience the greatest problems with their lower abs, under arms, as well as upper thighs, so you’ll want to be sure that you have some exercises in the workout program that will tone these specific areas.

The top choices that you should consider including will be tricep kickbacks, overhead tricep extensions, push-ups, shoulder presses, lunges, step-ups, let presses, squats, lying leg raises, reverse crunches, and the plank exercise.

Each of these exercises is really going to zero in and target those specific areas of the body while helping to build up some firm muscle tissue.

Remember though that much of improving the look of these areas will come down to reducing your body fat level and the best way to go about doing that will be through using a properly planned diet.

When you’re eating right to not only fuel your workouts but also burn fat faster, that’s when you’ll really see the most remarkable changes in the body while doing these specific exercises.

So there you have the top tips to remember for choosing workouts for women over 40.

If you are serious about reaching your fitness goals and improving the way your body looks, make sure that you do spend some time thinking about the workout design you’re going to use as it will play a key role in allowing you to maximize progress.

For more quick tips and complete workout programs to get started with, please check out the Fit Over 40 program.

Top 4 Medical Tests for Men and Women Over 40

Rodney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:59 +0000

Turning 40 is a great milestone age to start to take stock of your overall health. But what tests do you really need?

Here are the top five medical tests men and women in their 40’s and later should get. These will prevent or stop progression of many potential medical illnesses.

Make a habit of scheduling routine physical tests and exams to stay in tip-top shape.

#1 Check Your Heart’s Health

Although it is assumed heart disease affects men most, it is still the number one killer of women.

The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself, also called coronary disease that can lead to heart attacks.

Prevention of heart attacks can be done with a few important tests and lifestyle changes.

Heart health is determined through three main tests. The first is your Cholesterol Profile. Which includes a “good” cholesterol (HDL), “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides reading. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high.

Blood sugar will also be tested, mainly through a fasting blood glucose test. You can test blood sugar at home, but it is still important to get this lab test. Most doctors recommend a glucose test every 3 years after age 45.

The final heart check is blood pressure. Women and men differ slightly in this area. The ideal number is 120/80 for women, while men should be 115/70.

If your blood pressure is higher than your recommended number, it could be a serious warning sign.

#2 Get A Colonoscopy

Once thought to be just a concern for men, we now know that colon cancer can kill either men or women without discrimination. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, excluding skin cancers.

Unfortunately, statistics show that less than 30% of people over 40 ever get tested. Men and women over age 45 should plan a colonoscopy at least every 2 years and then annually after age 50.

#3 Skin Tests

Skin cancer is considered the most common form of cancer. Melanoma skin cancer is the most aggressive form and can be fatal. Even the non fatal forms of skin cancer can erode skin and affect surrounding nerves and muscular tissue.

A dermatologist will examine your skin looking for irregularly shaped moles and odd colored skin. If a suspicious spot is found, it will be removed and evaluated. If the diagnosis is cancer, there will probably be further surgery to remove the tumor.

#4 Weight Check

The final test is to make sure you are at a healthy weight. Excess weight increases the workload on the heart. It also raises blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride levels and lowers HDL “good” cholesterol.

Diabetes is also a possibility with increased weight. Check with your doctor to find out if you are a healthy weight for your height. If not, they can suggest a quick weight loss, diet and exercise plan for you that will add years to your life.

These are all relatively simple tests. It is surprising how many men and women fail to get tested when they should.

If you are over 40 it is time that you became more serious about your health and scheduled a checkup with your doctor.

Adjusting and Calculating Your Calorie Intake Over 40

Rodney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:22:25 +0000

If you do not already know it by now, your metabolism slows down after age 40. When this happens, eating the same number of calories each day that you ate in your youth will cause you to gain weight.

Now that you are over 40, this extra weight can cause all kinds of serious health concerns such as heart disease and diabetes.

The logical answer is to reduce the amount of calories you eat each day. However, everyone is unique. Some people are taller, some are more muscular. Some people are very active and others are not active at all.

Everybody has different physical needs, including how many calories you must consume to stay healthy.

Many resources out there will offer you a flat number regarding how many calories you need to take in. This does not accommodate your body’s uniqueness.

Other resources may offer you a calorie range, but there are still problems with this method. If you guess the wrong amount, you may still gain weight.

On the other hand, if you guess a number that is too low you will not eat enough of the calories your body needs to function. If you consume too few calories, your body will start consuming your muscle mass for energy. You need this muscle mass to stay strong for the rest of your life.

In order to determine the amount of calories you should eat for your ideal weight, you should first calculate the amount of calories you need at your current weight.

The initial step is to calculate your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. This is how much your energy needs to function on a basic level.

To calculate your BMR, multiply your current weight in pounds by 4.35. Next, use your height in inches and multiply that by 4.7. Add these two numbers together. Then, multiply your age by the number 4.7. Take this sum and subtract the total of the first two equations. This new total will be your BMR.

Your next step is to calculate your current level of physical activity. If you consider yourself sedentary, your number is 1.2. If you are only minimally active, this number is 1.375. Your number will be 1.55 if you are moderately active.

Finally, highly active people will use 1.725 as their number. Multiply your activity number by your BMR number. This final total will be the number of calories your body needs to function at your current weight and current level of physical activity.

You can use this number to calculate your ideal caloric intake. Instead of using your current weight, enter your ideal weight into the formula.

Also, if you need to lose weight you should also increase your level of activity. Enter your new level of activity into the formula.

Remember, you should only change your activity number if you are actually changing your level of activity.

Once you change these numbers, you will have the ideal amount of calories you need to eat each day. This total will help you overcome your slowing metabolism.

It will help you combat the illnesses that plague men and women over 40 who are overweight or obese. This is literally a “magic” number that will help you maintain your youth and vitality.

Fertility and Fitness Over 40

Rodney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:39:14 +0000

In this fast paced world and tough economy, our lives continually get busier and more complicated. Every day, more and more men and women postpone having children to accommodate their careers.

Before they know it, they are over 40 and worried that it may be too late.

The good news is that it is not too late. It is becoming more and more common for people over 40 or later to successfully conceive. It will be more difficult that it was in your 20s or 30s, but it is definitely realizable.

It has been known for some time that women over 40 have a difficult time conceiving. Ovary and other reproductive functions naturally slow down and eventually stop as a woman ages.

However, the difference between the women who conceive over 40 and the women who do not is their level of health.

Fertility is not just a women’s issue. Studies have shown that couples where the men are over 40 are 25% to 50% less likely to successfully conceive. This ratio increases, sometimes exponentially, if the woman is also over 40.

However, just as in women, an over 40 man’s fertility is closely linked to his health.

There are plenty of serious health conditions that can affect fertility, such as diabetes and hormone imbalances. However, one of the most common causes is simply being out of shape.

Being only 20 pounds over weight can have a much greater impact on your fertility at age 40 than it did at age 30. On the other hand, if you are underweight you body tends to consume muscle for energy.

This can send a “starvation” signal throughout your body and shut down reproductive functions. Staying as close as possible to your ideal weight is the best way to stay in shape and boost fertility. This means you have to eat right and exercise appropriately.

There are reproductive doctors who specialize in fertility and can offer you any number of procedures and prescriptions. If you are not ready for such drastic measures, there are also natural remedies which have shown substantial fertility benefits.

The first remedy is to lower your stress levels related to your fertility. There are countless stories of couples over 40 successfully conceiving after they had decided to stop trying.

This is because they finally got rid of their self-imposed pressure. This kind of stress can make your body feel threatened, reducing fertility.

Many people are also using herbal remedies to boost their fertility. For women, herbs like red clover and raspberry leaf help improve reproductive function, relax the nervous system, and restore any hormone imbalances.

Men using ginseng and astralagus have shown significant increases in conception rates.

If you are over 40 and have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive, it is time to examine your fitness level. If you are not at your ideal weight or are otherwise living an unfit life, it may be time to be more proactive and aggressive about your health.

You can take herbs, pills, and other treatments to improve fertility, but even they will work more effectively if you are in shape.

How to Lose Belly Fat? For Men & Women Over 40

Rodney — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:33:15 +0000

If you have noticed that you are a bit wider around the waist than you used to be then you are part of a growing epidemic called abdominal obesity.

Over the last decade, the cases of people over 40 suffering from abdominal obesity have more than doubled. This number continually increases because an estimated 78% of all middle aged men and women lead sedentary lifestyles. This problem is compounded by poor diet.

However, you can look better than ever and get head turning six-pack abs through simple, but proven, fitness and nutritional changes.

Warning Signs

If your midsection is showing more bulge these days, you should know the serious health risks associated with abdominal obesity.

Researchers have learned that a high concentration of abdominal fat is typically a result of a diet containing carbohydrates with a high glycemic index and too many fats. This dangerous equation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and is even suspected to be the cause of some cancers.

Studies have also shown that people who suffer from abdominal obesity are 25% more likely to suffer from migraines. Countless middle aged men and women are plagued with weight-related back problems that prevent them from performing everyday, basic tasks and they risk losing their independence.

On the other hand, men and women over 40 who have made the fitness, nutritional, and lifestyle changes needed to get a flat tummy are predominantly free of obesity and age related health concerns. These people tend to be healthier which results in fewer doctors’ visits, lower prescription costs, and a longer life span.

You can have the same success, no matter what your age, genetics, gender, or body style. You have the same ability to build muscle as you did in your youth. The exercises that kept you lean and tone at 20 will keep you lean and tone at 50. As you age, you should have even greater motivation to eat right and workout.

Therefore, as long as you do the right exercises, followed by the right nutrition and lifestyle, you should have that six-pack that will make everyone stop and stare.

What Not To Do

There are a lot of so called experts out there that will tell you how to get fantastic abs, for a fee. The truth is that there is no gimmick or fad out there that will get you long-term fitness and a six-pack.

This is because gimmicks and fad products promise you great results without making positive changes to your physical activity and eating habits.

Additionally, pills and other miracle remedies are often dangerous and can cause long term damage to your kidneys, liver, and endocrine system. The point of fitness over 40 is to get your body into a healthy condition that will support and lengthen the rest of your life.

You also have to use caution when exercising because not all exercises were created equal. Some exercises can cause serious injury to your back, which may already be weakened after carrying extra abdominal weight for a decade or more.

In general, an exercise that forces you to arch you back should be avoided. Some of these include hanging leg raises with an arched back, lying flat straight leg lifts, straight leg sit ups and feet-supported sit ups.

The problem with the later two is that when you are in the starting position flat on the floor you are forcing your back into an unnatural position. Always remember to keep your pelvis pitched forward in a very slight hunch.

Also, exercises on machines, such as ab machine crunches, put your back in a compromised, unstable position and you should avoid these as well.

Try to avoid exercises that are inefficient. For example, when you begin your routine simple crunches will probably give your abs a good workout.

However, as you become fit you will need to add more resistance than a simple crunch can provide.

Also, avoid torso twists because these do not adequately build abdomen muscles and they do not burn very many calories.

Finally, many people only focus on the rectus abdominus muscles which are the muscles that can be visibly seen in a six-pack. This is a mistake.

It is important that you give this muscle group an excellent workout, but you must also exercise the other muscles in your abdomen and back to get the full effect. Your back and abdomen muscles help you maintain good posture. Good posture will help your back remain strong for many years and has a fantastic impact on appearance.

When you hold your body in the proper position, it emphasizes muscle tone and a lean abdomen.

The Right Exercises

Now that you know what not to do, it is time to focus on the right movements that will get you a fantastic set of abdominal muscles.

The right movements are the same no matter if you want ripped abs or just a lean, tone appearance. The difference is how much resistance you add to your workout.

Some of the best exercises are ones that use your lower body as the source of resistance. For example, many people have great success with hanging leg raises and hanging knee raises but remember to keep your back in a hunched position.

Other exercises that are the most effective can be done at home or at a gym with simple equipment like dumbbells and an exercise ball.

Ball crunches and ball hip flexions work out both the rectus abdominus group and the supporting abdomen muscles.

Lying leg thrusts, abs scissors, reverse crunches, abs wheels, and alternating crunches can be done almost anywhere.

If you prefer a gym, decline bench leg thrusts, bench crunches, and the cable rope crunch will give you good results.

Also, abs bicycle exercises where you alternate your knees and elbows are fantastic and burn many calories.

You may also be surprised to find many other exercises that do not focus on the abs will give you an amazing abdominal workout. For example, squats, lunges, dead lifts, and multi-joint presses all focus on other muscle groups.

However, these movements require core stability that forces the abs into a flexed or crunched position with great resistance. This is especially so for front squats and renegade dumbbell exercises.

Remember that the most effective workout focuses on muscles groups from different angles. Also, there is no set amount of time that will guarantee results. In addition to you normal workout, you will probably want to include 5 to 10 minutes that are devoted to your abs.

In the beginning, you may have to workout the full 10 minutes and decrease the time as you get toned. Also, do not exercise your abs everyday. Your abs are no different than any other muscle, they need rest in order to repair and build new mass.

Keep in mind that no matter how much you strengthen your abs, you will not have the look you want unless you also address unwanted fat through cardio and good nutrition. You might be surprised to find out that many people are getting the defined abs they want through intense training, but those abs are not visible through layers of unwanted fat.

Adding a cardio workout to your program will help burn calories and eliminate extra fat. Nutritionally, many people have had better results when they include only complex, low-glycemic carbs, reduce fats, increase lean proteins, and stop alcohol consumption.

The best way to get fantastic washboard abs abs is to begin a well-rounded fitness program that includes the right exercise movements, good nutrition, and positive lifestyle changes.

There is no cookie-cutter plan out there that will work for everyone. Your body type and fitness goals are unique. The best workout program is one that is well researched and suited to your needs.

As you design your fitness program, focus on information that encourages natural methods of weight loss and health that support your over 40 fitness goals. The Truth About Six Pack Abs e-book was written by a certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer.

The book emphasizes achieving fantastic abdominal strength at any age through simple exercises and good nutrition. He discusses the causes of abdominal obesity and benefits of free weights versus machines.

Additionally, he details specific exercises that are fantastic components of any abs fitness routine. You can use The Truth About Six Pack Abs as a valuable guide on your journey to an extraordinary physique. Click here to learn more…

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Bodybuilding Over 40 Can Help You Create a Surprising New You

Rodney — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:23:51 +0000

At first thought, you may dismiss the idea of beginning bodybuilding over 40. Perhaps you have recently decided to focus on health and fitness, but getting the sculpted physique of a body builder seems out of reach.

Yes, it is an ambitious goal. However, with focus and a good exercise plan you can join the scores of men and women bodybuilders over 40 who have shaped their bodies into perfect specimens of strength, power, and most importantly, health.

Bodybuilding, or weight training, has very serious health and lifestyle benefits that someone over the age of 40 should not ignore. As you grow older, your risks of age-related illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes increase steadily.

Your risks are even greater if you are among the 78% of people over 40 who live sedentary lifestyles. These people traditionally suffer from signs of pre-mature aging such as sluggishness, stiffness, lack of agility, longer healing times, and a weaker immune system.

If left unchecked, these symptoms can quickly lead to more critical ailments, loss of independence, and even death.

On the other hand, the people who practice over 40 bodybuilding have been given a new lease on life.

In contrast to their sedentary counterparts, studies have found that bodybuilders heal more quickly and are less injury prone. What may surprise you more is that they traditionally have lower cholesterol, fewer doctor visits, significantly cheaper prescription costs, and can remain independent for almost a decade longer than non-bodybuilders.

Bodybuilders into their late 70s all insist that their workouts keep their bones stronger and relieve arthritis pain. There are even cases of bodybuilders who firmly believe their exercise abated serious ailments like multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, and cancer.

How to Start

If you are ready to see how you can benefit from weight training over 40, then there are a couple of things you should do before you begin.

First, always consult your doctor before you begin any new fitness routine. You doctor can tell you if you are ready to take on this kind of activity.

The next thing you should do is find a partner. Whether or not you end up with a personal trainer, most bodybuilders recommend using a partner.

Partners keep an eye on one another to prevent over training and motivate each other. Your ideal partner should be at the same or slightly higher experience level as you are.

Also, you will probably benefit more if you find another person who is also looking to build muscle over 40. Then, you can work together to get over any obstacles you encounter.

Keep in mind, no one exercise regiment works for every person. While you should train on the same cycle, the individual exercises and sets will need to vary for your unique body style in order to get the best results.

Don’t be jealous if your training partner gets better results using a dumbbell, you may have the better results on the benchpress.

Finally, to get started you need to develop a weight training program. You need to understand that there is no single right way of weight lifting over 40.

There are many different weight training programs with many different variations. You need to find the one that is best for your body.

There are many men and women out there who have had outstanding success by creating a program that meets their individual needs. Study as many of these cases as you can.

Educate yourself about their cycles, number of sets, how they trained specific body parts, hurdles they faced, and other things they did to support their fitness goals. Take their methods that best fit your goals and include them in your own program.

Example Programs

While there are various types of programs for weight training over 40. The most commonly used is “Split” training and typically people have the most success using a variation of this training method.

Split refers to breaking the body into different muscle groups. Then, each muscle group is trained individually, or in conjunction with one other group, as one day of a cycle that repeats once every muscle group has been trained.

Most people believe this is more effective than training every muscle group each day of the cycle. Most experts train for one to two hours each day, focusing on one body part to break down the muscle, prepare it for growth, and then begin to increase mass.

This process takes time. Therefore, to do an entire body in one day would take many hours and you would be at greater risk of injury.

Once again, there is no set way to train but some of the more common training cycles are 3 day, 4 day, 5 day, and 10 day splits.

As you can probably imagine, the shorter cycles focus on more muscle groups each day. For example, a common 4 Day split focuses on chest and triceps on day 1, shoulders and biceps on day 2, back and legs on day 3, and rest on day 4.

The longer cycles focus on one muscle group each day. There is at least one day of rest included in every cycle. There are bodybuilders who swear by 3 day splits, but just as many swear by 10 day splits.

After you learn which split cycles worked for others, you should choose a split cycle that best suits your fitness goals and schedule. You can always change your training cycle later, but remember it will take some time to see how effective your program is.

Also, you may have noticed the example above does not include abs. This is because many bodybuilders work on their abdomen every day, as extra training using crunches and sit ups.

Ensure Your Success

If you want to have the “ripped” physique of a bodybuilder, you will need to do more than just train.

People who have been most successful at weight training over 40 made changes throughout their life. Many added a cardio routine to supplement their training and to burn any extra fat caused by overeating.

Every bodybuilder will tell you that you need to practice excellent nutrition. While nutritional needs vary for each person, typically bodybuilders eat several small meals throughout the day that are protein rich and include complex carbohydrates.

Just as you should develop your training program based on the winning programs others use, you should base your nutrition plan on the eating habits of your bodybuilding role models.

Finally, most body builders insist that keeping a positive attitude in all aspects of their lives helped them achieve amazing physical results.

If you want to master your body, study the examples set by your personal role models and use their experiences to shape your own unique program. They can teach you to overcome obstacles you may encounter on your journey to health and fitness.

An excellent resource for bodybuilding over 40 is the e-book Fit Over 40.

The author of the book has interviewed 52 men and women from the ages of 40 to over 70 and chronicled their training program, nutritional habits, and fitness background.

Each person’s story is unique and you can use their stories to create your story of fitness for the rest of your life. Click here to learn more…