Note: Reshape Physical Therapy and Wellness evolved into Weight Loss for Health, and finally Zivli. How to Lose Weight After 50 was our first course that eventually grew into Zivli. Some old blog posts or resources mentioned in this episode may have been removed. 

Today I’m going to be talking about why women after menopause tend to gain more weight around the midsection, why I think every adult over 50 needs to include strength training in their regular exercise program, and three surefire strategies to stick to your good exercise intentions. 

Now we are still pretty close to the start of a New Year, and you may still have some of that New Year’s motivation helping you get to the gym. But if motivation is your only strategy to get there, your good intentions likely won’t turn into a habit because eventually life happens and motivation fades. 

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Highlights From This Episode

[04:30] Why women have more fat mass, especially around the midsection, after menopause. When estrogen levels fall, you lose the protection against belly fat and will see a more equal distribution of your fat between your abdomen and your hips. 

[05:24] Why adults, especially those over 50, should include strength training in their workout routine. Not only will strength training boost your metabolism, it will help strengthen your muscles and bones, making it less likely you will fall or fracture something. You will also just have better overall function to be able to climb stairs and get up from the floor, and have less joint pain. 

[07:33] Why you shouldn’t only rely on your willpower, motivation, or self-control to make it to the gym. Remember how in last week’s episode I quoted James Clear in Atomic Habits when he said “Self-control is a short-term, not a long-term strategy” to change your habits?” This rings true not only for breaking a bad habit like eating sugar, but starting a new good habit like strength training. 

[10:00] I gave you three strategies you can use to make it greatly improve your odds of showing up for yourself and making exercise a priority. The first was to take my Understand Your Why questionnaire. The second was to use implementation intentions to give your habit a time and place to live in your schedule. If it’s not scheduled it likely won’t get done. And the third was to flip the golden rule on yourself, and treat yourself (i.e. put yourself as a priority in your own life, show up for yourself, be kind to yourself), like you do the people who you love the most. 

[20:07] Challenge for the week. Within the next 24 hours, download and complete the Understand Your Why exercise and make one implementation intention related to exercise this week. For example, I will walk for 30 minutes on Friday at 5 PM around my neighborhood because I know this is good for my physical and mental health so I can show up and be a patient and loving spouse after a long week at work.   

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Resources From This Episode

>> Join Zivli

>> Episode Freebie: Understand Your Why

>> The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung

>> Atomic Habits by James Clear

>> Episode 3. Tip to Break a Bad Habit: Change THIS Instead of Using Self-Control