STAY FIT STAY ATTRACTIVE

                   

            STAY FIT AND STAY ATTRACTIVE

There is a nice quote by Douglas Macarthur which says.........

“You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.” 

Turning 40 is like crossing a major milestone especially for a woman. Life at this stage has already given you enough experience, maturity and, elegance. With these, there came some free gifts like few grey hairs here and there, few fine lines under your eye and few extra kilos around your waist. These are the result of your decelerating metabolic rate and the hormonal changes which are inevitable at this age. What can you do about it? There are clearly two paths that you can take at this point in time.

1) You can make enough excuses and embrace life in whatever form it is coming to you

2) Or you can pull up your socks, stare at life and decide to stay fit and attractive.

If you decide to take the first path….you can gladly do it, only you should not complain to life. But if you are interested to take the 2^nd path you need to know some simple steps. I have divided the suggestion into two parts: 

v STEPS TO REMAIN FIT

v STEPS TO REMAIN ATTRACTIVE.

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐓
If you want to lead a fit and healthy life after 40 you need to remember and practice the following:

1)     Practice preventive Health Care: 

Clinical reports suggest that at this age the rate of a number of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and hyper thyriodism increase many folds which can be easily treated by early diagnosis. Cancer rates also rise as we age, so screening tests become more important in the 40s. That is why you need to schedule to visit your physician at least once a year for a screening of these conditions.

2)    Practice an exercise regimen: 

The fall in the level of the hormone estrogen and the dropping metabolic rate causes the increase in weight and broad waist-line at this age. Keep a check on your weight and waistline. Ideally, an Indian woman must have a waistline between 72 cm and 80 cm. if you are overweight you need to focus on a weight loss program. However, weight loss should focus on fat loss and not muscle loss. As you have already started losing muscle mass at a rate of 5% per year after the ’30s. You should remember that weakness and ‘fragility’ results from a lack of muscle strength. You need to incorporate regular weight training along with cardio exercises (walking, running, cycling, dancing, and swimming). Weight exercises, two to three times a week will not only make you metabolically active but also will add on to your bone density and ensure more calorie burn all day long. You can also add yoga for flexibility in your routine.

For those who are very busy all throughout the day and just cannot take out time for a regular exercise regimen, can just make a conscious effort to move more. They can just take a walk to work, climb on stairs and can do some simple exercises like squats, dips and push-ups and crunches at home or even at the office.
3) Incorporate enough protein and Nuts in your meals:

The daily protein requirement of a healthy lady over 40 is 1 gm/kg body weight. You can only build and preserve your precious muscles if you consume sufficient protein on your everyday meal. Eat a daily serving of 100-150 gm of protein every day if you are weight training.

Taking any type of nuts every day lowers the risk of weight gain and reduce the chances of getting cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, replace the unhealthy snacks with nuts, it will be more filling.

  4) Take a heavy breakfast every day:  

Breakfast is the most important meal for the day. It not only kick starts your metabolism but also helps the utilization of more calories. When you indulge I a heavy breakfast your body understands that there sufficient calories for the day and it needs not to conserve rather utilize calories. So every morning start your day with a completely satisfying breakfast which will also reduce the chances of nibbling unnecessary snacks throughout the day.

     5) Drink plenty of water:
  Water is extremely important for driving each and every metabolic activity of the body. Be it maintain body temperature to proper digestion, water is required. It also has a flushing effect in driving out toxins from our body. It helps in proper defecation and relieves constipation. Drink at least 3 lit of water to lose and maintain weight. Sufficient water intake eliminates the chances of water retention and thereby helps in weight loss.

 6) Have more sex: 

 Your sex life may have tapered since these long years of marriage. But believe me, doing regular sex is one of the healthiest practices which is now scientifically proved. Sex not only elevates your mood but it also boast your immune system. It also improves women’s bladder control for middle-aged women for whom incontinence is a major problem by improving the activities of your pelvic muscle. Sex also lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of a heart attack. So, just try to ignite your passion for your partner and indulge in regular sexual intercourse.

     You will now agree that staying fit, healthy and in shape is not that difficult. Only you need to be a little bit disciplined and focused. On the contrary being, ‘ATTRACTIVE ‘is quite demanding as it is others who are going to judge how attractive you are.

Being attractive is something more than just being good looking. There are so many beautiful women who are not at all attractive and many very average looking who are amazingly attractive. To be attractive you need to be different from all the rest and cultivate it.

I am mentioning some of the guidelines which can make you a little different from the crowd and thus distinctly noticeable.

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄

1). Correct your posture:  

Good posture is an immediate way to improve your attractiveness. Always stand and walk upright. Do not droop or slouch. Though improving your posture will not happen overnight. Some exercises like push-ups and pull-ups may be of help. Just be conscious when in public and put on your effort towards correction.

2). Dress up well: 

The way you dress up add on to your personality. So be very alert on what you should wear at the office, at public gatherings and parties. Dress according to the occasion. Find out the occasion to wear red as a red colour makes you more appealing. The dress you wear should fit your figure and should not be sloppy. Just don't wear cloth following others.

3) Groom yourself well: 

Proper grooming can make a lady really alluring. Grooming involves the aspect of self-care and personality development. Love yourself. Take regular skin and hair care routine. Use correct cleanser, serum, and moisturizers depending on your skin type. use the CTM (cleansing, toning, and moisturizing)regime every day. Go for a facial massage every month.

Handle dark circles. Those fluffy under-eye marks are the major concern in the ’40s. prefer to use an under eye cream at night which contains retinol.

Cut your hair short if the volume is less. With short hair, you will look younger. Maintain your hair with regular washing and conditioning.

Do not ignore your hands and foot. Go for regular manicure and pedicure.

Do not wear too much make-up. It makes you look clumsy. Use light make-up. more coverage doesn't hide your wrinkles, it actually makes you look older! So choose light moisturizer based foundations. Do not use too much concealers. It won’t help.

Personality development:
Feeling happy and confident about yourself makes you more attractive. So learn to wear a smile always. Smiling makes a woman more pleasing and inviting. Have a good sense of humor. You need not take life too seriously always. Learn to let go! And chill. Do not show your stress to others. Hang out with friends and do not hesitate to flirt. Try not to imitate anyone, instead develop your own style. Do not be aggressive in proving your point. An active listener with a cool brain is more acceptable to others. Always show passion for your work. Respect other's views and do not hesitate to accept your shortcomings.

Always remember

“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬!” - 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧

 ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴

" Next week I will write about Being A Mother."