Is it possible to achieve major self-improvement after 50? Absolutely! Many people have made huge changes after 50. And I am not talking about retirement, divorce, or moving to a new city, although these things might be a part of the mix.
I am talking about losing extra weight and getting really fit. I am talking about changing your diet from junk food to super healthy food. I am talking about making personal changes internally from the person you became by default to the person you’ve always wanted to be. I am talking about finally dumping all the unhealthy habits, bad memories, and fears, and going after what you truly want.
In our 20s and 30s, there wasn’t much incentive to get fit, eat right, or work on personal development. After all, we were relatively fit, and the kinds of foods we ate didn’t seem to bother us. Although we may have had concerns about our personal development, we figured things would probably work out over time.
In our 40s, we started to notice how extra weight easily snuck up on us. We noticed that our youthful appearance was starting to fade a bit. As far as self-improvement was concerned, we may have had more interest in it and did what we could, but we didn’t devote much time to it.
After 50 and beyond.
Now we’re over 50. That magic number, the transition point, the summit before the descent.
I am sure you have been just as pleased as I to hear about the recent proclamations by longevity experts that say 50 is the new 40, 60 is the new 50, and so on. I think they are right! What has made this possible are the advances in healthcare, nutrition, fitness, and access to information. The Internet has enabled scientists, doctors, nutritionists, trainers, and consumers to share and access information on an incomprehensible scale instantly.
Because of these technological advancements, we now have cutting-edge information about health issues, weight loss, healthy eating, vitamin supplements, fitness, and personal development at our fingertips. We are also the benefactors of the New Science and New Thought movements, which encourage individual responsibility for our health and happiness.
What are the incentives after 50?
So what incentives do we have after 50 to pursue self-improvement? Our motivation comes from knowing that we can enhance and sustain a higher quality of life if we make specific changes and embrace a new lifestyle.
This means eliminating unhealthy habits, permanently losing the extra pounds, adopting an exercise program, making healthy eating a lifestyle rather than a periodic event, and conquering longstanding personal deficiencies.
What’s the payoff?
The payoff is that you’ll look and feel so much better than you do today that you won’t even recognize the “old” you. If you make improvements in every area I mentioned, you will be more attractive and radiate, sparkle, and shine!
If you get your weight down, exercise, and eat right, you will have fewer health problems now and in the future. In fact, it’s possible to prevent and eliminate many illnesses by getting fit and eating a highly nutritious diet.
Do you want to sit in a dark room and watch television all day, or do you want to be able to get out and enjoy life? You still have many dances left in you. Don’t give up on walking up to the plate and hitting a few more balls out of the park!
The brutal truth.
There is no getting around the fact that the body’s ability to stay healthy and fit declines with age. However, if you are maintaining your weight, exercising, eating healthy foods, and keeping a positive outlook, you can reduce and even reverse the adverse effects of aging. And most importantly, you will greatly improve the quality of your life along the way.
Exercise, healthy living, and self-improvement have no downsides. You should do these things throughout your life to stay strong and vibrant.
Weight loss, healthy eating, and exercise cannot be periodic events. To be successful and reap the benefits, they must become a part of your lifestyle. In other words, they must become a habitual part of your daily life.
I’m too old and too far gone.
No, you are not too old or too far gone. I don’t care what your circumstances are. You have two choices. (1) Remain in your chair and make television your life and let yourself get weaker physically and mentally as each day passes, or (2) get up and begin a program of self-improvement and be dam with any thoughts that you can’t or that the exercise might kill you! So what! Your current existence is barely living anyway. Or at least you can admit that you are not living as fully as you want.
My inspiration before and after 50.
I’ve been doing resistance training with machines and free weights for decades. For the first 10 or 15 years, I worked out at a health club. My early inspiration came from seeing people in the club who were in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 80s, and in great shape. They always had a sparkle in their eyes and a spring in their walk.
The older club members always left the greatest impression on me. Those in their 20s and 30s who had almost zero body fat and well-defined muscles after minimal effort did not impress me.
I didn’t want to be like those seniors I’ve seen in nursing facilities and retirement homes. I understand that circumstances beyond some people’s control led them to these places. My heart goes out to them, and I will never give up hope for their recovery.
I work out properly to gain maximum benefit and to avoid injury. I use the knowledge I’ve acquired to do it in a way that fits my age. But I am aggressive, and I go for it!
I am well into my second half, and my weight is right about where it should be for my height. I get up every day at 4 a.m. or earlier, and I swim 40-50 laps during hot weather months and power walk for 1-3 miles during cool weather months. If I want to drop a few pounds or lift my spirits, I also power walk in the late afternoon at sunset.
I put together a small, inexpensive home gym a few years ago. Just before lunch, I do 23 different exercises with free weights, 12-24 repetitions each, for a total of 420. I do these three days a week. On the other three days, I do nine (9) different abdominal exercises, 12-24 repetitions each, for a total of 350. On Sundays, I only swim or power walk.
Here’s an estimate of how long each of these exercise sessions lasts.
- Swimming: 30 minutes
- Power walking: 30 minutes
- Resistance exercises: 20 minutes
- Abdominal exercises: 15 minutes
It took me several months to trim these sessions down to these times.
I am not telling you this to brag. I am providing this information with the hope that it might inspire you. I’ve never been a jock, so if I can exercise like this, anyone can. I must admit that once I added up the number of exercises and repetitions for this article, I was amazed. I thought, “I can do that at my age?” I then said to myself, “Absolutely!”
How do you get started?
The first step is to evaluate your health. If you have any concerns about your ability to exercise or change your diet, you should discuss this project in detail with your doctor. Keep in mind that doctors receive minuscule or no training on nutrition.
The second step is to establish a baseline by recording your body weight and measurements. The measurements should include all the areas of your body that you want to improve or monitor. Then, make a list of all the foods you are currently eating.
When you look at this information in the future, your new weight and body measures will inspire you toward greater accomplishments. The list of foods will make you cringe. 😀
The third step is to identify your goals. What are your ideal body weight, measurements, and muscle tone? Visualize in detail what you want to look like and how you want to feel. Set some inspiring goals, but be realistic.
You can not look like you did when you were 22, but you can be an impressive-looking 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90-year-old. Any 20 or 30-year-old can look good with minimal effort. But when an older person looks fit, carries themselves confidently, and dresses to the 10s, nothing is more impressive and attractive.
The fourth step is acquiring the information needed to achieve your goals successfully in the shortest amount of time. My site and elsewhere offer a lot of information that can give you the education you need.
The fifth and final step is to adopt a no-excuses mindset. This is an absolute necessity. As with the creation of any new habit or the elimination of unhealthy ones, in the beginning, there will be times when you won’t feel like following through on your goals.
Here’s how fitness motivation works. First, you must visualize yourself as having already achieved your goal. For example, picture yourself at your ideal weight or body measurements. That will get you started. Then, as you begin exercising, the motivation will gradually build. By the end, you’ll feel great! Once you start seeing the results, your motivation will grow. It is important to remember that motivation does not come before you begin. It comes after. And it builds as you complete each day, week, and month of exercise or whatever you’re doing.
The initial decision to lose weight, exercise, learn about healthy food, or work on other self-improvement projects begins with the commitment or mental mantra of “no excuses!” This means no excuses to put it off, no matter how you feel or the circumstances.
Get started by vividly imagining the person you want to become. Then, act as though you are already that person. This will motivate you to live up to the image and reputation you have established for yourself.
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Your life after 50 can be your best half. It’s really just a matter of choice and commitment.