Many of you know by now that I am a fitness fanatic, as well as a certified barre and yoga instructor.
I continue to be a firm lover and supporter of barre, pilates and yoga. Nothing works your whole body like a powerful barre class, and nothing works your body-mind-spirit connection like a good yoga class!
But of course, there are tons of benefits to other types of fitness, too. There’s been a recent wave of information pointing to all the benefits of heavier weight training, and it’s valid. The benefits are huge, especially for muscle building and weight loss.
However you go about it, building muscle is KEY for our metabolic health, and becomes even more important once we reach our 40s and we become more insulin sensitive. (We need to build more muscle so our glucose has somewhere to go instead of circulating in our bloodstream). Training to keep our muscles healthy and strong is not only important for how we look and feel, but also for blood sugar regulation, hormonal balance and weight loss!
Muscle is key for insulin sensitivity, and as we get older, we fight insulin resistance, so we need to keep building muscle to help keep our glucose in check.
BUT that doesn’t mean that walking, jogging, cycling, dancing, barre, pilates and yoga aren’t equally as amazing for your health! Same with all sports (including Padel which I’m starting to experiment with, too!).
Based on my experience (I’ve researched this a lot, while also observing what works for me, and for my barre & health coaching clients) these are 5 of the most important tips when it comes to fitness:
Be consistent. It’s important to move your body consistently, I suggest 5-7 days a week, focusing on what you ENJOY most. So if Pilates or barre is your favorite workout (like me!) then make that your main workout so that you stay consistent. If spinning or Zumba is your jam, great, make that your primary workout.
Mix it up. To get the benefits of different types of workouts, try to incorporate 2 or more different exercises in your routine. For example, try a combination of doing some:
jogging, walking, spinning, dance or outdoor sports - min 1-2/week
weight training - 3-4 times a week
yoga - min 1/week
This combo (or something similar) will have AMAZING benefits for your body and mind.
Just remember: How much you do of each should depend more on what your body wants, and what you enjoy most.
For me, what I enjoy most is barre, so I do barre/pilates 5 times a week and yoga 1/week, I also LOVE walking, but because the conditions where I live are not optimal for walking, I only walk outdoors 1-2/week (usually on weekends), and I’ve starting adding short intervals of heavier weights 1-2/week. That’s what feels good in my body…You do YOU! Which brings me to my next point..
Honor your bioindividuality. Listening to your body is key. Try different workouts and see what makes you feel good! Remember we’re always changing, so it’s ok to change your routine based on your changing needs/ schedule / phase of life etc.
For example, when I didn’t have children I would do 75min Ashtanga yoga classes 3/week and taught 60-min barre classes daily, and I felt it worked wonders for me. But now that I have a toddler and newborn, doing long workouts is hard to manage, so I mostly do 20-30 min workouts (ideally 2/day). And just recently that my baby is getting a bit bigger I’m able to squeeze in some 50 min barre classes (that I’m teaching!) and I’m starting to add in heavier weights as my body is asking for it.
Focus on functionality and good posture. Whatever you choose to do, aim to do as much functional movements as possible (doing movements that assist you in day to day life), and also, make sure you engage your CORE and keep good posture- always! If you want to age well, and be able to lift your grandchildren in your 80s (and avoid back pain), it’s key to practice excellent posture and functional workouts (with and without weights).
Stretch. Do not underestimate the importance of stretching. Always do a warm up, and I like to incorporate stretches half way through the workout and at the end. By stretching properly, you help avoid muscle soreness and injury, you improve flexibility and have better muscle recovery. Plus, it’s important for circulation and posture.
To sum it up, remember…
CONSISTENCY is key!
Do what you love most, but aim to mix it up.
If all you can do is 20-30 min workouts, that’s ok! Do what you can, but try to move your body in some way for at least 20 mins every day!
Strength training with weights is a must for optimal fitness, mobility, muscle tone and weight loss! Aim to incorporate weights at least 3/week.
Walk as much as possible. Walk outdoors in nature at least 1-2/week for overall health benefits, including mental health!, wellness, longevity etc. (And if you track your steps, aim for 8-10 k steps daily).
Ideally, include some form of yoga (there are so many types of yoga, try to find what you like bc benefits of yoga are so important for our overall wellness).
Don’t forget to always practice good posture (working with a trainer can be helpful here and/or assisting small group classes with attentive teachers!) and do as much functional movements as possible. Think: what movements will help you stay active, mobile and fit in your 70s, 80s and beyond!
Don’t skip the stretches!!
Keeping all of this in mind, I do feel compelled to remind you: while consistent movement is very important, you cannot exercise yourself out of a bad diet!
WHAT YOU EAT IS KEY. Even if you workout for 2 hours every day, if you aren’t eating right, you’ll never achieve nor maintain your optimal health/weight.
All factors are key: diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, mindset, relationships and home environment! So if you’re not reaching your health goals, take a mental check-in of each area in your life and see where you could improve (and consider working with a health coach to healp you out!).
Love and Fitness,
Mariana