Fabulous Fitness over 50!
Life is funny. Younger me never envisioned beginning a fitness program in my fifties. Working out was for the young right? I was unsure about joining a gym thinking I would be the oldest one there or be told I was too old to start a weight program. These were real fears for me as I had always suffered from low self esteem and self confidence. Anxiety attacks happened just thinking about walking into a room full of younger bodies working out.
Now this is not about joining a gym, getting a trainer, becoming a most wonderful physical specimen..although wouldn’t that be nice. No, this is about more than physical well being. It’s also about mental state. A combo of both if you will. Now I can only attest to me, my state of mind before and after I decided that I needed this. I was a hard nut to crack!
Mental Block, The Dreaded 50
I hit 50. Family gave me a little party. Lots of fun, drinks, merriment ensued. Great time. The next day…I was still 50. What is it about that number? It seems to freak everybody out. 5–0. Just a number. But all of a sudden I saw a different person looking back at me in the mirror. Obviously I didn’t change overnight, but in my mind I did. I blamed it all on that number…50. I was not so careful in the way I dressed. I had mom jeans. Yep, guilty. I had clothes that were way out of style but I didn’t seem to care. I didn’t bother going to get my hair done, at least not very often. And yeah, I let myself go.
Call it what you will…stuck in a rut, in limbo, Frumpville, whatever. I was there. I needed a kick in the butt. And around this time it seemed like the exercise craze was setting in. Standing in line at the grocery store I couldn’t help but be drawn to those fitness magazines with headlines like “This Could Be YOU!”or “10 Exercises to Flatten That Belly!” and the like. Did I think these amazing things could happen to me? Or course not..well maybe. Anyway, I bought the magazines.
Little by Little
I began reading all those shiny, glossy pages and did make a change in the way I was eating. Exercises came next, first from the ones mentioned in the magazines then I graduated to workout dvds and a treadmill. Fitness was my goal! This all happened gradually and I was definitely not consistent but I kept at it. I did start noticing subtle changes however. In my mood, in the way my mom jeans fit, and in the mirror. And to my amazement I actually seemed to be enjoying exercising. Endorphins? I don’t know but I decided to step it up a notch and at least think about joining a gym. But this was where my insecurities took over. How many times did I try talking myself in to picking up the phone to make inquiries as to joining a gym or maybe start a fitness class, only to hang up right away.
Coming across a women’s only gym, I figured this was my best bet. So half my battle would be won, no men. There was still this irrational fear of being an old lady in a gym full of young women. It may seem ridiculous but this was a real issue for me. So I gave myself a little pep talk. This is something I have found really works for me. I list all the pros and cons of a situation and then analyze each one. Pros won out on this occasion so I headed off to the gym to sign up before I lost my nerve. I mean there was nothing wrong with just walking in and looking around right? And imagine! There were ladies of all shapes, sizes and ages. Relief set in immediately.
My New Age
Within the first few weeks I decided to get myself a personal trainer. Best thing ever. She gave me a fitness test to see where I was in my abilities and I was happy to see that I was in much better shape than I thought. I started working with her two days a week and she put me through the wringer. After an hour with her I felt muscles that I didn’t even know existed! I enjoyed working out with weights. Who knew? I felt better than ever both physically and mentally. I realized somewhat surprisingly that my chronological age was not such a bad thing because I had my new physical age. It was a much younger age, at least 10 years and thinking about that made me a happy camper.
What I guess I am getting at here is that we are sometimes our own worst enemies. Cliche I know but there are a lot of people out there who have these irrational fears or self doubts. I wish I wasn’t one of them but I am getting better, much more so now that I am in my sixties. I would never have had the guts to start writing and have others read my stories if I didn’t start believing in myself and listening to those around me who told me yes you can. I am no longer at the gym, I work out at home. But I am glad that I finally got the nerve to go, to see for myself that I was worth the effort. It may seem like a small accomplishment and maybe to some it is. For me though, it was the beginning of a new way of life. And I like it!
Disclaimer: please check with your doctor before starting any fitness program
