Is It Time to Train Your Midlife Middle?

I belly up to the AktivMotion Bar. Now to belly off!

Wonder how to lose menopause weight when eating less and exercising more hasn’t made a difference? Then you are in good company. Or at least Alexandra and I are in good company, as we get this request regularly from our group fitness class members, blog readers, and midlife friends. (Or would that be Bad Company, as we Run with the [NOT Six] Pack? I am cracking myself up here). Heck, I have this same frustration and know all the tricks of the trade. Or at least I thought I did. But it turns out even I, with over 30 years as a certified fitness professional had more to learn about dealing with menopause and the dreaded belly fat that puts the mid in midlife middles.

Yup, that’s how good the experts were for the recent TransformAging Summit  we hosted. (Click that link to see what the summit offered). When fitness specialists, Tamara Grand and Debra Atkinson presented their webinars, they shared Fun Fit Facts about hormones, strength training, and weight gain. Their strategies will help those of us wanting to get back our waistlines. But first we need to know what we are dealing with.

Test your knowledge on the role hormones play as we age when you take our quick quiz. The questions are culled from Debra and Tamara’s sessions. Once you put into action their suggestions, you will be able to:

• Reduce fat;
• Reshape your body with less cardio, less intensity, less impact;
• Say good-bye to menopot.

That’s their promise, and I believe them. Perhaps more important than whether I believe (insert here some hallelujahs sistuhs and sistuhs) is that they base their comments on science and evidence. So it’s really a question of ACTION.

1. First up, see how many of the following questions you get right;
2. Next, ACT–ually do what they suggest (uh yeah, action’s the tricky bit, eh?);
3. Third, check out how to access their entire presentations here:  TransformAging Summit

Live it Up with Debra’s Dead Lift

From “Resistance Training: Your Easy After 50 Weight Management Program,” presented by Debra Atkinson of voiceforfitness.com (We definitely encourage you to visit Debra and Tamara’s respective websites once you are done getting all the answers right to our quiz).

1. At what age does muscle mass peak unless you do strength training twice a week?

A. 25        B. 35      C. 45

2.While cardio burns more calories during the activity, strength training revs up your body to burn more calories over the course of the day.

T or F?

3. Which factor affects the weight of women over 50 the most:

A. calories in (food)        B. calories out (exercise and movement)        C. hormones

4. Where do you have a greater chance of injury:

A. Inside the gym lifting weights                     B. Outside the gym not lifting

5. Lifting weights can help relieve menopause symptoms.

T or F?

How are you doing so far? Are you getting the hint of what will help you regain your younger figure?

From “Midlife Weight Gain, Hormones, and Menopot: Strategies for Staying Slim Without Losing Your Sanity,” presented by Tamara Grand, PhD of fitknitchick.com (Yup, we still urge you to hop over to Tamara and Debra’s websites to access more great ways to reach your fitness goals).

6. Which of the following causes weight gain in women over 50?

A. Experiencing more stress in midlife
B. Less movement with each passing year
C. Lower calorie requirement as we age
D. All of the above
E. None of the above. Quit looking for excuses.

7. Estrogen helps block the effects of cortisol, the hormone released under stress that causes the body to retain fat. By what percent do we reduce estrogen between ages 35-50?

A. 25 %                       B. 35%                 C. 50%

8. Progesterone helps use fat for energy and normalizes blood sugar levels. Yet progesterone also declines between ages 35-50. By how much?

A. 25%               B. 50%               C. 75%

9. Who is more likely to have more sensitivity to simple carbs:

A. Middle aged men                        B. Middle aged women                C. Both genders after 65 years of age

10. A walk can help with all but which one of the following:

A. reduce menopause symptoms
B. boost metabolic rate long term
C. reduce stress levels
D. burn calories

No wonder we gain weight as we hit our fifties! Tell us how you did in the comments below. Brag for sure. Or let us know what surprised you the most. Are you ready to start strength training, eat fewer simple carbs, and take a walk? EmPHAsis on the strength training part, by the way.

Want more guidance, direction, and motivation? Debra’s session offers two ten minute resistance routines that are easy and effective. Tamara has simple “To Do” lists tailored to midlife women. Click to see how you can get their whole presentations and the four other webinars from the TransformAging Summit for less than the cost of a new pair of bigger pants …with an elastic waistband. Not that I’ve done that or anything….

Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA

PS. Did you want the answers?

1. A     2. T    3. C    4. B   5. T    6.  D (Aren’t you glad it wasn’t E?)    7. B      8.  C     9. B   10. B

PPS. Rancho la Puerta kindly sponsored our TransformAging Summit. If you are fortunate enough to book a trip there, you’ll find the perfect place to get stronger, leaner, and balanced!