01/31/21

#76 Q&A Exercise including Cardio, Weights and HIIT

Tune into our video on some top tips for women over 40 on getting great results from your exercise. 

1. Cardio 

It's important that your cardio doesn't make you stressed. If you're putting too much stress on your body, your releasing cortisol and too much of it can stop your body from using fat as fuel. 

A good indicator of the level at which you can effectively work out is that you can still hold a conversation, you shouldn't be able to sing the national anthem. You're looking for your heart rate to get 120 beats per minute and kept there for 20-30 minutes. 

I would also recommend you do your cardio first thing in the morning before you eat and drink. If not, do your cardio after you do your weights as that the next best time. Remember it's better to do it at any time rather than not at all.  

You don't have to hammer yourself to get great results. 

It can be swimming, cycling, jogging, walking the dogs. 

Try to get to 6 times a week. 

2. Weight Training 

Often women avoid it. I would put it ahead of the steady-state cardio above but I can't stress the value of weight training enough.

Look to do 8-10 reps, 12 at the most, and only 3-4 sets. You want to be doing your sets to failure - on the last rep, you couldn't get one done no matter how hard you try. By doing this you are burning more calories for the next 48 hours! It's awesome.  Your muscles are buzzing and pulling the energy you eat straight into your muscles. 

You can get great results and change your body with weight training. Look to train 2-4 times a week. 

You can do it at home with a stretch/thera band, swiss balls, lightweights, and your body and you can do this effectively in 20-40 minutes. 

3. HIIT

It stands for High-intensity interval training. At over 40, be selective about the exercise you are putting into this type of training.

There is lots of research on how this is going to help with dementia, cancers, and diabetes so it really is worth doing. 

This is all about getting your heart rate up, over 140 beats per minute. 30sec hard out, 30-sec rest, and repeat. 

I do mine on a SPIN bike, 30 sec seated, 30-sec standing. I do 10 x minutes 3 x times a week, twice would be enough, and 2 and a half minutes. 

The other ad a fourth topic, flexibility but I'll talk to you about that in the future. 

Remember, food is what is going to be what affects your weight the most, but your exercise is what's going to help you young and vital and free for as long as possible.