Who doesn’t like a few good nutrition and exercise tips sent their way to try? People typically fall into one of two categories. Those who exercise regularly and those who don’t (or are looking to start back up). The following tips can help individuals in both of these groups. Give them a try this week!
Nutrition Tips
- Nutritionist Jessica Sager wrote a great article recently on protein requirements after fifty. The article pertains to all ages because many of us still are not getting enough daily calories from protein. The gist of it is we need more protein especially after age fifty. The average recommendation for daily protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. The article is more in line with 1-1.5 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
- It is well known that one of the biggest culprits for weight gain is consuming too much added sugar (carbohydrate). But what is less known is the amount we should eat on a daily basis. Those numbers are as follows: Men, should eat less than 38 grams a day (or 150 calories) of added sugar. For women, the number is even lower, 25 grams a day of added sugar (or 100 calories a day). To clarify, you should limit your added sugars not natural sugars. Added sugars can “hide” in more than 60 different forms. it is hidden in just about everything, from tomato paste, to some yogurt to (sadly) sports drinks like Gatorade (i.e. HFCS). Your best bet is to try and avoid it altogether when it comes in a bag, out of a can, in a box or from a carton. In the meantime, your first step is to start reading all food labels.
- Try to lose weight? Why not help your cause first thing in the morning. Research has shown drinking 17 ounces of water upon waking up, increases metabolism by 30 perfect for the next three hours. Keep in mind on the flip side, even mild dehydration can slow down metabolism by 3 percent – so drink up! See the research study here.
- Try following the “5-a-Day Mix” when looking to eat more healthy. “Eating two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day is the right mix for longevity, according to a large new study from researchers from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.”
Exercise Tips
- To ensure optimal strength gains from any type of strength training program, make sure you start with a baseline strength test. Once the program is completed, performa follow-up test. For best results, 8-12 week between baseline and follow-up test works nicely. Some ideas? Try the Jefit Assessment (bodyweight exercises) or perform a series of 1-RM testing on all major muscle groups using exercises like squat, pull-up, bench press, shoulder press, bicep curl and dip as a few examples.
- Looking for a good virtual stretch class to try? One of the best things you can do to offset all the weightlifting is regular yoga sessions. It is a great way to lengthen tight muscle and connective tissue and “reset” your mind and body. I have just finished three months of doing a great Yin Yoga class in Delray, Beach Florida at Casa Mannabliss, with a very knowledgeable instructor, Tammy. Keep in mind Yin Yoga is a series of slow poses, that are typically help for 2-5 minutes. It is that type of long hold that is really needed to elicit a good stretch response. They have a virtual class on Tue/Thur at 6 PM
- During this weeks strength training sessions, time your sets and see how long your muscles are kept under load or tension. There are times when some don’t make the expected strength gains because their sets are usually completed in less than 30-seconds. Now, if the weight is really heavy, then this is a different matter altogether. But when doing 8-12 repetitions per set, check your time and shoot more for 45-seconds per set if you’re less than thirty seconds.
Final Thoughts
Sure, there may be only seven tips here but try a new one each week or, even better, one a day for the next week and let us know if they work for you.
Stay Strong Together
Jefit, has been named best strength training app by Sports Illustrated, Esquire, GQ, Men’s Health, Greatest, Forbes Health, and many others. We offer a community responsible for 92,000,000 workouts to date! The app, which recently passed 10 million downloads, comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. The app also has ability to track data, offer audio coaching cues, and can share workouts with friends. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals.
Michael Wood, CSCS, is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and Content Manager for JeFit app. Michael is a former Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Connecticut and Exercise Physiologist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. He is the Founder of Michael Wood Fitness, named twice to "Top 100 Trainers in America" by Men's Journal and voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine. Michael previously taught at the University of Connecticut and Boston University. He is the author of TBC30: 6 Steps to a Stronger, Healthier You.
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