What’s the best work out for people of all ages?

According to a recent study, it’s this: running.

Researchers, who followed participants over a 30-year period, were amazed to discover that those who ran in moderation showed the greatest health gains and benefits when compared to those who ran faster and more often. The ‘sweet spot’, it seems, is running about 3 – 4 times a week at a slower pace, proving that the “less is more” philosophy really applies to exercise.

That’s good news for me because a few years ago–just around the time I was turning 50 and trying to come to grips with the changes my body, mind and life were going through—I decided to try running, against my better judgment. Even my husband and daughters raised their eyebrows (one actually rolled her eyes, but I’m not naming names).

I knew I had to do something to get my health, weight and stress level back on track. But run? Even I questioned the good sense of this since I’d never never willingly run in my life, except during the dreaded annual Field Day at P.S. 203 in Brooklyn, or when chasing down the Good Humor truck. More importantly, the slow but steady weight gain and loss of energy were wreaking havoc with my health. Not good.

Luckily I learned how to run safely (without hurting my knees!) by following a program created by Jeff Galloway, the Olympian and marathoner who developed the Run-Walk-Run plan used by hundreds of thousands around the world. It’s the best way for people of all ages–especially those of us over 50–to get out there and move our bodies.

Take a look at this quick video–Running After 50–which is the most recent episode of “The Best of Everything” series for the AARP YouTube Channel. And please subscribe to the full series at the end of the video:

Like many people over 50, I was worried because I thought running, or even strenuous walking, can hurt our joints. Research shows, however, that it won’t if done right. After 30 years of following his own program, Jeff has never had an injury. The reason is simple: it calls for slow, gentle running, with scheduled walk breaks, just like I demonstrated in the video. Distance, not speed, is the goal. It’s easy on the joints, yet gives a high performance cardio work out, and helps build muscle mass in our legs and hips, which is crucial in the battle against osteoporosis.

I’ve been running for the last few years, and it’s helped me lose–and keep off –15 lbs and improve my overall health and well being. Running may not be for everyone, but if you’re thinking about it, check with your doctor first.

I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas about living your best life after 50 in the comments section below, and share this article and video with your friends.

And remember this: We can’t control getting older, but, we can control how we do it!

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  Check out the full video series–“The Best of Everything”–on the AARP YouTube Channel. 

Photo credit: Diego David Garcia via Flickr.

Also of Interest

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Every mother I know loves the special recognition, me included. I appreciate that my husband and daughters let me sleep in a little longer, bring coffee and newspapers to my bed when I finally decide to open my eyes, walk the dog, prepare a luxurious breakfast, and clean up afterwards, usually accompanied by some lovely flowers, handmade cards, and special “Whatever You Want to Do, Mom” plans. What’s not to like?

It’s a sweet ritual, and one that is repeated in households throughout the country on Mother’s Day, as it has every year since 1908. While most women feel grateful for the flowers, cards, and mini-vacations from household chores — albeit short-lived — that this occasion offers, countless more are wondering why they aren’t getting the one gift that they — and their families — want and need more than any other: a job. And preferably a job that pays the same salary as it pays a man for doing the same exact work.

It’s a paradox, and a national travesty. This week, as many of us celebrated Mother’s Day, a lovely tradition when we (rightfully so) honor women around the country, shouldn’t we also focus on the statistics surrounding women and work?

The More You Know

Last year, a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that of the 1.3 million jobs created in 2011, some 90 percent went to men. Women gained just 149,000 jobs.  What’s more, while you might expect men to recover more jobs since more men were put out of work, there are some signs that things have gotten worse for women, with no signs of improvement. Looking at the data since the end of the recession in July 2009, men gained 600,000 jobs while women lost 300,000 jobs.

Worse still, 97 percent of full-time working women were in jobs that typically paid men more, according to an analysis by the Center for American Progress.  Of the 534 professions listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women on average earned more than men in only seven of them. And in the seven occupations that women earned more, the wage difference is quite small. 

To compound the problem even more, women continue to be penalized for being mothers, or potential mothers. As unemployed women look for work, experts say that cultural biases may hinder their search. While antidiscrimination laws prohibit the practice, some employers may believe that male workers will put in longer hours or be more dedicated to their jobs simply because they are not the ones who are, or will be, mothers.

According to a recent ABC News report, an out-of-work man may benefit from an employer’s sympathetic assumption that he’s the family breadwinner, even though American families have come to depend on women’s income far more than ever before. Myra Strober, a professor of education and economics at Stanford University said,

There’s a lot of evidence that historically when jobs are scarce, employers favor men because they feel that it’s up to men to earn a family wage and support their families.

And the older a woman gets, the more dire the situation becomes. A recent report from AARP’s Public Policy Institute, An Uphill Climb: Women Face Greater Obstacles to Retirement Security, clearly states that women earn less, and there are serious consequences, including lower Social Security benefits, lower retirement income, and greater poverty at older ages. Take a quick look at these statistics from the report:

• In 2012, full-time working women aged 55 and older typically earned 76 percent of men’s earnings.
• Women’s average annual Social Security retirement benefit was 78 percent of men’s in 2012.
• In 2010, the typical woman’s retirement income was 59 percent that of the typical man’s.
• In 2011, the poverty rate for women (age 65 and older) was 73 percent greater.

What can we do?

Become a grassroots activist. Start by sharing this, and similar articles, with other women, with government leaders and corporate heads, to make sure they understand how dire, and utterly unjust, this situation is. Women should not be penalized for taking sabbaticals to care for children, an ill spouse or parent. Women should not be penalized simply because they are women and have children, or might have children in the future. Women should not be penalized because they take their parenting responsibilities seriously and are grappling with the challenge of finding a balance between work and family. And certainly, women should not be penalized because they are getting older. Get mad, and make others get mad right along with you.

Less than 17% of global news focuses on women’s issues. If we work together we can make “women and work” the #1 news story of the year. That would be the perfect Mother’s Day gift for all women . . . next year.

 And remember this: We can’t control getting older . . . but . . . we can control how we do it.

 I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas for living your best life after 50 in the comments section below. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, my blogs on AARP.org and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. And please let me know what you’d like to see in future episodes of “The Best of Everything After 50″!  In case you missed it, CLICK HERE to watch the trailer to give you a sneak peek of what’s in store. Thanks for reading and watching!

Photo credits: whatwillmatter.com,  bestofeverythingafter50.com

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We’re in real life. Midlife, in fact. And we need money.

If you don’t have a plan… it’s time to think about creating one.  We don’t want to be in our 50s, 60s and beyond without enough money to take care of ourselves.

Where to start?

First, understand that even the most savvy, well-respected financial gurus don’t know what the future holds.  Will real estate values go back up to their prior levels?  Some think so, most think not . . . but, really we don’t know.  And the stock market?  It will continue to go up and down as it always has, according to Jason Zweig, one of the experts I consulted for my book, The Best of Everything After 50,  and a Wall Street Journal columnist. To keep from going totally bonkers, Jason also strongly urged us to consider working with a money pro — a financial planner.

Do you need a financial planner?

Jason and AARP’s Money Expert, Jane Bryant Quinn (another financial expert I interviewed for  The Best of Everything After 50) strongly urge us to find a trusted financial planner we can work with for the long term.  A financial planner can help us with our “life plan” and make sure we stick with one. Don’t have one, and not sure how to find one?  Jason and Jane suggest asking friends and family for suggestions.  If that doesn’t pan out, contact one of the fee-only financial advisers who offer their services on an hourly, as-needed basis, which will keep your costs way down.

You can do your own planning, but I urge you to get a professional to help — at least in the beginning – especially if there have been recent changes in your financial status (job loss or change, illness, divorce or marriage, and so on).

Whether you work with a planner or take the DIY route, having a plan will bring financial clarity to your life, and peace of mind. To help you get started, here are a few ”back to basic” tips that Jane Bryant Quinn strongly urges us to follow and which she follows herself. (And check out Jane’s latest column for AARP by clicking here). They are:

• Tighten your belt — stop spending and don’t live above your means
• Stash it away — Put as much money as you can into your 401K and other retirement plans
• Hands off the house — Stop yourself from tapping into your home equity for cash
• Cut the cord — Stop helping your adult kids.  Put money into your retirement fund first, and then the college fund
• Stay healthy – This generation of “after 50s” will most likely have to work many more years than we had expected, so we want to get and stay healthy

And remember this: We can’t control getting older . . . but . . . we can control how we do it.

 I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas for living your best life after 50 in the comments section below. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, my blogs on AARP.org and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. And please let me know what you’d like to see in future episodes of “The Best of Everything After 50″! Thanks for reading and watching!

Photo Credits: thisismoney.co.uk, faboverfifty.com

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Approximately 9 million adults in the U.S. have osteoporosis, but more than 48 million have low bone mass (indicated by T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5), placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones. It doesn’t have to be this way.

AARP just launched a new weekly YouTube series – “The Best of Everything with Barbara Hannah Grufferman” — and the first four episodes will be completely devoted to strengthening our bones and preventing osteoporosis . . . for life.

Each week during the entire month of May I will post an article with tips and tools on how to work out, what to eat, and everything else you need to know, accompanied by a YouTube video. I’m honored to be the National Osteoporosis Foundation’s very first Ambassador for Bone Health and national spokesperson for the new campaign — “Break Free from Osteoporosis” — and will work to encourage the public to learn about their risk factors for osteoporosis and to make simple lifestyle changes to build, maintain and protect bones at every life stage.

When I started approaching 50, I decided to take stock of  where I was in my life and made a commitment to improve my health and well-being. One of the first things I started to do to strengthen and tone was the Push-Up, the “gold standard” of upper body exercises. Doing push-ups every day, combined with eating well and running with walk breaks (check out my video and blog about running after 50 next week) helped to strengthen and tone my body in ways I never thought possible. If you haven’t done a single Push-Up since high school, check out Episode #1: “Push-Ups for Strong Arms and Healthy Bones.”  I’ll show you how to start with the modified push-up and work your way up to the full push-up. And remember this: how low you go isn’t as important as keeping the right form. Result? You’ll be stronger than ever.  If I can do it . . . . so can you! Just click on the box below to get the details:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Please join me in helping promote National Osteoporosis Awareness Month by doing just a few simple things:

1. Take adequate amounts of vitamin D (and make sure to get it checked during your annual physical exam)
2. Eat more foods that are rich in calcium (keep an eye out for my upcoming video and blog about the best foods for strong bones)
3. Do strength-training exercises every day (running, push-ups, squats and the Plank are all great)
4. Check out the National Osteoporosis Foundation website — www.nof.org — during May, and all year long, for the most up-to-date information
5. Subscribe to “The Best of Everything” AARP YouTube series, especially during National Osteoporosis Awareness Month (click here if you missed the promo trailer for the show)
6. Share all this with all your friends and family!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the full series, which you can do at the end of the video. Until then, remember this:

We can’t control getting older . . . but . . . we can control how we do it!

I want to hear from you! Leave your questions and ideas for living your best life after 50 in the comments section below. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and, of course, my blogs on aarp.org and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. And please let me know what you’d like to see in future episodes of “The Best of Everything After 50″! Thanks for reading and watching!

Photo credits: AARP.org

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A new study, “The 2010 Burden of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass among Residents of the U.S. Age 50 and Older,“ released by the National Osteoporosis Foundation during its annual Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis reveals that the prevalence of low bone density and the risk of breaking a bone are far greater among people over 50 than previously realized.

The risk of breaking bones — a major health and quality of life issue as we age — is on the rise.  Approximately 9 million adults in the U.S. have osteoporosis, but more than 48 million have low bone mass (indicated by T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5), placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones.

This is the first look at the ‘burden of osteoporosis’ using NOF’s criteria for diagnosing osteoporosis based on bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip or spine. Before 2005, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) only measured BMD at the hip.

Here are some startling statistics: If osteoporosis and low bone mass prevalence continue on this path, the study projects that by 2020, 10.7 million adults will have osteoporosis and 58.2 million will have low bone mass. By 2030, the numbers are expected to increase to 11.9 million adults with osteoporosis and 64.3 million with low bone mass. This is information we all need to pay attention to . . . especially if we’re over 50.

Related: Quiz: Test your knowledge on how to protect your bones

The good news is it’s never too late (or too early) to make simple lifestyle changes that can keep our bones healthy for life.

I was in Chicago last week to moderate a panel of bone health experts who discussed the latest information about diagnosing, treating and managing one of the most prevalent – and preventable –diseases affecting men and women over 50.

The “Healthy Bones, Build Them for Life“ panel, presented by the NOF, kicked off the week-long symposium and was designed to educate attendees about how to prevent bone loss by reviewing the most current research on diet, exercise and other steps we need to take to keep bones healthy for the long-term. The AARP Illinois team was out in full force at the event, handing out terrific booklets focusing on eating the right foods for strong bones. Here’s a photo of Assoc. State Director for AARP Illinois, Terri Worman, and me after the event: 

At the end of the evening, I asked the panelists to share their most important “take away” from the discussion:

• Dr. Murray Favus: Early detection. Establish a baseline and early detection through a bone density test. Don’t wait until you fall and break a bone to discover you have low bone density or osteoporosis. Be proactive.
• Dr. Mona Khanna: Early prevention. Since we start to lose bone mass by the time we’re in our 30s, do everything you can to prevent osteoporosis by eating well and exercising as soon as possible. By the time we are nearing 50, our risk will be less.
• Dr. Karen Kemmis: Early education. Be an educated consumer by understanding what you can do to keep bones strong as we get older. Eating calcium-rich foods and keeping your vitamin D levels where they should be are key. Exercise is essential: push-ups, weights, planks, walking, running and other weight-bearing exercises –done regularly and started early –will help keep osteoporosis at bay.

The ongoing challenge for those involved in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and low bone density is to make people realize that we need to start preventative measures much earlier in life — not just when we turn 50 — to be truly effective at keeping our bones strong so we can live independent lives for as long as possible.

Stay tuned for the new weekly series I’m hosting for AARP which will focus on all the simple ways we can improve our health and better our lives. Episodes showing how to do specific exercises and what to eat for strong bones will run weekly during May in support of National Osteoporosis Month. They will be available for viewing on the AARP YouTube Channel and the NOF website. I hope you enjoy the trailer!

Until next time, remember this: We can’t control getting older, but we can control how we do it!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

Photo credits: Barbara Hannah Grufferman’s personal photos, webmd.com

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When I turned 50 a few years ago, it became unnervingly clear that changes had to be made. Post-menopausal pounds were creeping on, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were rising, I wasn’t moving my body enough and as a result, my energy was waning. All of this was making me feel invisible, old and ready to give up –believing aging like this was inevitable. Looking around, I saw that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. What’s worse, when I envisioned my life five or ten years down the road …I got really scared.

That’s when I took control and took action. I researched and wrote The Best of Everything After 50, and six years later I am in –for me –good health: weight is down, health check numbers where they should be, intake of unhealthy foods down, and my daily activity level is way up. These simple changes turned my health, outlook and life around, preparing me for the natural progression of aging, and everything that comes with it.

Not long ago I read the New York Times obituary of Dr. Lester Breslow, a public health leader whose research offered proof that people can live longer, healthier lives by changing habits. In a seminal study, Dr. Breslow followed the behavior of 7,000 people in Alameda County, CA, for 35 years. He concluded that seven simple daily health habits can predict how long people will live and how healthy they will be during their lifetime.

The study showed that following the recommended habits not only predicted lower mortality, even more importantly, those who lived longer also suffered fewer disabilities. In a news release, Dr. Breslow said, “What was surprising to me was how these seven habits were so strongly predictive of mortality.”

The “Seven Healthy Habits” –as Dr. Breslow referred to his key tips –are:

1. Don’t smoke.
2. Drink moderately or don’t drink at all.
3. Get a good night’s sleep of seven or eight hours. 
4. Exercise 30 minutes at a time, several times a week. Walking vigorously is a top choice.
5. Forget the scales. Eat moderately to maintain weight in relation to height.
6. Eat regularly, whether that’s two meals a day, three or five. Whatever you do normally, keep it up because it’s the regularity of life and moderation in eating, sleeping and exercising that makes all the difference.
7. Eat breakfast every day.

The statistics from Dr. Breslow’s study are astounding. As The New York Times article stated:

A follow-up study showed that those who followed better habits were less likely to become disabled. Of those with four or more good health habits, 12.2 percent were likely to be disabled 10 years after the study began; those with two or three, 14.1 percent; and those with only one or no positive health habits at all, 18.7 percent. Dr. Breslow found that a 60-year-old who followed the seven recommended behaviors would be as healthy as a 30-year-old who followed fewer than three.

To Dr. Breslow’s excellent advice, I would add the following:

• Embrace your age with grace, dignity, and humor.

• Be fearless.

• Stay connected to friends and family.

• Stay engaged with the world.

The anti-aging industry wants us to believe that we can actually turn back the clock. We can’t. But what we can do is be responsible for our own health by following Dr. Breslow’s simple steps to healthier living. There is no magic amulet, but there is magic in living life to the fullest, and the best way to do that is to take charge of your health –today –no matter what your age.

According to The New York Times, Dr. Breslow, who lived to 97, practiced what he preached: “Dr. Breslow himself did not smoke or drink. He walked regularly, practiced moderation in all things and enjoyed tending his vegetable garden.”

Until next time …remember this: We can’t change getting older …but we can change how we do it!

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

Photo credits: shine.yahoo.com, optimisticaging.wordpress.com, healthylivingmagazine.com

The lecturer, a therapist in her mid-50s, deals frequently with women who are unhappy with how they look, and who feel unprepared for the changes that they are seeing as they get older. The lecturer acknowledged that women in their 50s (and over) are in a “beauty bind.” In the past, women (like our grandmothers) aged together. The playing field was level. Very few of them had the option to have any kind of plastic surgery (that was the domain of Hollywood movie stars), so they all aged together.

The problem is when a woman feels that she must look younger to compete for a man, a job, a place in the world without feeling invisible; it’s then that she does things that she may not want to do, like plastic surgery. The therapist also pointed out that if a woman feels that she is aging and losing the battle to compete, she can get depressed and engage in unhealthy and counter-productive behaviors like drinking too much, using drugs, and developing eating disorders that are normally associated with much younger women. The statistics were dramatic.

The lecture got me thinking about all the ways the media makes us feel like aging is such a horrible thing, and one to be avoided at all costs. Magazine covers and ads with perfect, young bodies and faces just perpetuate the belief that younger is better. True, it’s always been like this, but the means to achieve a more youthful look have never been more accessible than they are now. All you have to do is go to a Botox Party, and voilà, you’ve turned back the clock (at least for four months).

I decided that this was a kind of wake-up call for all of us, no matter what our ages. In other words: it’s time to re-frame how we look at how we look. We can’t look 20 when we’re 40, and we can’t look 30 when we’re 50. It simply isn’t possible. And, if “looking younger” is your goal, then you may be in for a lot of heartache.

I’m not saying to give up and give in. Far from it! Nor am I telling women to forgo having plastic surgery or other kinds of procedures. But before you start to think about trying to make yourself look younger, ask yourself first whether you’ve taken steps to make yourself be the most healthy, fit and engaged version of yourself at whatever age you are.

Have you:

• Stopped sitting in the sun and started using sunscreen?
• Stopped smoking?
• Started a good skin care program?
• Gotten and kept your weight down to where it should be?
• Started an exercise program where you walk (or run) every day?
• Begun a sustainable strength-training program to your body toned and fight osteoporosis?
• Done an honest assessment of hair, clothes and makeup?
• Made a commitment to improve your health by eating the right foods and staying away from the wrong ones?

When I turned 50, I stepped back and assessed every part of my life and saw that I was heading in the wrong direction. The post-menopausal weight was piling on, my muscle tone was gone, and I was starting to look, for lack of a better word, frumpy. Not wanting to continue along that path, I put myself on simple, uncomplicated programs (including what’s listed above), which helped me lose the weight, get strong and lean, improve my skin and “fight the frump.” 

The real message, from one “woman over 50″ to another is this: Embrace, engage, take control, and live your life. Take care of your body, exercise your mind, be a part of the world, stay connected with people who are supportive, and you’ll discover a secret that many women over 50 who are doing these things already know: if you feel good, you look good. And if you feel and look good, age will be the furthest thing from your mind.

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. I’d love to meet you! Join the AARP Illinois team and me at the National Osteoporosis Foundation annual event in Chicago on Tuesday, Wednesday, April 17th., where I’ll moderate a panel on bone health for life. Click here for details. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

(A version of this article appeared earlier on HuffingtonPost.com)

Photo credit: realcougarwoman, anniejenningspr.com

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Visceral fat.

What is visceral fat, you ask?

It’s fat you can’t see. It’s fat that weaves itself around your heart and other internal organs. It’s really evil, and you don’t want it in your body.

We all have subcutaneous fat, which is the noticeable layer of fat that lies just below the skin. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is deeper, hidden beneath the muscles. It can be dangerous because it surrounds vital organs and is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into cholesterol in the blood. Men and women who have excess abdominal fat have a greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which can precede diabetes and heart disease, cancer, stroke, dementia and sexual dysfunction in men. Not good.

How do you know if you have visceral fat?

If you are overweight, chances are good you have visceral fat. However, even normal weight men and women can have excess belly fat. The best way to determine if you have this kind of fat depends less on how much you weigh, and much more on the measurement of your waist, because that’s where it tends to settle. So put away the scale and bring out the tape measure. Your waist size should be less than half your height (and certainly less than thirty-five inches for women, and 40 inches for men).

How can we get rid of visceral fat?

The good news is it’s the easiest kind of fat men and women over 50 can lose. It’s even easier to shed visceral fat than that extra padding around your bottom or thighs! You simply need to eat better (and probably less), move your body more with regular exercise (walking is a great option), and lower your intake of saturated fats, especially those found in meat and even poultry, and it will go away. Think of it like a checking account –easy in and easy out. And, while strength-training exercises are essential for overall fitness and good health (especially bone health), there are other things you need to do to banish this kind of fat from your body: walking, running, playing tennis, biking and other activities that cause you to really move your body for at least 30 minutes or more will do the trick.

Every little step you make toward your goal is a huge step toward a better life now . . .and in the future. With every fraction of an inch, you are healthier.

And remember this . . .we can’t control getting older . . .but we can control how we do it. Yay!

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

Photo credits: typicaltracey.wordpress, golocalprov.com

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However, we’re all human and every once in a while we can fall off the wagon, so to speak. I found this winter especially challenging to maintain my good habits and healthy lifestyle. The cold, wet weather seemed to drag on and on, causing me to curtail my usual 3 – 4 times a week running schedule. And, the less I exercised the more I wanted to eat (and not always the good stuff). I could come up with a multitude of plausible reasons and explanations as to why …but the bottom line is, I gained a few extra pounds this winter and to make matters worse, I don’t feel my usual energetic self, creating a Catch-22, which can so easily happen. A little push would be helpful.

A few weeks ago, feeling sluggish and ready to pop a few M&M’s in my mouth (leftover from my little nephew’s recent visit), I grabbed my iPad and started mindlessly surfing around. Within minutes I came across an article about a U.K.-based physician, Michael Mosley, who, like so many of us, had gained weight (not a huge amount, but measurable) after 50, saw his health check numbers decline, was worried about developing diabetes (his father had suffered with the disease), and wasn’t sure what to do. He decided to try fasting, based on a multitude of studies supporting the premise that temporarily “starving” your body can have quite positive effects. In his book, Dr. Mosley takes the reader through some of the most accepted and highly regarded research, and concludes that fasting is, indeed, a powerful antidote to a host of diseases and conditions that are directly related to how we eat (i.e., fatty, sugary, overly processed foods).

Dr. Mosley also decided that fasting, as presented in these studies, simply wasn’t sustainable or enjoyable, and he had no interest in pursuing this particular path to better health, especially after he tried a four-day fast under the close watch of an expert who specializes in fasting to combat disease. He then tried another approach, called “Alternate Day Fasting” (ADF) but, as he put it in his new book, The FastDiet,

After a short while, however, I realized that it was just too tough physically, socially, and psychologically. I also found fasting every other day just a little too challenging. It is undoubtedly an effective way to lose weight rapidly and to get powerful changes to your biochemistry, but it was not for me.

That’s when he decided to try this: eat 600 calories (500 for women) two days a week, and a normal diet the other five days. “After experimenting with different versions of fasting,” Dr. Mosley writes, “I found the 5:2 approach to be the most effective and workable way for me to get the benefits of fasting and still retain a long-term commitment to a dietary plan.” The scientific thinking behind intermittent fasting (“briefly but severely restricting the amount of calories you consume”) is to trick your body into thinking it’s starving, and it will immediately go into famine mode, which actually makes your body tougher and stronger. According to Dr. Mosley, the medical term is hormesis: what does not kill you will make you stronger.

Results? He lost the weight, improved his health, and found eating a controlled 600 calories two days a week (non-consecutive) was doable for the long haul. Before starting his new way of eating he had every single number checked: weight, waist size, cholesterol, and so on, and of course, he got the green light from his own doctor (which everyone is strongly encouraged to do before starting any new exercise or eating program). In his book, he lists all his ‘before’ and ‘after’ numbers, which I found fascinating, especially because they improved so dramatically.

The interesting thing is that I’ve been doing an exercise version of “intermittent eating” since turning 50: I follow the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run program which calls for running for a minute or two (depending upon your fitness level) and walking for 30 seconds or more, which causes your heart rate to speed up, then slow down, speed up, slow down and so on, for a sustained period of time. Many studies have shown that this “interval training“ approach to exercise is superior for burning fat, losing weight, and exercising our hearts. So, I felt open-minded to trying interval eating, too.

I thought to myself, why not try the 5:2 way of eating for a few weeks, just to see how I feel? My husband calls me the “Ultimate Empiricist” for a reason: if something resonates with me and it seems to make good sense, I want to try it too, to make sure it really works. It’s only then that I can truly recommend it to my readers.

Last week was my first time trying it, and this much I can tell you: it wasn’t hard at all, and in fact, I felt lighter and more energetic on the “fast” days. But, really, eating 500 calories (either all at once, or scattered throughout the day, your call) isn’t tortuous. And, as often happens, I found myself completely back on track with my regular eating and fitness program, which includes running, push-ups, the Plank, and other strength training exercises, because …what’s the point of starving yourself for two days a week only to eat junk (and too much of it) on the other days? That wouldn’t make sense to me, and for sure, that’s what Dr. Mosley and other scientists who are referenced in the book, discovered. One healthy dot connects to another and before you know it, you’re eating better and less, and moving your body more.

Dr. Mosley concedes that more studies need to be conducted to ascertain whether it’s more effective with greater health benefits to consume all 500 or 600 calories all at once, or scattered throughout the day, and so on, but the overall approach seems to be sound.

I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going and if I do, in fact, stick with it. If you’ve tried this way of eating, I’d love to hear how it’s been working for you. Leave your comments below.

Until next week, remember this: we can’t control getting older ….but we can control how we do it. Yay!

Oh …and here’s a short video of Dr. Mosley explaining everything on BBC. Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

Photo credits: bestofeverythingafter50.com, forbes.com

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That’s a sea change from when I turned 50. Then –what now seems like a lifetime ago — running two miles would have been out of the question. I was out-of-shape and stuck in the mire of midlife madness, believing that gaining weight, feeling invisible and throwing in the towel were the only solutions to aging.

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Years of media messages had wormed their way into my brain, tempting me to pull the proverbial blanket over my head, ready to give up and give in. I started to believe the articles, research and reports telling me that women over 50 are powerless, averse to change, glum, cranky consumers, unsexy and should step aside to make room for the infinitely more beautiful, desirable, hirable, acquisitive and loveable younger generation. Worse still, they all conspired to convince me that the only true path to happiness was to look younger, at any cost.

Luckily, I snapped out of it, came to my senses, and decided to research and write my first book, The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More. I started running (with walk breaks), doing 20 push-ups every day, held a Plank position for 60 seconds, changed how I ate . . . and basically took control of my health and my life. The pounds came off, my health check numbers improved, and by my mid-50s I was feeling pretty darn good about myself. Good enough, in fact, to run in the New York City Marathon last year to celebrate my 55th birthday. (I followed the Jeff Galloway program which calls for slow, gentle running with walk breaks …perfect for every post-50 body.)

So what made turning 56 so different from when I turned 50? Here are my most important reasons, all of which are surprising (since I didn’t think I’d ever be where I am at 56 based on where I was at 50):

1. Got fit: Since turning 50, I’ve taken control of my health in ways I never thought possible: running every other day, daily push-ups, and eating well are all part of my life now. I’m 12 lbs. lighter than when I turned 50, and one size smaller. And, as a result of doing push-ups and the Plank, I’m working to keep osteoporosis at bay. On top of all that, my energy level is much higher, giving me the strength to do all the things I want to do, and need to do as I get older. That’s good.
2. Found my style: When I turned 50, my hair looked like roadkill on top of my head. And no wonder: I’d been highlighting and blowdrying my natural curly hair since the ’70s. After I decided to make drastic changes to every aspect of my life, embracing my hair was part of the new program. At 56, my hair is the healthiest it’s ever been. When I turned 50 and more wrinkles emerged, my first reaction was to cover them up. No more. Now, my makeup is lighter and fresher (taking less than 5 minutes to apply), and I’ve adopted a simple, classic fashion style (see chapter on fashion for details on what experts like Diane von Furstenberg urged me to wear to look my best after 50). I’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin. That’s good.
3. Embraced my age: When I turned 50 I was confused and unsure about what it all meant, and was hesitant about revealing my age. Media messages almost convinced me to give up and fade into the woodwork. But I didn’t. Instead I turned myself around and made “embrace your age” my mantra and helping other people over 50 to do the same my mission. I’m proud to be 56 and will be proud –and grateful –at every age. That’s good.
4. Became fearless after 50: I was afraid of what was ahead for me after I turned 50 because I hadn’t yet taken control of my own destiny. But once I did, I got rid of fear just as quickly as I threw out my blowdryer. We can’t control getting older, but we CAN control how we do it. It’s a choice. We can either allow ourselves to become invisible, living in fear about what lies ahead, succumbing to whatever is going on in our lives that could pull us down (and, as we know, there’s always something). Or, we can embrace each day with joy and without fear. We can take control of our health, and take care of ourselves as we take care of others. I chose to forge ahead, embracing my age, embracing my life, getting ready for what’s next. At age 56, I am infinitely more fearless than when I was 50. That’s good …especially because of my next reason.
5. Squeezed into the ‘sandwich generation’: When I turned 50 and grappled with my own view of aging, my mother and mother-in-law were engaged, involved, and relatively healthy. This year, both were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and have spiraled downward so quickly that our heads are collectively spinning. In six short years, both have gone from living independently to needing full time care. Our small family is doing everything it can to keep up with the pace of their decline, but it isn’t easy. At the same time, we have a freshman in college and a freshman in high school, making me an official member of the ‘sandwich generation.’ Worrying won’t help, but planning, taking action, and being fearless will.
6. Remade my career: After spending decades in the magazine publishing world, then the international conference business, I arranged to take a few years off to be a full-time mom. My sabbatical was short, and when I turned 50 I was ready to re-enter the workforce but was scared out of my wits. My resume was solid, but I knew that going back to my old industries was not the right choice for me. After going through my own personal re-evaluation and transformation, it was clear that being a writer, speaker, and champion of positive aging and women’s rights was my new calling and would be my new career. Between the ages of 50 and 56, I wrote a book (my second will be out this year), appeared on all the morning talk shows, tons of radio programs, and contribute to some of the best known and regarded media in the country. It was accepting who I am now, embracing my age, and living without fear that allowed me to create my next chapter. At 50, I was confused, afraid, and lost about what I should do. At 56, I am ready for anything. That’s good.

There are many other reasons I feel differently now than when I turned 50, including how I need to have a pair of readers in every room, and the fact that I am inching my way to 60, moving ever further away from 50, brings moments of worry and concern. Will my good health continue? Will I have enough money to live a nice life as I age? Will I feel as good about aging in four years when I turn 60 as I do now? It isn’t always easy being fearless after 50, but it’s one of the most important tools in our arsenal.

I’m the National Osteoporosis Foundation ‘Ambassador for Bone Health’ and a fierce champion of positive aging. For more tips on living your best life after 50 (or 60, or 70…) check out “The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More” and www.bestofeverythingafter50.com. Keep me posted on how you’re doing by subscribing to me on Facebook and “tweeting” me on Twitter at @BGrufferman.  

Photo credits: from Barbara Hannah Grufferman’s personal collection