The 4 Habits of Fit Seniors
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You know who they are — those retirees who just seem to stay in shape with what appears to be little effort. Whether they’re training for upcoming hike, on the floor with their grandkids or they just enjoy being active altogether, they seem to maintain their level of fitness without the extreme highs and lows of adherence and cessation that most people can relate to. Now, some may say it’s only because of good genes, but I have worked with and around enough of these “lucky” older adults to see character traits that differ from most retirees and baby boomers. While this isn’t an exhaustive list of every single trait, here are 4 things I believe naturally fit seniors do differently from their peers:
1. Diet is not in their vocabularyFad diets are a dime a dozen. They’re everywhere and way too many people buy into them. However, when you think of your fit friends over 60, are they eating grapefruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Are they endlessly counting calories or avoiding carbohydrates like the plague? Highly doubtful. Active seniors who have been fit for 5 years or more just seem to make healthy eating a part of their everyday lifestyle – not just until their upcoming cruise to the Bahamas. They are intuitive eaters that follow an 80/20 rule, who practice recognizing when they’re satisfied, and then they stop eating! Through trial and error, they know which foods help them to have more energy and feel better, and which foods do the opposite. By listening to their bodies, they avoid getting sucked into the fanfare of every new diet that comes along.
2. They enjoy being active
Not a fan being physically active? Maybe it’s time to view exercise through a different lens. Have you noticed that fit people either find activities they enjoy or at least do not see exercise as only a means to an end? For example, instead of working out to solely lose weight, healthy seniors see exercise as a tool to help them deal with stress, have more energy, stay mentally sharp and it just so happens to help them have a high quality of life. Win-win! Another thing to consider if you dislike a particular activity is to try something new and break away from what you’re used to or have always done. There’re truly thousands of ways to move your body, improve strength & balance and increase stamina. It’s really a matter of finding something that you not only tolerate, but perhaps may even look forward to doing once you find an approach that works for you.
3. They make restful sleep a priority
If you think the best way to get the energy to survive your day is to pound down another cup of coffee, think again. One of the top things fit seniors do to stay healthy and rejuvenated isn’t exercise-based at all — it’s recovering through the natural cycle of sleep, ideally 7-8 hours a night for most adults. Not only does sleep give you the energy you need to exercise on a regular basis, but it also helps regulate your metabolism, repair muscles, remove toxins from the brain and much more. Turn off your screens an hour before going to bed for 1 week and see if you can feel the difference!
4. They have a life purpose
One of the biggest myths that people of all ages can fall victim to is that if they look fit, they’ll have more confidence and hence, more overall happiness. It’s not true! Miserable people come in all shape and sizes. People who are fit long-term realize that fitness is just one component of a bigger picture. They find a balance of physical, mental, spiritual, and social connection with others through strong relationships with a purpose that’s bigger than themselves. They know finding personal happiness by solely looking good in the mirror is just a façade. However, the beauty is that improving your fitness can be a great catalyst to address other areas of health that may have been a blind spot in your life. Begin today of thinking of ways to implement these four factors in your day-to-day life and you too will begin to feel the fit difference!