Category: Fit and Strong (Page 5 of 56)

Intro to Strength Training with Suzanne Fowler

January 14, 2025 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

#170 – Intro to Strength Training with Suzanne Fowler

Suzanne Fowler is a regular listener to the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast and a member of the Becoming Elli Community. She watched her parents’ health decline and decided to prepare for the aging process. Chris and Jill spoke with Suzanne about how she recently re-invented herself and now lives in an active and engaging environment.

In this episode we talk about getting started with strength training and progressing to the next level.

Suzanne Fowler is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of healthcare and fitness industry expertise. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Ball State University and a Master of Science in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, she combines a strong academic foundation with practical experience to promote health and wellness.

As a former fitness center owner and certified Personal Training, Corrective Exercise, Nutrition, and Wellness Coaching through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Suzanne is dedicated to helping individuals lead active, healthy lives, particularly as they age. Her holistic approach focuses on personalized solutions that empower clients to achieve lasting vitality and well-being.

We discussed:

Moving into a 55 + community and starting a program for other residents
Listening to our podcast and successfully adapting what she learned from episode with Gin Stephens and the intermittent fasting lifestyle
Starting weight training with balance, moving to resistance bands, and into circuits
How to progress as things become easy: at first you couldn’t do 10, now you can do 15. Time to progress.
The value of the 3 basics: planks, wall sits and modified push ups
The benefits of strength training: boosts metabolic rate at rest, improves bone density, helps keep your mobility, improve heart and cognitive health, helps with balance and promotes protein synthesis and muscle development.
Monitoring body composition of lean mass, fat mass and working for a higher amount of muscle.
Why monitoring body composition is better than monitoring BMI.
Making a lifestyle change works so much better than making a new years resolution.
Set realistic improvement expectations for 5-8 weeks.
The NAS Med progressive plan to strength training. Improving endurance over time.

Click here to open and download the PDF.

Links:

Suzanne Fowler’s website: EverybodyFitWestfield.com
Instagram https://instagram.com/everybodyfitwestfield

Our podcast continues to be among the top podcasts for women over 50, especially in the health and fitness categories. See our ranking in the top 2% of all podcasts here.

There’s still time to challenge yourself to the Becoming Elli 2025 January Bingo!

Podcast Partner Spotlight for January 2025:

If you enjoy what we talk about on the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast, you may want to checkout the Boomer Banter podcast.

Wendy Green is the host of the popular and inspirational Boomer Banter podcast. She pursues real talk about aging well. At Boomer Banter, Wendy explores financial literacy, mental and physical health, relationships and having a purpose, to help you age well.

Listen to her podcast at the Boomer Banter Website at heyboomer.biz. You may remember Wendy from “New Goals and Dreams with Wendy Green”, episode 139 of Fit Strong Women over 50.

2025 Three Focus Words for Chris

January 6, 2025 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Each year I like to select three words to represent the focus for the year. My three focus words for 2025 are:

Stand
Sleep
Strength

Stand refers to the average number of minutes I am standing up each day. My Apple watch automatically counts the number of minutes I am standing so it’s an easy thing for me to measure. Not something I would have picked otherwise! Some of my strategies are:

Getting off the computer… or at least replacing my chair and desk for part of the time with a standing desk is one of my strategies.
Getting a walk or hike in every day (or a longer hike on beautiful days to make up for the nasty weather days!)
My averages in the winter have already gone down just due to less daylight and most recently, snow & cold.
Summer is easy to get lots of standing minutes. My best weekend last summer was when I was camping. So maybe a few more camping trips are in my future! Not a bad thing!

Sleep refers to my sleep patterns. It’s the number one thing that helps me to reach all my other goals. Probably the hardest thing to do is getting to bed early enough to get enough sleep even if I wake up a lot during the night. Other strategies include cutting back on caffeine and chocolate, especially after noon as even an afternoon pick me up will interrupt my sleep cycle. Other ways:

Listening to white noise or relaxing music, maybe nature sounds
Not too hot in the room
Limiting screens at least 1 hour before going to bed
Consider taking a bath before bed (not sure this is something I will actually follow thru on, but I know it could help)
Practice Yoga Nidra before I go to bed. This definitely will help and is something I know works for me.

Strength is physical as well as mental. I have lots of plans for physical strength and think I’m going to knock this one out of the park. Mental resilience depends a lot upon how successful I am with the first two (walks and sleep.) But I guess everything is interrelated right?

Tracking my strength workouts to make sure I’m doing 2-3 per week.
Making sure I progressively move up in weights, not just reps.
Do the warms ups and the cool downs so I don’t get injured
Consider buying a personal training package at my gym or online

Are you focusing on any particular focus words this year? Feel free to share in the comments.

My three focus words in other years:

Ways I Have Found to Get Enough Protein

December 31, 2024 / Chris Brown / 4 Comments

Getting enough protein? Each year I work on eating protein and during 2024 I think I did a really good job getting protein in my weekly meals. I try to look at it by week, rather than by day because it’s less tracking.

Here are some of the things I put in my grocery cart when I shop each week.

Firm Tofu – Although tofu doesn’t have much of a taste, I have learned to like the texture and it’s easy to flavor with anything else you eat. Often it ends up on the top of a salad. Or as a snack with a little peanut butter. I never ever thought it would be at the top of my list!! But I buy a carton of it every week now.
Egg whites in a carton. This is a real staple for me and I eat them everyday. It’s a low calorie easy way to up the morning protein.
Dairy: Feta Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Fage 0% fat Greek Yogurt. I think of the Greek yogurt like almost a dessert that is a great way to sneak in the protein.
Fish: Sardines, Tuna, Salmon. I’ve tried different brands and kinds to discover what is most healthy, inexpensive and that I enjoy the flavor. It’s definitely something that requires some experimenting. I like sardines in water, not oil. Salmon frozen wild caught. Tuna in water and mixed with diced celery, onions and some Greek yogurt.
Meat: Chicken breast or thighs, package of Ground Turkey. I use ground turkey like it was hamburger, particularly in chili or the inside out egg rolls. Chicken cooked in the air fryer.
Beans: Chick peas (garbanzo beans) Red Kidney beans. I usually add these at the last minute to a recipe to increase the protein. Soups and salads are the best.
Noodles: Banza brand and I noticed a couple of other brands popping up on the shelves. These are those noodles made from chickpeas.

Staying conscience of eating more protein can make a big difference. Just in the 6 items In the photo for this post there’s an average of 50 grams of protein a day!

Measuring by the Grams

100 grams in the carton of Bob Evans egg whites
90 grams in the FAGE 0% Greek Yogurt
72 grams in the Walmart brand 4% milk fat cottage cheese
40.5 grams in the Nasoya extra firm Organic Tofu
28 grams in the can of Joan of Ark light red kidney beans
24.5 grams in the can of Bush’s dark red kidney beans

355 more grams of protein in the week than if I hadn’t eaten this.

Once in a while I will do powder, but I am still working on finishing a chocolate version that I bought a while back and don’t particularly like in my smoothies. Any powder favorites that you’d recommend?

I generally skip the protein bars because I don’t think that they have all much protein and the ones I like are generally pretty sweet. Have you discovered any that really taste great and are healthy? Please let me know.

2025 January Bingo Challenge

December 18, 2024 / Chris Brown / 4 Comments

We’re always looking for a way to improve our health and fitness. Sometimes a new challenge is just what is needed. With that idea in mind, we have devised a 2025 Becoming Elli January Bingo card.

Each of the 25 squares offers a suggestion to you for getting more fit and strong like Elli (the Norse Goddess of Aging who beat Thor in a wrestling match.) Although we can’t promise you’ll be up to beating Thor, this January Bingo 2025 does give you some new ideas and inspiration for the coming year.

Feel free to download and print the PDF, or copy the JPG image to your phone! Let us know when you hit 5 across, down or diagonally!

2025 January Bingo Becoming Elli Card – PDF click the link to download the PDF for printing. What’s the first one you’re going to try? Is there something on this card that you’re uncomfortable with? Is the entire card a big challenge for you? Does your card fill up the first week because we made it too easy? Give us some feedback on your thoughts about this challenge.

Each year we try to come up with a motivating and inspiring challenge that will help our Becoming Elli community in their quest for becoming more fit and strong. Is this 2025 January Bingo challenge something we should continue in the New Year? What did you have the most fun with?

Red Balsamic Vinegar and Olive My Heart flavored olive oils

Replacing Butter with Red Balsamic Vinegar

December 14, 2024 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Recently we talked with my friend Pat Bissell on the podcast. She shared a variety of ways she stays healthy by adjusting her mindset and with several types of exercises and food swaps.

One food swap that really caught my attention was the idea of swapping out butter with a flavored red balsamic vinegar. Pat told us that gets her favored vinegar and gourmet oils at Olive My Heart, a near by independent shop that has a wide variety of choices.

I mentioned in a post a few months ago that I have been watching my cholesterol. One of the ways I have been doing that is by using a little bit of olive oil in place of butter on my toast. I’ll admit, it does taste a little different and really takes some getting used to, but now I’m going to try balsamic vinegar instead. I like trying new flavors and I also like seeing good lipid results with my lab tests.

Until I heard Pat mention it, I hadn’t really considered using a flavored balsamic vinegar, but I think it’s a great idea.

Since vinegar has zero calories, compared to butter with 9 calories per gram, it tastes great and saves calories.

Have you figured out a good way to replace regular butter in your daily meal?

Just to be clear, I don’t mean margarine, which I believe is worse for my health than butter. I grew up as a kid in a household that only ate Blue Bonnet, but it’s not something I’d consider now. (Cue the song.)

Dry toast, or a plain baked potato is fine, but sometimes I feel a bit deprived. To be honest, that feeling of depriving myself is a really bad trigger for future success with keeping the weight off. It’s often easy to just skip a food, but once in a while, I need an indulgence, however I’m always looking for a healthier swap that I enjoy. How about you?

Let me know if you have made the switch and what you use in place of butter. Do you like flavored vinegars? Leave a comment in the space below.

Find Your Passion and Stay Healthy with Pat Bissell

December 10, 2024 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Find Your Passion and Stay Healthy with Pat Bissell #168

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Pat Bissell talks with Jill and Chris about how she found her passion and has consistently found ways to stay healthy and fit.

A long time friend of Chris’s, Pat describes herself as a very active mature female. She has been active her whole life always enjoying sports, exercise classes and strength training for the past 25 years.

We discuss:

How important the social aspect is to enjoying exercise
Working out with strength training on machines
Types of cardio she enjoys
Working through injuries and rehabbing after surgery
Recently turning 70 and keeping fit
Lifetime membership in weight watchers
Her alternative to butter
The key of using Small Steps when you are facing a challenging time
Eating lots of vegetables and fruit everyday.
Measuring what she eats and enjoying lentils and other healthy grains
Tracking minutes or distance with exercise
Healthy eating, exercise you enjoy and socializing as a key to staying healthy with food and activity

To ask Pat a question, please email Chris at Chris@becomingelli.com and she’ll pass along your question and email.

Podcast Partner Spotlight for December 2024:

Wendy Battles is a curious soul who loves to talk to people and understand their experiences. She believes that reinvention is a natural part of life and something that many of us have done numerous times.

Listen to the Reinvention Rebels podcast with stories of unapologetic women, 50-90 years young, who have boldly reimagined life on their own terms, to find renewed purpose and possibilities.

Website: Reinvention Rebels
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube
Email: wendy@reinventionrebels.com

Mat Pilates for Women Over 50

December 3, 2024 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Mat Pilates for Women over 50? In our talk with Coach Adina O’Neill, Adina mentioned the value of doing Pilates as a cross training exercise. That motivated me to return to the Mat Pilates class at my gym. The first class I attended this time was a real eye opener. I could tell I was working my abs. I also really felt my hips moving in ways that I don’t do much anymore. Nothing really hurt but I was sore afterwards. Not injured but I could sure tell I’d used my body in a different way.

Mat Pilates offers a way to improve strength, flexibility, and balance without the need for equipment other than a Mat. At Becoming Elli, we’re all about empowering strong women, and Mat Pilates fits right in with our thoughts on staying strong, healthy, and active.

What Is Mat Pilates?

Mat Pilates is a low-impact exercise system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. It focuses on controlled movements, core strength, and mindful breathing—all performed on a Mat. Unlike traditional Pilates that uses machines like the Reformer, Mat Pilates relies solely on your body weight for resistance.

Why Mat Pilates Is Perfect for Women Over 50

Strengthens the Core: Core strength is essential for maintaining good posture, reducing back pain, and enhancing overall stability. Mat Pilates targets deep abdominal muscles, helping you feel stronger from the inside out.
Enhances Flexibility: Aging often leads to reduced flexibility, but regular Pilates practice can improve your range of motion, making everyday activities easier and more comfortable. I definitely felt that range of motion with some of the hip exercises.
Boosts Balance and Stability: Mat Pilates emphasizes balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls and increasing your confidence in movement. We talk frequently about keeping active to avoid falling.
Low-Impact and Joint-Friendly: Unlike high-impact exercises that can stress the joints, Mat Pilates is gentle on the body, making it ideal for those with arthritis or joint sensitivities.
Improves Mind-Body Connection: Pilates requires focus and precise movements, fostering a stronger connection between your mind and body. This mindfulness can enhance your mental well-being, reduce stress, and improve overall quality of life. The instructor in my Mat Pilates class is always reminding us to inhale and exhale. The breathing is a bit different in focus than in yoga but it seems like the same general idea.

Getting Started with Mat Pilates

The beauty of Mat Pilates is its accessibility. All you need is a Mat and a bit of space. Here are some tips to get started:

Find a Class: Look for local classes. Many community centers and gyms offer Mat Pilates classes. Many places offer Mat Pilates even if they don’t offer Reformer Pilates classes.
Online Resources: If you prefer working out at home, there are plenty of online videos and tutorials designed for all fitness levels.

Essential Mat Pilates Moves for Beginners

The Hundred: Great for warming up and engaging your core. Every Pilates class I’ve ever taken has included the Hundred in the first part of the class.
Roll-Up: Improves spinal flexibility and strengthens abdominal muscles.
Leg Circles: Enhances hip mobility and strengthens your core. This is where I felt my hips saying, “hey, I haven’t moved this way in a while!”
Plank: Builds overall strength and stability. Regardless of the kind of workout you’re doing, planks seem to fit right in.

Why Mat Pilates Is More Than Just Exercise

Beyond physical benefits, Mat Pilates nurtures your mental and emotional well-being. It encourages you to slow down, breathe deeply, and focus on the present moment—an invaluable practice in our fast-paced world.

Conclusion

Adding Mat Pilates into your fitness routine can help you stay strong, balanced, and energized. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or looking for a new way to maintain your health, Mat Pilates is a great option.

Oh yes, here’s the disclaimer: as with any new exercise routine, consult with your healthcare provider before starting.

Have you tried Mat Pilates? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Share your thoughts in the comments below or join our Becoming Elli community for more fitness inspiration.

Stay strong, stay active, and keep moving forward!

Being Real Athletes with Coach Adina O’Neill

November 26, 2024 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

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In episode 167, Jill and Chris talk with Adina O’Neill, the founder and head coach at Team B*REAL, an endurance sport community where athletes of any size, color, identity, age & ability are empowered to achieve their personal goals.

She helps her clients to build confidence, define their own goals, go at their own pace and stand out despite believing they may not fit in.

Adina is a marathon swimmer and triathlete who has completed over 100 endurance events including the Paris Marathon, ice swims, a 13-mile swim, IRONMAN Mont Tremblant, and a 200 mile single day bike ride.

She enjoys traveling, eating cereal and listening to live music with her husband, 2 children and their yellow lab Mel.

We discuss:

How she changed from an awkward athlete to a confident coach
Why she started her B*Real Community for non traditional athletes
Virtual events and challenges: Saturday Sweat program and Winter Warrior challeng
Helping others to run their first marathon or triathlon
“I’m the right coach for someone who wants to run a race but is concerned about finishing.”
The joys and challenges of cold swimming and ice swimming
Why she has a wide toolbox of a million different tools to pull out at a certain time
Building muscle, cross trying and pylometrics

Adina has supplied our listeners with a $10 discount code for her Winter Warrior Challenge. Just use ELLI10, that’s E-L-L-I and the number 10.

That’s E

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adinaoneillREALfitness/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adina_oneill_real_fitness
B*Real Website: https://teambreal.com/
Her Book, Forward is a Pace: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4QXX6MV

Podcast Partner Spotlight for November 2024:

If you enjoy what we talk about on the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast, you may want to checkout the Older Women & Friends podcast. Jane Leder talks with guests about the joys and challenges of being an older woman. You can find it at her website: Janeleder.net

Running Over 50 with Coach Henry Howard

November 11, 2024 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

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Jill and Chris talk with Henry Howard who found running in his early 40s when he set out to achieve a bucket-list goal: run a marathon. Since then he has finished more than 40 marathons and ultras, including four 100-milers. Along the way, he has qualified for the Boston Marathon twice, become a running coach and launched his RunSpirited website.

As a running coach, he guides awesome runners of all experience levels, backgrounds and fitness to achieve their amazing goals.

As a professional writer and editor, he has merged his background with his passion for running and desire to give back to the community. RunSpirited offers coaching tips, interviews with inspiring athletes, product reviews and much more.

We discuss:

Setting goals, developing running plans and working together to monitor progress
Injury prevention and active recovery
“Don’t let comparison be the thief of joy”
Tips for rebuilding a base for running
Ways that master athletes can improve preparation and recovery
Preparing for big challenges both mentally and physically
Hill repeats focus on form and running at a conversational pace
Importance of strength training, core work and doing something you prefer
“Never limit where running can take you” — Bart Yasso
Developing a mindset for ultra races and staying mentally tough
Nutritional aspects of training and running with a plant based diet
Eating clean and staying away from processed food
Why fueled runs are so important and how he suggests women over 50 fuel for running
Importance of recovery for women who run after 50 – link on RunSpirited

Links:

Instagram, Twitter and Threads: @henryhoward
Instagram: @run_spirited
twitter: @runspirited
Website: RunSpirited.com

Podcast Partner Spotlight for November 2024:

The Benefits of Squats

November 5, 2024 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

I know there are benefits to doing squats. I end up doing a lot of squats though I don’t really enjoy them. They’re just not a fun exercise, at least I don’t think so. I find them to be challenging and it’s hard to see progress. If you’re lifting weights, you can tell when you’re getting stronger but that isn’t as evident with squats.

So why do squats? One of the biggest advantages of squats is their ability to build lower body strength. Strong legs are essential for everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and lifting objects. Squats not only build muscle but also increase functional strength, which translates to better performance in sports and day-to-day tasks. Additionally, squats help strengthen your core muscles, which improves posture, reduces the risk of injury, and enhances stability.

There are days when I feel challenged just to get off a couch. That’s when I think, imagine how bad this would be if I didn’t do squats.

We’re always saying find what you enjoy and do that. But there’s some good reasons to do squats even if I don’t think they’re a lot of fun.

How to Perform a Proper Squat

Form is important if you want to get the most out of squats. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your chest up, back straight, and core engaged. Slowly lower yourself by bending at the knees and hips, as if sitting back into a chair. Go down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.

Nia Shanks, who we talked to in episode 79 on the Fit Strong Women over 50 Podcast, has great instructions on how to do different squats. You might want to check out what she has to say.

Variations to Try

There are several squat variations to keep your workouts interesting and target muscles differently. Goblet squats, jump squats, and Bulgarian split squats add diversity and intensity to your routine.

Once you start to build strength, you can add in front or back squats where you hold a barbell either to your chest or resting on your shoulders. I find these to be really challenging.

As you begin to add variety to your squats, it becomes even more important to maintain good form. If you’re not sure about your form, ask someone to watch you and give you advice. If you’re at a gym, ask a trainer to check out your form. I’ve seen people post videos of them doing squats and ask people in fitness groups on Facebook to give them advice.

Incorporating squats consistently can lead to improved strength, better mobility, and a more balanced physique. So next time you hit the gym, make sure to add a few squats to your workout – your body will thank you!