10 Ways Men And Women Over 50 Can Amp Up Their Energy

Wouldn't it be great to have all the energy you needed to get yourself through the day when you're a man or woman over 50? So many of us find ourselves struggling to come up with the ambition to get things done and hopefully have somewhat of a productive day. With a few minor adjustments in habits, lifestyle and attitude, you can turn the struggle into a pleasant journey that will leave you happy, satisfied and more fulfilled. We will begin with a short discussion of two common types of energy we all experience at one time or another and how they affect our lives for better or worse. They are calm energy and tense energy.


CALM ENERGY

Calm energy is a state of low stress and high controlled energy. Small issues remain small and do not develop into more than what they really are. They therefore do not get in the way of things that are more important. Your physical and mental reserves are at a high level, giving you the serene confidence of an ideal flow state where you feel in continuous control.Your sense of well being and a positive outlook are in place. Due to this positive vantage point, your perception of attaining a successful result is much greater.Everything you do seems to go easily and smoothly. This is by far the energy you need to have on a regular basis.

TENSE ENERGY

Tense energy is the opposite. It can be the result of artificial stimulants such as caffeine, a situational effect of anger, stress or by merely being in a general rush. This type of energy cannot be maintained without a price. It interferes with the optimal neurotransmissions in the brain and in the long run leaves you exhausted; depleted mentally and physically. Continuing on this way will have negative consequences on your overall performance and will also erode your health over time. This type of energy is commonplace in many people's lives, so much so that it seems normal. It is a sad testament to our current fast-paced culture that this seems to be the case. But this does not have to be. Here are ten steps to a positive, productive flow state that will support your efforts, making your life easier and more fulfilling.

THE TEN STEPS

1) Start with a good nights sleep, eight hours if possible. Without proper rest, it is difficult to maintain any kind of consistent energy level the next day. Be sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. Any light will interfere with your sleep cycle by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone released at the end of the day that signals your body that it's time for sleep. Avoid a heavy meal at the end of the day, the process of digestion forces your body to stay active, not allowing it to settle into a good sleep pattern. Likewise, avoid caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime.

Men and women over 50 should let go of any worries and frustrations they may have. It may be helpful to come up with an affirmation you can say to yourself as you settle in each night. Something to the effect of: "This day is finished. I release any worries or concerns to my higher power and I am allowing myself to relax into a peaceful, healing sleep".

2) When you first wake up in the morning, train yourself to think about what you will be looking forward to for the day, not what you are dreading.Focus on thoughts of gratitude for all the good things in your life, feel the warmth of this emotion glowing inside you. Give your day a positive purpose from the start.

3) Allow yourself a few minutes before rising to slowly and gently arch your back, stretch your arms and legs and turn your head from side to side. When you get up, leave your arms loose at your sides and shake them. Do the same with each leg, first one than the other. If you are up to it, drop down and do a few pushups, stand up and do a few kneebends or forward lunges. Then take three to four slow, relaxing breaths. Imagine breathing in energy that instantly courses throughout your entire body, invigorating and strengthening every cell. As you exhale slowly, breathe out all tension, fatigue and negative feelings. Any activity for just a few minutes first thing in the morning triggers your brain to produce signals to release tension and to begin the process of increasing your overall alertness. Try it, it's amazing how little it takes to jump start your day with these simple movements.

4) Do not skip breakfast, no matter what. It does not have to be anything elaborate, but starting each day with a low-fat, high fiber breakfast is critical to continuing to develop the calm energy to carry you through the day. A toasted multi-grain bagel with low-fat cream cheese can provide a quick tasty meal, for example. Another easy to prepare breakfast is muesli. Before you go to bed, put 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats into a bowl and add just enough water to cover them.Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, add 1/2 cup of your favorite low fat yogurt and one to two teaspoons of brown sugar or honey. Top it off with pieces of apple, banana or any other fruit that strikes your fancy. This is a delicious, satisfying breakfast that has everything you need to start your day off right.

5) Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. This way you will be keeping your body's energy furnace stoked without overwhelming it with fewer, larger meals that will leave you sluggish. Be sure to include a mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats such as those found in fish and nuts. This combination will provide the fuel, maintain your energy and will leave you feeling satisfied. Also be sure to keep yourself well hydrated through the day by drinking plenty of water.

6) Focus for a few moments on your normal breathing pattern. You'll notice that while you aren't in an active state, your breathing may be quite shallow. Throughout the day take a couple of minutes to do some concentrated belly breathing to take more oxygen into your system. By doing this you will be assisting the oxidation level of your metabolism. First, sit up straight and face straight ahead. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose, expanding your abdomen first rather than you chest, but don't force it. Exhale slowly and evenly, try to take twice as long breathing out as breathing in. Again, don't force it. Repeat this sequence four times.

7) You can change your energy level instantly by ACTING energetic. Quicken your breathing pattern slightly, move more quickly and speak at a faster pace as if you're really excited about something. Your body will respond with a noticeable surge of energy. Try this, you may be surprised at how well this works. Emotion is indeed directly influenced by motion.

8) Beware of the energy vampires when you are a man or woman over 50! These are the people around you that siphon off your energy in several ways. Non-stop talking, continuous complaining and whining, asking an endless series of questions, incessant bragging to gain approval are just a few ways this can happen. Except for young children you may be raising, you are not responsible for anyone's life or feelings but your own. When you can fully accept this and apply it in your life, you will find it much easier to politely end the conversation or walk away from the circumstance that would otherwise sap your energy.

9) Get into a regular exercise program. Go for a walk,develop a stretching routine, get a cardio exercise DVD suitable for your fitness level and follow along with it. Any exercise is better than none at all. Try for at least 20 minutes of activity three times a week to start.

10) Find ways to serve others and express thanks for all that you have during the day. By openly showing gratitude, you will attract more things into your life that will reinforce this feeling further. Likewise, by being of service to others you will give your self esteem and level of happiness a big boost. Either do a Google search for "volunteer" or contact your local church, school or nursing home for opportunities to serve. By taking action to be of service, you will find that good things will come into your life in unexpected ways almost as if by magic. If you continue on this path, your energy level will take on a life of its own and by supporting it with the previous suggestions, any lack of energy for you will be a thing of the past!

6 Ways Men And Women Over 50 Can Keep Fit Without Really Trying

Whether you are old or young, skinny or fat, everyone could improve their health with doing some form of exercise; obviously depending on a person’s age, weight, and current state of health, there may be severe limitations on how much and how often a person should exercise and it is advisable to talk to your Doctor before considering any type of exercise. Some people can only manage a small amount of exercise and consequently they are in a vicious circle of putting on weight fast but because of the large amount of excess weight they carry they can do very little exercise and hence put on more weight.


So given that it is a good idea to get at least some form of exercise but it can be difficult to get the get-up-and-go to push yourself to join a gymnasium, what can we do to keep ourselves reasonably fit? Well, here are a few possibilities that should at least help a bit and most of them add some fun to your life:

• If you are working in a shop then you may well have a certain amount of shelf filling to do, even if it is just the odd time of bending down or reaching up, so use these times as part of your exercise routine. Accentuate your movements and maybe keep plastic bags below the counter so that you have to bend down and get a bag for every customer; in several hours of till work, you could well get quite a bit of exercise that you wouldn’t otherwise get.

• If it works in with your lifestyle then consider getting a dog. Nearly all dogs love to go out for walks and they will push you very hard to take them for a walk in the morning and evening. Thus you could very easily end up walking several miles every day which is perfect for your health and metabolism and you’ll get a huge amount of love in return; it might also help you meet new friends. However a dog needs a lifetime of commitment.

• There’s nothing like a bit of DIY around the house to exercise muscles you never even knew you had and you’ll feel less depressed when you see what you’ve achieved. To avoid injury, make sure to apply good bending and lifting techniques such as keeping a straight back whilst lifting.

• Doing housework can burn off a lot of calories and you end up with a sparkling organized home and a sense of achievement.

• If you live reasonably close to your work, you could walk to work on nice days but make sure that you are safe and ensure that the route you take is not through a remote park or wasteland.

• If you’ve got a nice picnic area that you can drive or walk to, go for a walk around the picnic area and, as well as a picnic basket loaded with a few nice goodies, take a plastic tub with a lid with you and maybe pick a few wild blackberries – when you get home you could make some blackberry jam or have them with some fresh yogurt on.

One last note to men and women over 50. With all these forms of exercise, make sure you don’t over-stretch yourself and try to incorporate other good habits whilst you are doing the exercise – e.g. don’t smoke at the same time as doing any form of exercise.