10 Ways to Help Prevent Osteoporosis

Today I’m talking about the big “O” – and NOT the good one! Osteoporosis is a big concern for women as they age (and senior men, too), and for good reason. Osteoporosis makes bones thin and fragile, a result of hormonal changes (mainly the reduction of estrogen in women and testosterone in men), diet deficiencies, genetics, some medical conditions, and lifestyle choices.

Shockingly, it’s reported that 50 percent of women in the U.S. age over age 50 will suffer from an osteoporosis-related bone fracture. That’s bad news, as bone breaks are directly correlated with a poorer quality of life and shorter life span as we get older.

Although some osteoporosis risk factors are out of your control (like genetics, race, body frame size and medical conditions), there ARE many risk factors that can be easily controlled by your actions.

Ten actionable steps to help prevent osteoporosis.

Eat a balanced diet full of leafy green vegetables to help prevent osteoporosis.

Eat a Balanced & Varied Diet:  The good news is that eating well should provide you at least a majority share of the nutrients you need maintain good bone health. You may still want to take a multi-vitamin and calcium supplement (see below). Calcium-rich foods, such as traditional dairy products, are high the calcium needed to maintain bone health. But there are plenty of plant, based options too, that are great for everyone. When shopping, it’s easy to remember “Greens and Beans.” Leafy greens (like spinach, kale and arugula) and other certain green veggies (like broccoli and Brussels sprouts) plus all sorts of beans, chickpeas, legumes and lentils are also winners. So are many ancient grains and many seafood proteins like shrimp and salmon.

*Women under 50 years old should consume 1000mg calcium per day, while women 51 and over should consume 1200mg

Avoid High Sodium Foods: Excess salt strips bones of calcium, so it’s a good idea to stay away from known high-sodium culprits like lunch meats, bacon and other cured deli items. Also watch out for too much salt in packaged foods like canned beans and soups, roasted nuts and other snack items that may seem healthy, but really have too much salt. Also, pretty much everything eaten from a restraint menu is shockingly high sodium – most dining establishments can provide a nutrition facts menu if requested so you can make the best choice and/or prepare your food without salt.

*People with or considered at risk of osteoporosis should ensure that they keep their salt intake below the recommended maximum of 6g.

Stop Sucking Down So Many Sodas: Most carbonated soft drinks and certain other sparkling beverages contain phosphoric acid (not to be confused with phosphorus which you need for bone health). Phosphoric acid can have negative consequences on bone density. This is not to say you can’t enjoy the occasional refreshment, especially if your calcium intake is on point. But it’s best to be mindful of intake and look for healthier alternatives when possible. Read labels and look for carbonated sparkling drinks that do NOT contain phosphoric acid– there are more and more healthier options becoming available.

Cut back on caffeine as an osteoporosis prevention strategy.

Cut Back on Caffeine Intake: Most of us love our caffeine, but that bolt of energy can come with a cost – harm to bones. Too much caffeine consumption leaches minerals from your bones. However, reports say that that consuming adequate calcium through your diet or supplementation will help offset impending bone density loss but for up to about 300mg caffeine daily (about 2 coffees or one high-caffeine energy drink). So – yeah, enjoy a little – but not a lot! An option I like to cut back is to use a half-caff coffee!

*Limit caffeine to 300mg per day, or less.

Consider taking a calcium supplement to help prevent osteoporosis. I like CAL20, it's highly absorbed by the body. Use code JENNIFER10 to save 10% at http://bit.ly/SHOPCAL20

Consider Calcium Supplements: Even with best efforts, it’s sometimes hard to get enough calcium through diet alone – the craziness of life sometimes gets in the way. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider a calcium supplement so that you are meeting your daily calcium target – 1000mg for women under 50 and 1200mg for women 51 and older. This is an important “insurance” step in my osteoporosis prevention strategy.

However, not all calcium supplements are created the same. Traditional calcium supplements are made from calcium carbonate which as a very low absorption rate (as low as 2%). Thankfully, there are better options – like the CAL20 that I take. CAL20 is a low-dose, bioavailable natural milk calcium mineral complex that improves calcium uptake (nearly 100% bioavailable) to improve bone density. Other good things about CAL20 are that it’ has 200iu of Vitamin D which helps deliver the calcium into bones – and it also is the only calcium supplement made with a probiotic to help with digestion and absorption.

Cal20 Calcium Supplement Save 10% code JENNIFER10

I invite you to check out this CAL20 supplement, that is natural, proven effective and has no reported side effects during clinical trials. I even have a discount code – use JENNIFER10 to save 10%.

Double Check Your Vitamin D – As mention about, vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus from the food you eat, making it an important vitamin for those at risk of osteoporosis.  Studies show that calcium and vitamin D together can build stronger bones in women after menopause.  You could be getting some vitamin D from sun exposure and diet, but many of us fall short of meeting our daily requirement.

*Minimum daily recommendations for Vitamin D are 600 IU for those under 70 years old and 800 IU for those over 70. The CAL20 calcium supplement I recommend offers 200 IU.

Weight-Bearing Exercise on a Consistent Basis: Walking, jogging, dance class, boot camp, light strength and resistance training with weights, bands or bodyweight. Whatever you like! You don’t have to be a hardcore athlete, just get moving some. Even getting up from your desk to stand up and do some work helps, taking the stairs, or parking at the far end of the parking lot helps – little changes can add up to big improvements.

*Aim for 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise per day. But, even if it’s less, it’s still helpful. University of Michigan researchers found that as little as 15-20 minutes of weight-bearing exercise, three days a week was sufficient for building bone density.

Don’t Smoke and Limit Drinking Alcohol: really good choices for a healthy life all around – including bone health – and also help lessen the incidence so many chronic diseases and certain cancers.

Consult With Your Doctor: Consult with a trusted medical professional before changing your dietary patterns and exercise routine and to also triage your personal risk-factors for osteoporosis and develop a strategy for optimal bone health.

Did you know that about half the women in the U.S. age over age 50 will suffer from an osteoporosis-related bone fracture at some point in life. Bone fractures and osteoporosis are correlated with a poorer quality of life and shorter life span. Many risk-factors are out of our control – race, gender, medical conditions, genetics – however, there are many we can control! Check out these 10 actionable steps you can add to your osteoporosis prevention strategy.

Note: This website provides general information about health and wellness topics. The information and other content provided herein, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This blog does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other professional health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. This blog cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this blog or website. Please visit with your medical professional for a one-on-one consultation.

7-Day Spring Reset for Heathier, Happier Living

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.

Spring is here, it’s a time for renewal, cleansing and getting a fresh start! I’m sharing seven achievable, actionable steps you can take over the next week to head into the season (and the rest of your life feeling great).  I’ve incorporated several of my favorite new products in this Spring Reset and I encourage you to check them out!

I’ve listed each Spring Reset activity by a day, you can choose to focus on one thing a day, or kick them off all at once for the week. And, of course, after the week is over, you’ll be feeling so great and motivated that you won’t toss out the new routine – KEEP IT UP!

Spring is here, time for a refreshing health reset! I’m suggesting 7 easy-to-implement ideas to improve your overall wellness. Start one a day, or all at once – but after you get started you’ll want to keep up these nutrition and exercise changes that improve your life for the better.

Day 1 – Drink at least one more glass of water. In general, a good rule of thumb is to consume about one ounce of water per body pound of weight, a little more or less depending on diet, exercise and weather conditions. So, for a 125lb person, that equates to nearly 1 gallon of water (a gallon has 128 ounces). Drinking enough water will fill you up, flush you out, and keep your brain and body operating for peak performance. If you start to get bored with plain water, add a squeeze of citrus to liven things up. Also, other liquids (without caffeine) can count toward your water intake – but keep the focus on water.  

Day 2 – Add a new vegetable or veggie recipe to your menu. Strive for at least 5 servings of vegetables per day to fill you up with dietary fiber and help you reach your nutritional goals. For every 1000 calories you consume, you should be eating 14g of dietary fiber and plants are the most efficient way to get this done. A rainbow of produce keeps meals from getting boring and ensures you are benefiting from a range of micronutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential plant compounds.  In addition to shopping for fresh vegetables, keep your freezer and pantry stocked with lots of veggie choices – a pouch of cauliflower rice is one of my favorite grab-and-fix starters for an easy meal.

Day 3 – Make snack time count. Often snacking gets a bad rap, but it does have benefits if you make smart choices! Snaking can give you a boost of energy between meals, curb your appetite and prevent overeating at next meal, and offer extra nutrients to fill in any gaps in your daily intake, and provide additional functional benefits.

Core Bars for gut health. Made with healthy functional ingredients for better snacking.

Grabbing a “bar” for a snack is an easy and popular choice. However, you want to make sure that bar is not really just a sugary candy bar with a healthy-sounding name and feel-good wrapper. Instead, check out the bars from CORE Foods, they stand up to my “smart” test. CORE Bars are tasty, plant-powered, organic, refrigerated bars that provide beneficial nutrition and immune support with a combination of probiotics and prebiotic fiber to support gut health and overall well-being.

There are several types of bars from CORE Foods, really something for every dietary preference and mood. Lately, I’ve been fueling up and chilling out with the Adaptogen Bars with a blend of Reishi and lion’s mane mushrooms to help support the nervous system, and promote calm. Even though I don’t follow a Keto diet, per se, I do also love their Keto Bars because there is absolutely no added sugar and only 3g net carbs overall.  Too much sugar of any kind can really do a number on your body, but these bars use allulose, a non-artificial sweetener that tastes like sugar but isn’t processed in your body like sugar.   

You can find CORE Bars in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, on corefoods.com, or on Amazon.

Day 4 – Clean up your vitamin and supplement “cabinet”. Do you have bottles of this and that, stuff you started and never finished? Also toss out expired vitamins and supplements, vitamins with too much added sugar, and also those supplements you can’t remember why you’re taking it, or can’t stand the taste of. Personally, I’m a huge fan of gummy chew-type supplements because they aren’t hard to swallow, taste good, and I know I’ll keep up with the routine. I’ve been incorporating fruit-powered vitamin chews from The Secret Nature of Fruit ®  into my daily wellness routine and love them. Fruit is the first ingredient on the nutrition label so they are pleasantly sweet, but not in an “added sugar” or “fake sugar” sort of way – it’s just natural fruit. In fact, fruit is the 1st ingredient and they remind me more of “fruit leather” with a great texture rather than sticky candy-like gummies. Every supplement is non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, and contain no processed or refined sugars, synthetic fillers, waxes or syrups.

Secret Nature of Fruit gummy vitamins -- functional ingredients for better living.  Lower in sugar, and made with real fruit (that's the very first ingredient)

Available on Amazon and at select retailers like Hy-Vee and Giant Eagle, these functional chew supplements help your body and mind thrive with help from key ingredients, vitamins, minerals, adaptogens – and with no added sugars or fake sugars. The “Beauty” Fruit Powered Vitamin Chews have a yummy strawberry & pomegranate taste and a brimming with Vitamins A & E, Biotin, and CoQ10 to help promote healthy hair, skin and nails along with a host of antioxidants to help keep your completion clear. The Energy” Fruit Powered Vitamin Chews offer a blend of B12, Iron, and Ashwagandha for vitality, stress-relief, and long-lasting energy.

Day 5 – Move more! There is arguing that exercise is essential for good health. You have the chance to live longer, your mood is better, incidence of chronic health conditions and certain cancers are reduced, and so on. There are literally thousands of scholarly articles on the subject. In a nutshell, aim to exercise 50 to 300 minutes per week at a moderate-intensity effort (like biking or gardening) OR 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity (like running or HIIT workouts). If you are new to a fitness routine, see your doctor and ease in. A good goal to have is 10,000 steps per day. If you’re not there yet, start with a 5,000 thousand steps per day (or fewer if struggling) and add another 1,000 to your goal every week.   

Day 6 – Eliminate (or at least reduce) alcohol consumption. I’m not necessarily against an every now and then social drink, but for the most part I think that it’s best to stay away. Even drinking just one to two servings of alcohol a day adds extra calories to your diet, enhances food cravings, and slows down metabolism. It also affects your sleep, your mood, your skin, your sex drive, your cognitive performance, increases incidence of certain cancers and the list goes on. And, even if it isn’t alcohol isn’t a “problem” for you, you likely know someone who has addictive behaviors with it. (Note: If you need serious help, please contact your physician.)

Want to celebrate but skip the alcohol, empty calories and headache? Soulless ginger ale is a grown-up soft drink that is alcohol free yet bubbly, delicious and lower in sugar. Cheers.

Sometimes I want a little “something” to drink while socializing or even kicking back to decompress after a hard day. Non-alcoholic drinks like Soulless Ginger Ale are a smart choice. No buzz, no hang-over, no-worries, just a yummy, low-sugar fizzy beverage that lets me celebrate being healthy.  Every real fruit-juice flavored variety of incidence Souless Ginger Ale starts with fresh, cold-press ginger with a hint of sugar (only 6g per can).  It’s keto-friendly, vegan and is a real ginger ale!

Day 7 – Log enough sleep!  Getting enough sleep can be hard in the Spring, especially from re-adjusting to Daylight Savings Time, staying up too late or travel weariness during Spring Break, and trying to keep up with getting taxes done, work deadlines in Q2, or the last push through to the school year finish line. Strive for eight hours of sleep per night, or at least seven.  If you are not getting close to that try these things:

  • Hit the hay 15 – 30 minutes earlier at night.
  • Avoid naps in afternoon so you will fall asleep more promptly at night.
  • Avoid mental distractions 30 minutes before bed like bright lights, cell phones, television, etc.
  • Don’t exercise in the evening, if possible.
  • Don’t over-eat in the evening, consume caffeine, or eat spicy food or other foods that may cause reflux or gut distress.

Improving Blood Oxygen Levels to Optimize Energy, Performance and Recovery in 50+ Year-old Athlete

This post is sponsored by Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000.

Today, I’m sharing with you my thoughts on and experiences with Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000, a dietary supplement that caught my attention as a safe, smart and simple way to improve my energy, performance, and recovery as Master’s level athlete and all-around active person over 50 years old.

Synthesit Oxygen Force 1000 iron supplement - Improving Blood Oxygen Levels to Optimize Energy, Performance and Recovery in 50+ Year-old Athlete
Save $10 code: JEN1000

What is Synthesit?

Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000 is a dietary supplement with the innovative bioactive mineral based on iron. It is intended to boost new blood stem cells production, restore circulation and increase blood oxygen level to as high as 100%. As a result, it gives you energy and strength to live life to the fullest. You can save $10 with code JEN1000

This particular dietary supplement stands apart from other common iron supplements. Synthesit is obtained using proprietary productions methods that result in superior absorption and increased red blood cells production.  It literally rejuvenates the body. 

Synthesit Oxygen Force 1000 iron supplement - Improving Blood Oxygen Levels to Optimize Energy, Performance and Recovery in 50+ Year-old Athlete
Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000 is helping me maintain my strength and energy.

Why do I need Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000 as an athlete?

In addition to Synthesit’s effects, like enhanced creation of blood cellular components, it also efficiently restores iron in the body and has no toxic effects. As a quickie science refresher, iron is needed to replenish the constant turnover of red blood cells (at the rate of 1% a day) and to keep this troop of tiny oxygen-deliverers adequately stocked with hemoglobin. Common ways athletes lose Iron is through sweat, GI-distress, even foot strike.

We need iron from food and supplements to be well absorbed. Absorption depends both on intestinal function and the quality of food. The better tissues and blood are supplied with oxygen, the better is intestinal function AND iron absorption. But, if your body doesn’t have enough iron, the blood oxygen level is also insufficient. Synthesit Oxygen Force helps to break this vicious cycle: “no iron — no oxygen, no oxygen — no iron.” 

Without oxygen moving from your lungs to every part of your body via the red blood cells, organs and tissues are not able to perform as they should, let alone at the optimal capacity demanded by the rigorous training schedule of an athlete.

A diet lacking in iron-rich foods, deficient in vitamins that are “helpers” to iron, or certain drugs that leach or prevent absorption can also be an issue.  Plus, menstruation and pregnancy have an impact on iron stores for female athletes. I have a past blog post regarding iron and runners, check it out HERE.

What are the health-supporting benefits of Synthesit for older athletes?

Your body’s ability to incorporate iron into red blood cells becomes less effective as it ages and tissue respiration decreases (athlete or not) on top of all the other issues descripted in the last section (like sweat, diet, drugs, etc.).  Having lower iron levels is all linked to declines in muscle strength, energy levels, recovery, mental abilities, and other issues which all affect training and staying well. But iron that is not absorbed creates free radicals which we don’t want either for the reason of different age-related health concerns.  Too little iron is bad, too much is bad – what do you do?  That’s where Synthesit can help.

Its superior absorption and an ability to boost new blood stem cell production allows you to exercise as if you were decades younger.  Synthesit simply gives the body resources for that: better blood oxygenation, new blood cells and better viscosity.  This keeps your blood young, with healthy iron levels, which eventually can help heal all tissues and organs. As mentioned, Synthesit is produced via a proprietary method which makes it a game changer for older body or any body, to help you feel and perform your best.

Because the blood quality can contribute to age-related health issues, keeping your blood within optimal condition is worth a discussion with your health care provider to figure out what’s right for you.

By the way, Synthesit isn’t designed exclusively for athletes, actually it has broad-spectrum benefits for anyone looking to improve vitality, energy, stamina, and general well-being as they age. It can help stabilize blood pressure; improve the health of damaged organs, musculoskeletal and skin regeneration through improved microcirculation; and support improved cognition among a range of other benefits. 

Synthesit Oxygen Force 1000 iron supplement - Improving Blood Oxygen Levels to Optimize Energy, Performance and Recovery in 50+ Year-old Athlete
My husband is using Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000 too!

How do I take Synthesit and is it safe?

It’s easy to use Synthesit™ Oxygen Force 1000, simply add one capsule to your daily routine, ideally before breakfast. For best results, take at least 90 days and science shows that new blood stem cells take about 3 months to turn over. I was very happy to find that taking the supplement on an empty stomach did NOT make me feel queasy as most other iron supplements have in the past. One capsule is the recommended dose and it contains 1000mcg of the mineral based on iron (which equals 1mg).

According the National Institutes of Health (see Iron Fact Sheet), Men over 19 need 8mg a day, Women ages 19-50 need 18mg a day, Women 51 and older need 8mg a day, and Pregnant Women need 27 mg a day.

Taking a supplement is not meant to be a replacement for eating a balanced, healthy diet, but when dosed properly can help you fill in any gaps. Synthesit also helps you to absorb vitamins and minerals from your food.

Synthesit is safe to take “forever,” as an essential daily mineral for health. However, Synthesit is only indented for adults, and you should consult your doctor before use If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition or suspected medical condition.

Yoga side plank with prAna, use code ESJFF15 to save 15% at prAna.com

What is my personal experience with Synthesit?

I have not yet taken the supplement for 90 days (it takes 3 months for the new blood stem cells to turn over), but am seeing some initial results that may be linked to using Synthesit.  I am sleeping better, feel more alert in my day-to-day tasks, and feeling a little more energetic in my training sessions – it’s all interrelated, I know! I talked to my healthcare provider and will keep taking this product 1x per day, along with eating a healthy, balanced diet, as I continue to keep up my demanding training schedule and also transition through menopause (not quite there yet). I did appreciate that I noticed absolutely no nausea upon taking the supplement, which has been a big issue of mine with other iron supplements or multi-vitamins containing iron.

Disclaimer: Synthesit is a dietary supplement made with imported ingredients in an FDA-approved facility in the USA. The health statements here and on their website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical advice from your physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Carefully read all product documentation. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your regular health care provider. For adult use only. Please keep away from children, accidental iron poisoning is a leading cause of death in children under age 6. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use.

3 Ways to Make Exercise a Habit in Middle-Age and Beyond

This post is sponsored by Celltrient™, however all opinions, anecdotes, and enthusiasm are my own.

Even though I’m a kid at heart, my body sometimes still reminds me I’m in my 50s . . .  maybe a little less resilient, not quite as strong/fast, and sometimes just plain low-energy and tired.  Not really things I want to hear and feel when I’m still working my rear off to remain a competitive athlete through each passing decade of my life.

Learn these three ways to make exercise and healthy living a lifelong habit, even if you are already in your 40s, 50s or beyond. Consistency, keeping things fun and taking proper care of your body with the right foods and supplements are important strategies to aging well. Supplements like Celltrient that support the cell’s mitochondria may help. Use discount code JENNIFER at celltrient.com to save.

Many of these differences I’m noticing can be blamed on “Age Associated Cellular Decline.” That’s scientist-speak for “the body’s cells just don’t replicate as efficiently from age 40 and beyond.”  But thankfully there are ways to optimize the health of aging cells and redefine “getting old.” Eating nutrient-dense food and taking a supplement (like Celltrient™) that can offer additional cellular health support and are two daily strategies I employ. And, so is regularly getting enough exercise. Ensuring your fitness journey is consistent can be a challenge for some, so today I want to share my top three ways to make exercise a habit, especially as you move into and on through mid-life.

Learn these three ways to make exercise and healthy living a lifelong habit, even if you are already in your 40s, 50s or beyond. Consistency, keeping things fun and taking proper care of your body with the right foods and supplements are important strategies to aging well. Supplements like Celltrient that support the cell’s mitochondria may help. Use discount code JENNIFER at celltrient.com to save.

Exercise in mid-life can be hard for so many reasons. You may still have kids at home, senior parents who need assistance, and the daily stress of career and/or running a household – time seems so limited! Of course, there are other reasons people in middle-age and beyond don’t exercise either – it’s never become a routine, they are intimidated, it seems hard or boring. And, so on. Everyone can come up with an excuse, even I do sometimes!

But, for the most part (except for some travel, post-partum, injuries, and well-deserved recovery days, etc.) I have exercised consistently for my whole adult life. When people ask me how I’ve managed to be so steadfast in my sweat sessions, I culled it down to these three things: 1) I show up, 2) I find a way to make it fun, and 3) I fuel my body with the proper care to make it function at its best.

Learn these three ways to make exercise and healthy living a life long habit, even if you are already in your 40s, 50s or beyond. Consistency, keeping things fun and taking proper care of your body with the right foods and supplements are important strategies to aging well.
My husband is my #1 countability partner when it comes to showing up for early workouts

#1 Show Up:

Perhaps the most important way to create a lifelong fitness habit is to just SHOW UP. For example, I really can’t say I initially liked waking up at 4:45 to go to a boot camp, but I was ALWAYS glad that I got up and did it. You’ll better afterward too, no matter what time of day it is. Try it, and at some point . . . “showing up” becomes what your body is conditioned to do. It’s a habit, it’s part of raison d’etre! If you are having trouble showing up, then ask yourself what the obstacle is – and remove it. Can’t get to a group fitness class due the extra time rush hour adds to the commute? Well, then run the stairs in your office building and skirt traffic.  Sleeping through your alarm clock? Consider going to bed an hour earlier so you can wake up and show up on time! Motivation waning? Then find an accountability partner to join the journey with you!

Mowing the lawn is considered exercise – and I think it’s fun!

#2 Keep Fitness Fun: 

Don’t look at exercise as a chore to dread, instead make it fun! Maybe the gym or running isn’t for you, but there are so many creative things you can do to stay fit! If you are a people person, group classes, boot camps and fitness meet-ups with friends in recreational sports leagues like tennis, golf, and bowling are FUN! Or, even adventous outings like rock climbing, ninja park visits, skiing, learning how to trapeze and more! If you are more of a one-wolf-pack sort of person, any type of solo endurance sport will probably seem fun – cycling, swimming, running, or a solitary paddleboard ride are some ideas. Even gardening and mowing the lawn!

As the years started piling on my body, I inevitably became slower and saw VO2 Max declines – even with more work, more muscle and more training.  Honestly, this was really hard for me and the fun factor– from going from “could win the race outright” elite runner to “just being an age-group winner.” I would fake smile at those well-meaning but depressing compliments people gave – “you are really good for your age.” It started making running seem like a burden and something I was failing at. When I stopped looking at my watch so much and comparing present self to old self, the joy came back and I remembered why I loved to run in the first place. However, a person can get burned out on simply running for decade after decade, so I started adding new challenges I thought were exciting – obstacle course racing, adventure racing, hybrid fitness competitions (running + strength). And also was always ready to try out any fun class, or fitness challenge, or crazy exercise equipment that crossed my path. Moon bounce shoes, hula-hooping challenges, drum stick workouts, yoga, zoom workout classes, hip-hop lessons and more. Even putting on a colorful outfit or socks sometimes makes my workouts seem more fun! Find YOUR fun, be willing to switch it up as needed for motivation, and a lifelong fitness habit will be much easier to create! 

#3 Proper Care of Your Body:

Eat right the significant majority of the time. I’m not going to tell you what, when or how much you should eat – it’s really a personal thing. If weight is an issue for you or eating to fuel performance isn’t in your knowledge bank, then work with a medical professional or nutritionist to find the dietary eating pattern that works best for you. Eat to fuel your goals. Elite endurance athletes eat a lot different than healthy mid-lifers who walk a few miles a day and practice yoga when they can. Of course, sleep is important too – we all know that by now, but it can unfortunately elude many of us in middle age and beyond. So put a priority on getting rest – it’s much more important than staying up late to scroll on your tablet or watch TV.  Finally, take supplements target to address your specific concerns. As a 50+ competitive/elite athlete, I take several supplements that are invaluable to my workout performance, recovery and well-being. One that I’ve come to rely on is Celltrient Cellular Nutrition, specifically the Strength formula (but they also make and Energy formula and Protect formula ).

For more information on cellular health and why and how we age at the cellular level, check out these informative, research-based articles HERE and HERE.

Learn these three ways to make exercise and healthy living a lifelong habit, even if you are already in your 40s, 50s or beyond. Consistency, keeping things fun and taking proper care of your body with the right foods and supplements are important strategies to aging well. Supplements like Celltrient that support the cell’s mitochondria may help. Use discount code JENNIFER at celltrient.com to save.

If you have any questions about Celltrient™ and cellular nutrition or just creating a lifelong fitness habit, drop a comment here or find me on Instagram @thefitfork  Also, check out my past articles that focus on Age-related Cellular Decline, Three Ways to Age Less and Do More and How Cellular Nutrition Helps Redefine Aging for Aging Athletes.

 If interested, save with my Celltrient Discount Code JENNIFER on product purchases (excluding bundles and subscriptions) at Celltrient.com.  Find the Celltrient product best suited for you with the Product Recommender

Three Ways to Age Less and Do More! How to Minimize Age-Associated Cellular Decline

This post is sponsored by Celltrient™, however all opinions, anecdotes, and enthusiasm are my own.

It’s so rude, but true. Starting around age 40, and picking up speed in subsequent decades of life, our body’s cells start to become less efficient. This time-related deterioration can start to have a noticeable effect on strength, energy and resilience beginning in middle age and beyond. Jennifer Fisher, thefitfork.com Celltrient Strength formula for cellular support and healthy aging

As a master athlete in my 50s, I have begun studying and implementing methods to slow down my body’s aging process. Read on to learn three ways I’ve been minimizing Age-Associated Cellular Decline so that I can stay strong and healthy to keep reaching my goals and living my best life. Spoiler alert: 1) Diet, 2) Exercise and 3) Supplements!

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