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.

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.

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.

#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!

#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.

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