The Flipping 50 Show

Are you craving better sleep now? Have you had some sleepless nights recently? Are you waking up with a headache or fog? My Guest and “Coaching Client” My guest today is Flipping 50 virtual gym member and we’re inviting you to listen to a coaching call to support her sleep right now. I suspect many of you listening have had the same challenge- I know I have. You’ll hear her say she’s “having lots of coffee” in order to do the workout program she’s in. Sleep disruption affects so many of our goals and best intentions. So I wanted to help Rosi and big thanks to her for agreeing to share this because you too may find answers here. COVID19 means it takes a little more effort to get better sleep now. Immediately we want that if we’ve suffered from a poor night. But we also want and need sleep for our immune systems. What You’ll Hear You’ll hear Rosi say if she’s tired all day it’s hard to plan meals. The simplest of decisions feel overwhelming when you are sleep deprived. That can become a viscous cycle because what you eat impacts your sleep. Sleep impacts your exercise. And then exercise impacts your sleep and your meals. It’s all so tied together, but for so many Flipping 50 women sleep is the glue that holds us together. Especially now. Routine and schedule support sleep and mealtime ease. So here’s our call. How To Prioritize for Better Sleep Now You heard me help Rosi plan ahead, prep ahead, so she doesn’t have to make decisions last minute. So while you’re foggy and can’t focus just keep your mind on one thing at a time. First, choose some recipes you can make for dinners. Ideally, they’re one-pot or one- pan recipes you can make a batch of, even if that’s a batch of grilled chicken and veggies and roasted potatoes. Make choosing recipes your only goal today. Second, figure out your grocery list. If you’re having trouble finding produce at the store, see if you can think about alternatives for recipes. If a recipe calls for zucchini – what would be another watery veggie you can use? If a recipe calls for winter squash what other resistant starch or dense vegetable could you use? Make that your goal tomorrow. Then make a date to go to the store with your list when you do have time and energy. Last make a date to make those things on the weekend when you can stick one pan in the oven, another in the crockpot and create a couple options that you’d actually look forward to during the week. Now you’ve planned. The biggest decision you have to make at the end of the day is which one to warm up. Better Sleep Now Tips: Carbohydrates at dinner Waking at the same time daily* Magnesium with dinner *during COVID19 if you are truly sleeping allow yourself to get the extra sleep for your immunity benefit. If you’re just lying there and awake go ahead and get up. What Kind of Carbs for Better Sleep Now? We discussed carbohydrates at dinner. We’re talking about resistant carbohydrates that support stable energy. My favorites are sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, beans, and legumes. Here’s why they help. We create a hormone called serotonin from carbohydrates. That’s your feel-good hormone that helps us relax and have calm. Late in the day your cortisol goes down we can get edgy making it hard to relax and sleep well. Serotonin can offset that. Getting up at the same time of day and getting natural sunlight for about 15 minutes first thing in the morning will boost your melatonin level at night. That sleep-regulating hormone gets you to sleep. Magnesium will keep you there. You’ll want to experiment with magnesium amounts and the right type for your needs if you choose to take that step. So many of us are deficient and magnesium not only supports sleep, it can help with regularity, metabolism, headaches, and hundreds of other functions, one of which is your immune system. Accountability matters To seal the deal on success you not only have a plan and tell someone, you actually report to them at a specific time about what you’ve done and how it went. After our call A final note I shared with Rosi after we stopped recording is not to own it. Don’t make insomnia your identity. It’s temporary. You may be having nights of lower quality of sleep but that is just a phase, it’s just passing through. Don’t let it take up residence or identify yourself as someone with insomnia. Even if you’ve had this for longer than COVID19. Allow yourself to think of it as situational phase in your life when it came and went. Like a cold, this is going to pass. I’m also going to link a progressive relaxation that I’ve done with the Flipping 50 community recently in 4pm PST sessions we’re doing during COVID19. During the call Rosi mentions a STRONGER program she’s doing. She’s referring to a 12-week Flipping 50 strength-training program designed for women in menopause. The doors to the program open a few times a year. I’ll link to that program where if you’re listening and it’s not open you can get on the notifications list for special early bird rates when it is open again. A favor Was this episode helpful? I’d love to know if this helps you get better sleep now. Do you have a question? Leave it below the show link at flippingfifty.com/better-sleep-now If you want some Done For You (DFY) support you can get my Food Flip now during the COVID19 for 50% off. Usually reserved only for Flipping 50 strength program participants and Café members I’m answering the call so many of you have about wanting support right now. It’s a 28 Day program I’ve made specially priced using foodflip50 and I’m going to gift participants with 2 extra weeks to see you a little further into what I hope is more normalcy by then. Click here https://www.flippingfifty.com/food-flip and use foodflip50 to get your pre-program head start now. Doors close April 29. Please leave a rating in iTunes if you enjoy Flipping50. It really helps me keep spreading the word to women Flipping 50 that they can feel and look as good as they did when they were 30 as long as they don’t exercise the way they did when they were 30.      

Should I mix intervals and weight training together in the same workout? I go to classes that alternate them. This question really piggybacks on a question I answered recently (I’ll link to it) about full body and split routine or body part strength training. The best “after-burn” for exercise occurs after strength training. It’s even better than interval training. After burn is good. That’s like “free” energy expenditure. It’s your metabolism revved up while you’re sitting at your desk or enjoying down time. You don’t get that when you start mix intervals and weight training. When You Mix Intervals and Weight Training You also tend not to get the muscular fatigue which stimulates long term metabolism changes. That in turn stimulates long term body composition changes- in other words fat loss. If you want greater fat loss you want to spend energy doing the highest quality exercise, not just moving in a frenzy fast. You’ll find a lot of group fitness and bootcamp classes with circuits and people moving rapidly around the room are doing a lot of movement but with less specific purpose. What's Happening (Pre COVID19, at least) They’re using battle ropes. And they aren’t even sure what the purpose of that is. It’s going to elevate the heart rate. And it’s going to do it and use the upper body and core in a way not usually included. But do those muscles reach true muscular fatigue to change body composition? Or not? The same is true of burpees. They’re doing using the whole body. There are about 5 places in a burpee that joints are at risk. Heart rates elevate definitely and fatigue sets in quickly, making those 5 places of potential injury even more risk compared to reward. Do you know why you're doing each exercise? What’s the real purpose of a burpee? I'm not sure there is a specific goal with it other than it’s hard and it uses no equipment. It will elevate your heart rate. But check in with your wrists, shoulders, lower back, knees, and blood pressure before you do it. If you don’t have good form doing a squat, a plyometric jump, a plank, and aren’t able to come from lying to standing quickly without dizziness, it’s a no. Post Production Note [As a post-production note, I'm reflecting on the idea that certain exercises were once popular, then faded away, and some come back usually in cycles similar to the market and economy. Burpees are one of those moves. If they were safe, effective, free, and everyone should be doing them, why would they have ever disappeared? I don't let it be a secret I'm truly disappointed in trainers who rely on lists of exercise and include burpees regularly among them. I'm of the belief that this approach is not personal training if you can scroll to it in a Facebook feed or find it posted on a whiteboard at a gym.  If you've been led to believe a personal trainer is layers of a) always dresses in exercise clothes b) has a certification (whatever that means to you since 94% of women don't have a clue about the quality of specific certifications and all assume if trainers are working they're qualified) c) gets excited and cheerleads while other people or they themselves exercise... we have a problem. In the world we will live in after COVID19 placing higher value on health than ever before, my hope is that we choose with a better filter than that. The stereotypical personal trainer has been created by stereotypical demand by consumers. Its been allowed. It's time to can that and demand better. end post-production note] Aside from Bootcamps Now, enough on the types of movements often done in crazy interval training bootcamp sessions, what about hopping on your treadmill or bike for 2 minutes of sprinting between weight training exercises? It will elevate your heart rate, yes. But is it as valuable or more as splitting your strength – do it well then doing a set of intervals? Do you save time? Do you burn more calories or have an after burn of more energy therefor more fat? Not necessarily. And if the fast intervals leave you weaker during strength you may do less good during strength. You may be still in “fast” mode and not really reach muscular fatigue as much as get tired. However, is it detrimental as long as you maintain proper form? If you don’t swing things around or race through as many repetitions as possible (AMRAP)? How to Decide: 1) Always come back to your goal … your goal… then decide what’s the best protocol based on the best research we have for women just like you to accomplish that goal? 2) You see a lot of variety for variety’s sake …. And if one trainer or instructor is doing it and it’s popular or trending… many will jump on it. If you’ve followed a lot of trends and if your body hasn’t changed positively doing so… there’s a reason.. that’s a gamble. If it wasn’t based on research about you it isn’t as likely to get you results. We do know… strength training has the greatest after burn. Intervals have an excellent after burn. Combining them though doesn’t make it even better. It washes out the value of either. 3) All the above said, if you need a lot of variety to continue to be excited about exercise, then you may want to have this in your routine regularly, say once a week. Mentioned in the podcast:  Full Body vs Split Routine workouts  

Do you journal? Do you write down your thoughts and dreams? This podcast is about two women who are spending their mid-life spreading the word about journaling.  Imagine three women in a room passionate about a topic… and you may imagine it could be difficult to get a word in or make a point … but you’d be wrong. There are so many good points in this episode I’m going to end this intro and we’re going to dive right in. First let me tell you about my guests. Demonstrating the power of mid-life reinvention, this dynamic duo JoJami Tyler (Image consultant and blogger) and Lana Helda (Interior Designer), hit the road in a  tour bus carving out new adventures and space for midlife women in the podcast arena.  They believe today’s women are in a collective mood to cast aside the stereotype of defining their value and possibilities by their age.  These ladies don't just talk, they walk the walk.  To support their listeners they co-authored the Ladies Roadmap Lifestyle Journal as a guide for women as they nurture and create their own midlife path forward.  Questions we answer in this podcast: What are you ladies doing to stay calm and relieve stress during these uncertain times?   Why do you think journaling is effective? What makes your journal unique? What can women do now to prepare and keep their spirits up for the future?   How are you keeping up with good habits?     Connect with JoJami and Lana: PODCAST:  LADIES ROADMAP TO LIVING AGELESS BOOK: LADIES ROADMAP LIFESTYLE JOURNAL WEBSITE: www.ladiesroadmap.com INSTAGRAM:  @Ladiesroadmap FACEBOOK:  @Ladiesroadmap TWITTER:  @Ladiesroadmap YOUTUBE: @Ladiesroadmap Is it time to rewrite your nutrition plan? Check out the Food Flip for support during COVID19. Use foodflip50 for 50% off.  

Why wait an hour after exercise to eat? I answer this reader question in this episode. Got a question? Add it to the show notes at flippingfifty.com/eat-after-exercise. After the age of 50 most adults experience a reduced muscle protein synthesis. That is, the ability to use the protein you eat to benefit your muscle. Why Wait? The good news is strength training helps offset that natural aging effect. But it works best if you wait an hour after exercise. There is something called a blunting effect that occurs after intense exercise that is gone about 60 minutes after you eat. So at about 90 minutes after a hard workout your body is primed for a high protein meal or smoothie. How Much Protein Taking in about 30 grams of protein is the recommended but studies show that older adults – closer to 70 benefit from even greater protein – closer to 40 grams in that post workout smoothie. How to easily include protein? Lean and clean protein sources from animal and plants are perfect.  Protein powder shake mixes are also a convenient and fast to have a high protein meal anywhere any time. I travel with protein shakes to stir into water, or into oatmeal and start every day off with a high protein meal.  Whether you have another meal or a smoothie, smoothie bowl, or oatmeal, getting 30 grams of protein about 90 minutes (or at least 60) after a hard exercise session is the best time to be sure you don't lose muscle and you optimize your body composition. Flippingfifty.com/Eat After exercise

What are the best essential oils for women? There’s a lot going on right now in the world. In your personal world there may already have been a lot going on. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, sleep, hormones or you’d check “all of the above” this episode and guest will help you choose. She’s sharing all the best essential oils cocktails for you. My guest: Jodi Sternoff Cohen is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, functional practitioner and founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, where she has combined her training in nutritional therapy and aromatherapy to create unique proprietary blends of organic and wild-crafted essential oils.  She has helped over 50,000 clients heal from brain related challenges, including anxiety, insomnia, and autoimmunity. For the past ten years, she has lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on brain health, essential oils, stress, and detoxification. She has been seen in The New York Times, Wellness Mama, Elephant Journal and numerous publications.  Her website,vibrantblueoils.com, is visited by over 300,000 natural health seekers every year, and she has rapidly become a top resource for essential oils education on the Internet today. Questions we answer in this episode: How can Essential Oils help you flip 50? How do essential oils work? What are the best essential oils to support women? What essential oils can I use for hormones and sleep? What are the best essential oils for anxiety and stress? Connect with Jodi for a free gift you want right now: https://vibrantblueoils.com/parasympathetic-toolkit-gift/ Jodi and Vibrant Blue Oils on social: https://www.facebook.com/vibrantblueoils https://www.facebook.com/groups/VibrantBlueOilsDiscussionGroup/ https://www.pinterest.com/vibrantblueoils/ https://twitter.com/vibrantblueoils https://www.instagram.com/vibrantblueoils/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkMDhyW8e3gWFOYWC2aGpQ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vibrantblueoils/Jodi Cohen Ready to clean up your eating?  Special Flipping 50 subscriber coupon: Foodflip50  Register before April 29, 2020.  Please leave a rating in iTunes! It really helps!  Visit Flipping 50 on iTunes Click listen in iTunes Click ratings and reviews Leave your 5 star rating (seriously I’d love it, but your authentic comments are what I need to grow and give you more of what you want and less of what you can leave!) Know how much I appreciate you doing this!

How Do I Exercise for My Body Type? Could exercise for my body type be the missing link to more success? I answer this question today in this super short episode. Got a question? Leave it below the show notes at flippingfifty.com/body-type or leave a rating and comment in iTunes and I’ll save your question for a future episode! Which Body Type are you? Mesomorph Ectomorph Endomorph Body Type A mesophorph body type is more muscular naturally. You have a more athletic body and were likely pretty good at most things you tried. You have adapted pretty quickly to exercise compared to others. If you lift incorrectly, you may have experienced easy gains in muscle strength and muscle size. There is a bulk-building protocol and you want to avoid it. It’s the 3 x 10 we were all taught once upon a time. Ectomorph’s have a hard time gaining lean muscle. You tend to be more linear and not have many curves at all. You are what is referred to as a hard gainer, because as much as you might try, you have a hard time gaining muscle and seeing any tone. You would want that bulk-building protocol! Last, the endomorph body type is a curvy girl. You’ve got an hourglass figure. Marilyn Monroe was a classic endomorph. You want to definitely use the strength training to your advantage and want to progress to a point where you can lift at 10 or fewer repetitions if possible. Nothing wrong with being a curvy girl, just keep yourself healthy by maintaining a reasonable percent body fat and avoiding visceral body fat. I’ll link to an episode of Flipping 50 TV where I explained about body type and the optimal repetition range for different body types. Please leave a rating in iTunes! It really helps!  Visit Flipping 50 on iTunes Click listen in iTunes Click ratings and reviews Leave your 5 star rating (seriously I’d love it, but your authentic comments are what I need to grow and give you more of what you want and less of what you can leave!) Know how much I appreciate you doing this! Show Notes: Flippingfifty.com/body-type    

The term moderate exercise is used frequently right now. Do you really know what it means? Without a definition it’s left to anyone’s personal interpretation. When you’re a woman in the middle of life in the middle of COVID19, should middle of the road exercise be your choice? The problem with the acceptance of “moderate exercise" being best for the immune system is that the theory was derived from studies in the 80s and 90s. Since the popularity and proven benefits of high intensity interval training for many populations little has been done to define a best practice for immune boosting. In other words the recommendations to get moderate exercise are simply a carry over from previous decades and ambiguous. Questions I Answer in this Post What is moderate exercise, and is it really the best right now? If you’re not exercising right now, should you start? If you’re exercising before COVID19, how should you modify your exercise? What signs would suggest you may be compromising your immune system? What other factors could deem exercise “too much”? I want to lead with this: A single bout of high intensity exercise increased cells associated with immunity 5x. The increase in immune cells was greatest in subjects who were of moderate fitness level before the study, compared to athletes in the study. That makes sense if you compare it to someone who has 100 lbs to lose vs. 10 lbs to lose. The individual with the most room for improvement will lose the most weight. That means for you: if you are already a regular exerciser this means you have the greatest potential to boost your immune system by not just blindly doing a “something is better than nothing” approach, but by planning optimal frequency, duration, and intensity. Optimal Not Moderate Exercise It’s important right now that we define what optimal exercise is specific to the immune system. There is evidence that the right amount of exercise can boost the production of macrophages, the kind of white blood cells that “eat” bacteria and viruses. It’s true that too much intense exercise over a period of time can temporarily decrease immune function and increase oxidative stress, however a single bout of vigorous exercise has proven to enhance not suppress immunity. Behavior of almost all immune cells in the bloodstream is altered in some way during and after exercise. For decades it has been accepted that these changes result in a temporary decline in immunity in the hours following exercise. In fact, you may have been told, don’t overdo it: just get moderate exercise, during COVID19. That “advice” is confusing. It leaves a lot of questions about what you can and should do. Say Bye-Bye to Cliches & Generalizations Because that advice might leave you thinking, “something is better than nothing” and leave it at that. I don’t know about you but I have long been told, everything in moderation. Well, we don’t live in those times we did 30 and 40 years ago. That advice is no longer applicable. So if you’re putting in effort exercising, let’s look at how to optimize it and your immune system. Just continuing to do what you’ve been doing, or just starting to do more of what you have always done could do less good. So by the time we’re done with this post I want you to have a better idea about how to structure your own schedule and how to course correct. You can continue to pursue goals as long as you make your primary goal immunity. Typing this next line, I realize I repeat myself. Exercise is Medicine. Here’s why we need to embrace this right now: A single bout of exercise enhances your antibacterial and antiviral immunity. If you’re wiping down shopping carts, wearing a mask and gloves, sheltering at home and your not exercising optimally? You are missing one of the most proactive ways to take charge of your health. Turn Back the Clock for Your Immune System Regular exercise reduces systemic inflammation and improves the immunity of older adults. It’s proven in research again and again. Older adult study subjects these days are doing more intense exercise and more aggressive protocols. Yet, right now during COVID19 our most at risk populations are still “seniors” (forgive me, just the messenger, not my word), and the “elderly,” as well as young children and those with already compromised immune systems. That does not mean you, or your parents, should not be active. It also doesn’t mean you should reserve your exercise to “moderate” intensity. You can absolutely get breathless. You can lift weights to fatigue. Where you want to apply moderate is in the amount and duration of exercise. You should do LESS volume and do it more frequently.  “Moderate exercise” in relationship to immunity should define the amount of volume not the intensity of the exercise. Imagine you’re an athlete. Right now your event is more a marathon than a sprint. You need to train for the long haul. That said you still need high intensity exercise. You want, however, to avoid overtraining. What is over training is unique to you. There are common denominators. I’ve listed them below/in the show notes. They are however relative to you. What is “high volume” when it comes to interval training does have a cap on 45 minutes total a week based on studies looking at risk and reward, but your high volume right now may be a weekly amount of 25 minutes of HIIT. What is “long duration” is also relative to you. Though at about 75-minutes the negative effects of cortisol begin to spike in the best of times, you may have less or greater endurance fitness right now. Your need for recovery too is unique to you. What can deem exercise volume “overtraining:” High volume of high intensity interval training Long duration of exercise (any type) Absence of adequate recovery Your Definition of Moderate Changes Your ability to recover from exercise can influence what is “moderate.” Temperature changes, sleep disruption, fatigue, dehydration, and psychological stress negatively alter your ability to recover after exercise. So during this stressful time, allow yourself to alter your exercise. Don’t expect the same distance, speed, incline, or anything for that matter to have comparable results to 4 or 5 weeks ago. Your level of anxiety prior to exercise and the level of physical stress during exercise together provide the total impact on your immune response. If you are a highly stressed worrier and you do an all-out exercise session that is both long, and hard, which are each independently known to require more recovery, you can cause more harm than good. Even if you do high intensity of short duration but don’t include adequate recovery you would be depleting your immune system. Exercise Responsibly High volume and prolonged duration of exercise have the biggest negative influence on immunity. Vigorous, or high intensity, exercise is still an advantage for supporting other concerns of the “now” we’re in as well your immune system. You’re at home and proximity to food, particularly less than desirable comfort food, may be more tempting now than ever. The fat burning benefits of high intensity intervals currently could help prevent weight gain now being duped as the Quarantine15. Even elderly female subjects (average age 80) had better body composition and functional performance following high intensity interval training compared to moderate. “Moderate” should not refer to intensity. It should refer to volume of exercise in relationship to rest and recovery. What factors affect your ability to recover: Adequate micronutrient-dense calories Adequate protein Adequate rest (specific to muscle and tissue) Adequate sleep Ability to handle all sources of stress Further, if you have prior existing nutrition deficiencies, stress, and anxiety, and sleep deprivation, you are susceptible to reduced immunity any time including adding a bout of exercise without proper initiation and progression for you. You have to start and progress slowly, from where you are. If you remember nothing else from this post, remember that each point here is relative to you and your overall health and fitness level. Even every woman in menopause has a unique hormonal response requiring you use the After 50 Fitness Formula for Women’s if this, then that blueprint rather than a one-exercise-fits-all approach. Exercise and Chronic Disease Do know that in the presence of cancer, arthritis, Parkinson’s, heart disease, COPD and over 80 other diseases one of the first parts of care management is exercise. The fine detail of your exercise prescription will be different than someone else’s. But there’s nearly no human condition existing where not exercising would be an advantage. Menopause is certainly not a disease nor would I call it a condition. It’s just a phase of life like being a teenager was a phase of life. Just like the teen years go smoother for some than others so too can your menopause journey be better with exercise, as long as it’s the right exercise. You cannot be healthy without exercise. However, exercise has a set of rules required for it to be effective. One of those rules is you must have adequate recovery. Your body messages you all the time. Signs you are not recovered: You could nap right after you exercise You can’t sleep at night though you’re exhausted You’re sore when you should do another workout You’re frequently sick (colds and flu more than once or twice a year) You crave foods (sugar or salt) OR have less appetite You’re injured frequently or chronically (more a long term than immediate message) If you experience any of these performing your regular exercise routine (or prior to starting) don’t stop exercise completely. Do alter your routine to follow the #1 Flipping 50 creed: Restore Before More. Learn More About the Flipping 50 Virtual Gym & Café Membership. Then, Contact us directly about how to join now. There are few simple ways to track your exercise and the way it’s affecting you: Track your active number of minutes a week. Categorize those minutes into low, moderate, and high intensity. Distribute your exercise most in the low and high intensity categories. Check the frequency of exercise to make sure you’re increasing that and not duration of fewer sessions. Track your sleep, appetite, cravings, and energy with a rating scale of 0-5. Make sure you’re not increasing your total volume of minutes more than 5% weekly. Make sure you’re allowing recovery between high intensity exercise interval training or keeping frequent sessions short and under 45 minutes total a week. Adjust accordingly if you see recovery ratings go down. Reduce volume of exercise before you reduce intensity. Key Flips: Vigorous exercise (such as interval training) enhances the immune system Frequent exercise enhances your immune system Regular and frequent exercise limits or delays aging of the immune system Exercise improves immune system across the lifespan It is high volume of any intensity of exercise, not the intensity of exercise that depletes the immune system Book a Breakthrough Session with Me Resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32238166 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5911985/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29461966/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32066460    

First, I want to start with why “moderate exercise” inspired this podcast about exercise, stress & immunity. You’ve been told “everything in moderation” for a very long time. It may not be the ideal solution to our immune or to our hormone balancing goals. Let me give you a description of zone training. [I describe this further in the video I’m inserting here]. Zone Training 1 2 3 4 5 Low – Moderate – High “Moderate” = 3 = No Benefits Zone Don’t confuse “moderate regular exercise” with what you want to do. Zone 3 is not a good place to be. You truly want lighter short workouts, harder short workouts, or longer light movement.  Don’t confuse your “sweet spot” with moderate exercise. It’s better intended as consistent exercise consisting of: Short duration high and low intervals (not to exceed 45 minutes a week total interval time) 1 – 2 – 3 sessions of 15 – 20 minutes at a time starting with 10 minutes and building over weeks 2x a week strength training sessions in which you achieve temporary muscular fatigue Plus: Movement: longer lower intensity activity like golfing, gardening, and walking, hiking, easy biking (not for the purpose of burning calories) Stress and immune system             Overtraining – situations when your body is on overload             Extreme cold plus regular exercise = overload             Extremely dry air and altitude = overload             Competitive stress and regular (or less) exercise = overload             Stressful times - overload Stress and endocrine system             Negative effects of cortisol amplified             Negative effects of stress on blood sugar             Storage of fat and weight loss resistance more likely             Fat-stored toxins depress the immune system Stress and exercise             Inactive adults have a depressed immune system With more activity (circulation of immune properties enhanced) increased immune system             With too much more activity – too much stress in an uncontrolled way             During times of stress – doing less than you’re used for exercise enthusiasts and more than you were for sedentary is key Your autonomic nervous system: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Sympathetic = fight or flight Parasympathetic = feed or breed and rest & digest Stress stimulates the Sympathetic nervous system= fight or flight  (automatically) You need to stimulate the Parasympathetic system= feed or breed, rest & digest, consciously Parasympathetic system stimulation – deep breathing, the mental diversion from intellectual stressors, the controlled appropriate application of stress-relief-stress-relief Your vagus nerve stimulation: Deep rhythmic breathing Humming Speaking and Singing Washing your face with cold water Meditation Balancing your gut microbiome (prebiotics, probiotics, elimination of foods that disrupt) Leave your questions and comments below the show notes at https://www.flippingfifty.com/exercisestress

Why wait an hour to exercise in the morning? It makes it harder to fit it in before work. I get it. Don't shoot the messenger. I'm here to give you the facts and let you make an informed decision.  Plump Disks Increase Exercise in the Morning Risk The disks in your back – are between each vertebra. During the day when you’re upright gravity reduces the total fluid in each. But overnight while you’re lying horizontal those disks plump up as fluid comes back in nourishing the disks. When you wake that intervertebral pressure is at it’s highest. That pressure means that adding force and pressure from exercise is more likely to cause an injury than if you wait. In about an hour almost 90% of that extra fluid dissipates and it’s safer to exercise. What About Yoga, Stretching, or Core? Unfortunately, no exercise is okay. Both movement and moment pressures – when you’re bracing -  for instance are risky. So planks, and pushing a snow blower or a shovel or the vacuum all carry some risk. BLT movements that include bending, lifting, or twisting are the worst. If you combine them they’re much more risky. So yoga while it may seem gentle is often one of the worst things you can do first thing. Big Bones? Those of you with larger frames are at greater risk due to thicker bones. Sit-ups and crunches are a greater risk for you too- though all of us put a significant amount of pressure on the lumbar spine with crunches and sit-ups. Best practice is probably to get up a little earlier, wait a little longer to exercise. This is not a type of injury that gives you a warning. So no problems to date doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for one. And stiffness in the morning isn’t necessarily related to this either. If exercise in the morning is your ideal, it may take a little rearranging. Show notes: Flippingfifty.com/Exercise in the morning Try this if you need a simple exercise routine that's short!     

If you don’t have the fitness and energy you want, or you’re not in love with the body you’re living in, this is for you. Look, I know we’re in the midst of COVID19 as I record. My hope is that for you this walks the delicate space between your reality of the body and energy you live in every day – that hasn’t changed from 3 or 4 weeks ago (as of March 30) and now as we also have other things on our minds. I don’t know about you but this is a surreal place for me. I flirt between the moment I’m in, wondering about the COVID situation and then back to me and what I want for myself and my body, mind, and life in decades ahead. The mindset conversation now I’m diving into this conversation about mindset right now. I encourage you to stay with me all the way through this episode. Above all, don’t let COVID19 be an excuse for not pursuing the fitness and energy you want. Let it be a reason to do what works for your immune system AND your hormone balance. My story The late summer sun felt delicious on my skin. It wasn’t warm enough for a bathing suit any more, but I’d rolled up my sleeves and kicked off my shoes to lie on the lounge chair for a few minutes. I wanted these moments to last. These moments when I was a young adult just beginning to take on responsibilities and still at home for a long weekend feeling cared for, safe, secure. It was predictable. And beyond this was anything but. First job, new apartment new city. But then my mom dropped a bomb on me. I had assumed from some random segment of a conversation I remembered incorrectly that my mom’s marriage to my step-dad was because of me. It was the right thing to do. I very likely had overheard a conversation or had one with my mom and that was where I apparently had left the room. I carried around guilt or the impression that I had to be good or that my parents had settled for each other to provide security and safety for me. (and my siblings too, but I was the youngest) Can you imagine what that would be like and how you might feel pressure to be perfect, never make a mistake, stay within boundaries? Whatever those things looked like to you? Your Optimal Energy in These Times Look, we’re in strange times right now. And this may feel like a story for another time. But stay with me here. This is absolutely a story for right now. Because I don’t know about you but I can create stories inside my head and believe them for years- like the example above I believed from the time I was 7 until I was 25 that my parents were married because of me, not love. I made decisions about what I could and couldn’t do, who I could and couldn’t be based on that for a very long time. We all do make choices based on information we got in the past. But sometimes those are false assumptions. We get messages that stick for whatever reasons, and could be wrong. We believe them so strongly it’s our reality, our perception. We can feel really bad or awkward or lazy if we stop doing it the way we’ve always done it. If we don’t revisit why we have these limiting beliefs they will hold us back. Forever. If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always got. You may have heard that quote. The truth is, with exercise, and with diet, it’s not always true. Unfortunately the body will adapt, and not for the better. So the exercise you’ve done for a month or two won’t continue to give you results. The amount or type of food that gave you results once or for a short time will begin to have either less effect, or a negative effect. Meaning you could gain weight, and your fitness level could decrease if you’re still walking 3 miles 3 times a week at the same speed three years later. What got you here won’t get you there.  I often hear or get letters from women who tell me, “I just want to get back to where I was. I’m trying to think what I was doing then that was working. I keep asking myself what was different then vs. now.” Oh, just everything. First, your body changes constantly. Your hormones – stress level, sleep – are influenced. Your brain changes constantly – thinking, worry, and focus on limiting beliefs or the wrong image (like being overweight, wanting to lose weight) will perpetuate your current problem. Avoid This The worst thing you can do is decrease calories without looking at quality of the food you’re eating and your nutrient density. You can eat MORE food provided it’s the right kind. Don’t ignore your need for sufficient micronutrients (test to confirm or reveal a need and work with a coach to decide how much and when). If you increase exercise dramatically at the same time as external stressors your immune system and endocrine system will both be under attack. But that’s the calorie deficit model you’ve always been taught right? Eat less and exercise more? You may be tempted to exercise harder, longer, or more often. Right now that is a nightmare for women who are also in hormone chaos. But it makes sense to you because it’s either a gut reaction to stress and maybe due to a lingering (false) belief that hard work is a virtue. The example you had Say you had a father who worked really hard. Many of us over and 60 now were raised by parents who valued hard work. And you may be known as someone who works really hard. Yet, with exercise for hormone balance, hard work or long work is backfiring on you. You won’t get to a point where more work does work better, or that you finally have a breakthrough. Because we're not plowing ground or driving a team of horses or bailing hay. You’re not spending more hours to work with more clients and customers even. More and longer pushes hormones further from what you want. Stuck And you may also be stopped in your tracks. You have more to do because kids are home, there are more mouths to feed at more meals, more clothes to wash, less time for you. You may be in paralysis right now. COVID19 is doing that to many. Is it you? You kind of want to hole up with a blanket and suck your thumb? Or dig into chips and watch old movies… whatever it is, it’s okay for a while. But if you’re ready to take some control and feel better because of it, then keep listening to this episode. Self-doubt Now and Before Self-doubt may actually be leftover from your youth. Some message you got, even if it was WRONG could be influencing you still today. Between the ages of 3 and 7 your foundations are laid. Did you know you could be operating on a set of beliefs that are only that, but they’re so powerful they are the basis of how you make decisions, choices, and take action or avoid action. What happened the year you were 3? What happened the year you were 4? What happened the year you were 5? What happened the year you were 6? What happened the year you were 7? Seriously, this may seem a little odd. I promise you there’s no couch and I’m not a therapist nor do I play one on YouTube. But this is the kind of personal development work that if you’re stuck you may need to do. Not another walk or interval training or more abs. The Real Question (1) Are you operating on the wrong belief?  Do you really know WHAT it is to do now? For hormone balance AND immune boosting exercise you need LESS and is MORE important than ever. Too little and too much right now taxes your immune system. There is an “if this, then that” blueprint. It’s inside the Flipping 50 Café and one of the very first things that as a new Café member you should do. It will help you understand the value of learning how to eat for your body right now. And why sleep it crucial and how to do it. And what kind of exercise is best right now for you to be at your optimal weight and energy and lose cravings and mood swings. It’s changed from what you were once led to believe. It’s not dieting and deprivation, it’s not that if you “love food” or “love to eat” you can’t be healthy – the two actually are both required and need to co-exist. And it’s not that you have to exercise because you love to eat, because that kind of statement “I have to exercise, I love to eat” has so much wrong with it. There’s the implication you’re going to burn off what you eat, and that you should adjust your exercise to accommodate your eating. All creating a worse relationship with both food and exercise. What else has changed? Foods you learned to eat as “healthy” no longer are a one-healthy-foods-list-fits-all. Your gut health changes based on hormone changes you’re in the throws of. And 70-80% of your immune system is in your gut, sister we’ve got an opportunity! Defining your best foods will boost your immune system AND benefit your hormone balance. That means? The optimal fitness and energy you want right now. Exercise you learned to do is no longer the best way to attain energy, optimal hormone balance. And no, it ruffles my feathers a LOT, when women think they should exercise less because of age. That is NOT it. You want to exercise less because it takes less. It took less – at 30 and 40 too – and because you may have dug yourself into an adrenal fatigue hole. You have to… RESTORE BEFORE MORE.  Then when you’re in balance again and your body is at a fitness and energy level you love, you get to decide. Do you really love more exercise or were you just doing it because you weren’t loving the rest of your life? You will have options. And yes, if you want to do more you can, just smarter. So much less exercise – as long as it’s the right kind – will serve you best! The fitness and energy answer The calorie deficit alone you thought was required is not the answer to long term success. You’ve got to integrate quality food, quality exercise, quality lifestyle habits, and your mindset. Your mind is creating the current physical reality that you have. As much as sets, repetitions, salads, and protein. It’s not overwhelming if you take time to learn. Learn what is the right thing for you right now. I am an action taker. I like to be in control. We tend to feel like we are in control when we’re doing something. Do you do that? Jump into action? You want to do something so you go workout. Even if it’s the exact wrong thing for your immune system and hormones you feel better because you did something? Is that you? So I’m going to leave this question for you. Do you REALLY know what to do now for optimal fitness and energy? For the moment you’re in, the stress, the hormone changes, the change in the way your body stores fat or gains or loses weight? Then I have another question. (2) Are you not doing it once you DO know what to do? When no one is looking? Are you doing the right things repeatedly? I would ask my clients to check in. When I’m not with you, are you doing the workouts? Are you reaching fatigue? Are you lifting heavy enough? Are you doing it the way I instructed you? What happens between sessions when we’re not together? When no one is watching do you: Drink enough water? Take the 10 or 20 minutes and do the intense exercise in the morning? Do the relaxing exercise later in the day? Take the steps to get quality sleep? Eat enough protein at every meal? If you find this is you. You have done the research or studied with me, and you still are not doing what you know you need to do… I want you to look at two things. Legacy and Vision. First, are you living the legacy you want? Is this the life you want to lead? Right now are you living it? If not then you want to create a new legacy. Is this really in alignment with your values? One that is in alignment with your values. Do you truly want time and money freedom and value working hard to get there? This gets tricky because a lot of us say we want to make more money, but we actually struggle with valuing money. Maybe the message you grew up told you that people who make money or have money are greedy. If there was a “who do you think you are” kind of message projected onto those people around you who had money. If that was a certain “kind” of people, and it wasn’t your people who had more money, nice things and a different lifestyle. That will be something you have to work on so you don’t get in your own way if you choose to pursue more financial freedom and nice things. You may also believe that you have to work hard, really hard in order to ever get what you want. That's a roadblock That can be an obstacle for you two ways. First, why, right? You could work smarter and consistently do the right things. You’d better create the kind of life you want from the beginning, though. Second, you have to be sure that you don’t just “work hard” in the wrong direction. You’ll potentially convince yourself that it does not work. The Myth of Losing Weight and Getting in Shape You’ve been told this at some point: Dream really big, work really hard and you’ll achieve what you want.   That hasn’t worked well for many of us. There’s not a void… it’s a space that has to be cultivated And you think you’re the problem You can’t mind-over-matter yourself through a process you don’t have the skills to get through. For instance, you can’t work harder and do more exercise, and eat less and attain your goal. Because any one of those things alone, and definitely ALL of those things together, will sabotage your hormones completely. Without balanced hormones you can’t be at optimal fitness and energy. Right now make three choices: 1) You want to do nothing or you’re going to take action 2) You want to do it alone or you want to get support 3) You want support from me right now. Right now the Flipping 50 membership Café is open. We’re at the end of a ten day special open window while it is usually only open twice a year. It is the best way to get support, workouts, and a plan, not random videos and content all created specifically for you, a woman in perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. I guarantee you the workouts and the supportive exercise nutrition, and lifestyle habits are proven and based on science. I guarantee you that we’ll work together on getting your mindset in shape too. During COVID19 this special podcast release comes out March 30. The message is relevant any time. The special COVID19 Café offer is only good right now. Visit the show notes at flippingfifty.com/fitness-and-energy for details. To Join the Flipping 50 virtual gym & coaching clinic – the Café during COVID19 before April 1, Use code: bewell If you’re listening to this after the end of March you can get on our notifications list to learn when it opens again. If private coaching is something you want to explore, I will post a link so you can book a session and discuss what’s happening for you so I can offer my insight. By the time we’re done we will together decide if we are well-matched for working together and what your options are.