Fitness Over 40: Get an Early Start on Your Resolutions
Shandra Martinez
| 2 min read
The holiday season is traditionally a time when we start thinking about our fitness resolutions for the New Year. But there’s no need to wait until 2021 to make exercise part of your routine.
Ann Marie Wakula, a certified trainer and an over–40 mother of three, has some strategies and exercises to get your body moving. She is the host of the Fitness Over 40 series, brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The three-minute videos feature tips and mini workouts people can incorporate into their daily lives, even at home, as well as personal stories of others who have found success.
In episode three, Lawrence Williams, 49, shares he recently chose to commit to healthier living because of his history with heart disease. He wanted to make sure he was around for his kids.
“Essentially, I had to figure out how to strengthen my heart to be able to lead a normal life,” said Williams.
Starting slowly
He started working out with Doug Ferner, owner of HIIT Quarter Gym.
“I started very slowly,” Williams said. “When the pandemic hit, we took the workouts outside and online. Without exercise and the high-intensity exercise that I’ve been doing, there’s no way I would be in the shape that I’m in. I’m probably in the best shape that I’ve been in 20 years.”
The workouts that Ferner created for Williams can be done anywhere. Ferner, a college athlete turned certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition coach, recommends trying to get some type of movement every day.
“You literally have workouts at your fingertips. Just find your motivation and never let it go,” he encourages.
“Outside of the Box” Workouts
Zoom, for example, is for more than just work meetings. Consider looking for local gyms or fitness studios that offer Zoom workouts.
“You get that accountability and you still get that group atmosphere,” said Wakula. “If you’re in a group setting for the Zoom, it gives you a specific time of day to show up. It’s exciting. It’s energetic. It’s important to make fitness a lifestyle, a part of your life, part of your daily life.”
Don’t miss the end of the episode, Wakula shares a 60-second cardio sampler that you can try anytime, anywhere.
Look for future Fitness Over 40 videos at AHealthierMichigan.org
Interested in more Fitness Over 40?
Watch the first two episodes:
