Mark Foster's Guide To Keeping Fit In Your Forties

British Olympian Mark Foster 

During his extraordinarily long 23-year career as a professional athlete, Essex-born swimmer Mark Foster won six world titles, competed in five Olympic Games and broke eight world records. Today, through a combination of sensible nutrition and smart training, the now retired 44-year-old athlete still boasts the physique of a man half his age.

Here Foster reveals his personal secrets for staying in shape, dodging calories and beating stress in your 40s.

GET FIT IN 20 MINUTES WITH CIRCUITS

“The best way for a mature guy to get in shape, lose weight and feel toned is by doing circuits. If you’re not an Olympic athlete or a professional footballer there is no need to train for two hours every day. I find that twenty minutes in the morning or at lunchtime is enough time for a great workout. Men become very good at excuses but we can all find the time to do a 20-minute circuit of press-ups, squat thrusts, star jumps, abs exercises and lunges.”

BUILD TRAINING INTO YOUR LIFESTYLE

“If you are busy with important work commitments and family life, the best way to stay fit is to combine your training with your lifestyle. Turn your training into a fun and social part of your day by working out with friends, family or work colleagues. I often go to the gym with my other half or my mates so it feels less about fitness and more about spending time with the people you like. It also means you are much more likely to go regularly.”

SWIM TO CONQUER MIDDLE-AGE STRESS

“I still swim once a week. It’s the best sport for you in your 40s because it’s not weight-bearing so it doesn’t ruin your joints and every movement you make is effectively a stretch. But it is also very calming. Stress is a real problem for many guys. But the sight and sound of the water is quite therapeutic and almost like a meditation. When you go swimming you are in your own little world so you start to unwind. I also love playing golf, going to the theatre and seeing exhibitions. You have to think about your mental health as well as your physical health.”

^{Mark Foster shakes away the grey hairs (PIC: CESAR PERIN)}

EAT PORRIDGE, FISH AND SALAD (BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME)

“Your diet is as important as your exercise. For me, a typical day starts with porridge but I also make my own bircher muesli and granola. It’s a bad idea to leave home after only a cup of coffee as you will start snacking. Lunch is often meat and salad and dinner might be fish and grilled vegetables, but I don’t eat a massive amount of carbs as excessive amounts get stored as fat. A good snack for me is a rice cake covered in chocolate.”

SWAP BEER FOR VODKA

“When you hit 40 the biggest problem is beer. I still like a beer but I limit my intake. If you’re having five or six pints a night, you are taking on a lot of calories. It’s better to have something with fewer calories in it, like vodka, lime and soda.”

STICK TO AMERICANOS

“You have to be careful with other drinks too. If you are having a coffee, be careful with lattes as they often have buckets of milk in them so it’s a bit like eating a meal. Stick to an Americano instead. During the day I drink a lot of water. Often when you think you are hungry you are really just thirsty.”

INJECT VARIETY INTO YOUR WORKOUTS

“Variety in your training is really important because we all get bored. I don’t have anything set in stone and I change things a lot. These days I go to the gym and ‘play’ as opposed to when I was an athlete and I would just beat up my body. One month I might get into running, the next month I might be doing bench presses and lat pull-downs in the gym. Making your training interesting will keep you motivated.”

PLAN AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

“Think of something exciting to do. I’d love to go waterskiing or surfing for example. I also did a London-to-Brighton bike ride for the International Children’s Trust. I took part with friends. We rocked down in our own time, took it nice and slowly, and it was a really fun way to stay in shape.”

GET FIT IN FRONT OF THE TV

“Think about how you could turn ordinary parts of your life into something healthier. Sometimes I will go on the running machine or cross-trainer for 45 minutes while I am watching the football. It’s a great way of distracting yourself from the exercise. I would just be sitting and watching the match at home anyway so I think I might as well work out while I’m watching it. Some people take iPads into the gym and watch movies on them. I’ve been working on a new FitSteps training DVD which you can do at home in front of the TV too.”

SET YOURSELF A GOAL EVERY YEAR

“I think it’s really useful to have a goal in mind each year to help you stay motivated. Maybe it’s your first triathlon or your first 10k. If you have a goal (and make sure it’s a manageable one) you will have something to focus on. I also think it is good to tell friends and family so they get involved and help you stay on track. They won’t let you slack, even if you get tempted.”

Source:- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11280161/Mark-Fosters-guide-to-keeping-fit-in-your-forties.html

Keeping Fit And Healthy

Weight Reduction

Losing weight long term requires a lot of motivation and a commitment to permanent lifestyle change. Crash diets are often quite successful at losing weight but are impossible to sustain and when the diet is over people usually return to their old eating and exercise habits. Long term lifestyle change includes:

• -Changing the foods you buy each week
• -Not having biscuits/crisps etc in the house except on special occasions
• -Eating slightly smaller portions
• -Greater proportion of vegetables on the plate, less fatty food
• -Exercising regularly (most days, 30-60 minutes walking is fine)
•  

Tips

• -Learn a few new recipes - people tend to keep cooking the (high calorie) ones they know
• -Drink water/herbal teas rather than soft drinks/cappuccinos
• -Don't shop for food when hungry
• -Don't eat watching TV or on the move-you will tend to eat more/faster

Drugs/Surgery

Some drug treatments can give a small boost to weight loss, but they are only mildly effective.  Surgery (gastric-banding and gastric-bypass) is sometimes offered to the very obese and is effective, but carries risks. If you would like to discuss these treatments please arrange an appointment with your doctor.

Exercise

Exercise is beneficial to almost all individuals. It reduces heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity. In addition it reduces anxiety and is comparable to antidepressants in treating depression.

Most people with illnesses of the heart, lungs and joints do better if they exercise than if they 'rest up'.

Ideally, you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity, at least five days per week. Brisk walking is fine.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance essential for normal bodily function. Some of it we eat in foodstuffs, but most of the cholesterol in our bodies is manufactured by our own livers. Unfortunately, too much cholesterol is associated with blockages in arteries supplying the heart and  brain, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

A typical western diet, high in animal fat, stimulates the liver to produce too much cholesterol. Not all cholesterol causes problems. Having a high LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) seems to be the problem, whereas a high HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein) seems to be protective. Your doctor will assess you cholesterol based on the ratio of HDL to LDL. Some people are born with a gene variation that leads to a particularly high cholesterol which can lead to a heart attack at a young age. If you have a close relative who had a heart attack at a young age contact your GP for a test.

Fortunately there are effective drugs now available for lowering cholesterol that have been shown to lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

It is important to remember that having a raised cholesterol is not a disease, but a risk factor among others including:

• Age
• Smoking
• Blood pressure
• Male sex
• Diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Family History
• Race (people with Indian/Pakistani ancestry at higher risk)
• Early Menopause

 So only having a raised cholesterol does not mean you are definitely at high risk of heart attacks. Similarly, if you have many other risk factors your doctor may suggest cholesterol lowering even if your cholesterol is average to lower your overall risk of cardiac disease/stroke.

Source:- http://www.rosemarymedicalcentre.co.uk/index.php/medical-advice/keeping-fit-and-healthy

Keeping Fit In Sutton

Keeping fit

Keeping fit is a great way to make the most of your free time and meet new people. With so many different ways of keeping fit there's something to suit everyone.

The benefits of getting fit

By keeping physically active, you're making sure that your joints and body organs are kept in good working order. Exercise can also help maintain your weight at a healthy level and can protect you against catching coughs and colds.

Other benefits are an increase in your energy level and brain activity. Knowing that you're looking and feeling good can also improve your self-confidence.

How much exercise do you need?

If you're under 18, you should try to do a total of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. You don't have to do it all in one go, but in chunks of at least 10-15 minutes throughout the day. This includes everything from pumping iron in the gym to walking up stairs instead of taking the lift. The key thing is that the activity should increase your heart rate and make you feel warmer.

If you're over 18, aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week.

If you do want to start exercising and getting fit, the best idea is to try out a whole range of physical activities to see which ones you enjoy the most. Once you've decided which things you like, you can plan what type of exercise you're going to do and when.

Before you start

If you've decided to start an exercise routine, it's important to go and see your doctor for an examination. Your doctor will be able to advise you on how much exercise you should be doing to begin with. They'll also let you know if you have any medical conditions, like knee or back pain, that can limit the type of exercise you do. 

Fitness for free

Getting fit isn't all about gyms - some forms of exercise won't cost you a penny, and most types can easily be slotted into a busy lifestyle without having to find an extra few hours in your day.

Think about:

• Cycling to school, college or work. If you don't have a bike, you could always walk instead of driving or taking the bus
• Jogging. Even running around the block a few times a week can improve your fitness level
• Checking out the leisure facilities
• Checking out Sutton's sport facilities and programmes for young people by following this link - Sports

Team Sports 

Getting fit isn't just something you have to do by yourself. Playing team sports like football, hockey or netball is great exercise, but is often more enjoyable because you're with a group of friends.

Your school, college or university may run sessions in the evening, or you might want to get involved with a local team. As well as on this website you can find details of local clubs on the internet, in the phone book or at your nearest leisure centre.

Source:- https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3183