 The number one New Year’s resolution continues to be to lose weight. What about flipping this around and resolving instead to have a healthy body without focusing on weight?
How did weight come to be a universal focus when wanting to make a change to improve health? Weight is easy to measure, and we’ve been told by many experts that if we don’t set a measurable goal, we can’t reach our goal. Without a number, our goal remains a fuzzy concept that quickly dissolves in the face of work and home life demands. The focus on weight ignores several key health concepts. First, weight is relative. What really counts for our health is body mass index (BMI), which considers our weight, height and build.[1] BMI = (divide weight in kilograms by height in meters)/height. Online conversion tools with allow you to convert metrics to pounds and feet. A normal weight is a BMI of 18.5–24.9. In some cases, serious athletes with more than average muscle mass may appear overweight using BMI. This can be checked by pinching your waist area to check for fat levels. More scientifically, you can measure waist to hip ratios by dividing waist size by hip size. For women, a waist circumference of 80 centimeters (cm) or 31.5 inches or less is considered healthy. As we age, we lose muscle mass, which is replaced by fat and fibrous tissue.[2] Above 50 years of age we lose 15% of muscle strength each decade, which is largely due to loss of muscle mass.[3] This is partly due to hormone decrease but our behavior plays a role. This loss is not inevitable. We can age in a healthy way by continuing to exercise to reduce muscle loss, build muscle and reduce fat increases. How can you exercise so you age in a healthy way? Listen to our December podcast: “Episode 3 L4: Strong, Active, and Fabulous at 50up with Tina Tang, Fitness Trainer” to hear her tips and advice for 50up women. Other ways to work in exercise even if you have a busy schedule or can’t get out of the house are to use phone apps or online videos or website, buy an under the desk exercise elliptical or desk bike or a desk walking treadmill. If you can’t access any of these, you can walk up and down stairs, walk to store, or do yardwork or work in a community garden. Always consult your physician before starting a new exercise program. Happy, Healthy New Year, L4 friends! [1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321003 [2] https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jpen.2030 [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3940510/  Technology is integral to how we work, learn, and build career skills. The pandemic put this trend on steroids. Our community of 50up women balancing work and family, technology is a lifesaver. While Zoom fatigue has become a part of life, the positive is that employers have seen in real time that productivity is often higher among employees working remotely. Remote work enables flexible work hours and saves time since commuting and preparing to commute are no longer are needed. Many large corporations have already developed plans for hybrid work which can expand work options for 50ups who want to continue or return to work. (1, 2)
Now is the time to explore new and innovative job opportunities in your current field or a new one. Opportunities range from a career change (pivot), to starting a business, to looking for more work flexibility. The professional world is evolving rapidly and opening new opportunities. For instance, work opportunities for freelancers (independent contractors) are exploding, facilitated by the growth in online platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork. These online freelance marketplace platforms connect freelancers and potential contract job opportunities reducing the work of selling your service. An estimated 59 million people were doing freelance work in the U.S in 2020, an increase of 6 million from 53 million freelance workers in 2014. (3) For our active L4 Community who plans on continuing to work, there are numerous resources available. Besides our L4 educational resources that are tailored to 50up women like our blogs, podcasts and more, there are numerous online education sources, mentoring, and coaching to help you through your journey, whatever trail you choose to blaze. Online learning platforms supply a broad array of degree and non-degree (certificate) programs and offer courses across many fields of study at competitive rates, and in some cases, for free. Courses offered can be self-paced or more structured. There are other learning platforms, like TEDx and TEDEd (owned by TED.com), that post free online talks from subject matter experts. LinkedIn Learning (previously Lynda.com) is a subscription-based online education platform that offers a video tutorial library. Teachable enables individuals to create online courses and coaching services to monetize their know-how into a knowledge business. If you’ve been keeping your dream of changing up your life but leaving it on the back burner, we say, “Carpe Diem”. The time is now. If you are thinking of changing your career but are unsure what you want to do, start by doing some soul searching and asking yourself a few questions: what energizes you, what activities did you love when you were young, what soft and hard skills do you excel at, ask a family member or a good friend what they think your strengths are. If you want to take the leap and envision yourself as an entrepreneur, then gather the information like you would any research project – only this time it is about you and your idea. Nothing can be more exciting than to create something new. It is also essential to update your LinkedIn profile and resume and highlight those transferable skills to the industry and job you are seeking. “People aged 50 and over are in a unique position to have plenty of workforce experience to bring to a new career, while still being able to obtain the knowledge they need to take on something new.” (4) To escape the procrastination or indecision stage, create an action plan and work through it, one small step at a time. Achieving incremental milestones will help you build your confidence and fuel your drive to continue executing your plan. Seek the support of those around you who celebrate your decision to set new goals, seek new opportunities, and avoid getting deflated by naysayers. If you are starting on a new career path, consider applying for adult internships and even a part-time or flexible job in your new area of interest to decide if the type of position and industry generally meets your expectations. (5) If you haven’t changed up your resume, online profiles or biography in a number of years consider soliciting the assistance of a career coach. Career coaches help you prepare and organize application materials (cover letter and resume), review your LinkedIn profile and identify those experiences and skills that highlight your professional abilities or areas where you may need to build or strengthen your skills. You can improve their resume by demonstrating that they proactively and regularly engage in continuous learning. You can continuously learn by attending professional courses, earning a new certification(s) or credential, or earning an undergraduate degree or college graduate degree. Furthering your knowledge and skillset is especially important when applying for Technology jobs to demonstrate that you have proficiency in multiple current virtual platforms and programs. Show prospective employers that you’re willing to leave your comfort zone and learn new things. (6) The takeaway is that You Can! Your new career can bring back that missing fizz in your life. Plan, be open and proactive about learning new things, and build the relevant skills you need so you are comfortable and confident with taking that first step on your new career path. We’re here for you and we know you’re amazing. References :
Living Loud Living Long: Blog (current page) and Podcast Fiverr®: https://www.fiverr.com LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com Teachable: https://teachable.com TED.com (TEDx, TEDEd): https://www.ted.com Upwork: https://www.upwork.com |
AuthorDr. Candice Hughes: Dream It. Live it. Love it. (right after our daily caffeine). Archives
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