Fitness

Yes, You CAN Improve Your Health After 50

Designed with the specific needs of middle age in mind, 12WBT’s Fit for Fifty program incorporates smart workout techniques to avoid injury and practical steps to prevent health issues common at this time of life.

Fitness expert Daniel Swanbury, who helped create the program, shares the what, why and how…

What Makes Fit for Fifty Different

Fit for Fifty is a program that’s extra special to me. Why? Because I believe that to truly impact the health and quality of life of all Australians in a positive manner, we really need to start thinking about it early. We need to address our health before the issues start piling up: that’s what prevention is all about! I will be personally thrilled with every single person who signs up for this program, as it is one more person who is thinking about their long term health. Not short term gains but lasting, positive change for the rest of their lives!

The Importance of Your Long-Term Health

At this point we usually ask the question that you have in your head for you with a phrase like ‘So what is the Fit for Fifty program?’, but before I jump into that I just want to emphasise the importance of us preparing our bodies for the future.

I know you are probably aware that Australia has an ageing population. You probably know we are facing progressively more lifestyle issues such as obesity and diabetes. You’ve probably heard the facts and figures and think you don’t need me to reiterate them. Well I’m here to say that if you do think that, you are wrong! These issues are FAR too important not to reiterate:

  • From 1994 to 2014, the proportion aged over 65 increased from 11.8% to 14.7%.
  • Osteoporosis is estimated to affect approximately 6% of Australian men, but more alarmingly this number is 23% for Australian women. That’s 1 in 4.
  • Obesity is a major concern as we grow older, with 74.9% of Australians aged 65-74 being either overweight or obese.
  • Scarily, it is estimated diabetes also affects approximately 4.2% of the population (up from 1.5% in 1990, that’s more than double!).  The good new, most diabetes is Type 2, which is preventable.

This paints a pretty bleak picture of ageing and to think it’s only as much as I could fit in this short blog! There is even more to the story – such as heart disease, dementia and cancer. However, one uniting principle underpins all of these health issues and that is the growing body of research demonstrating the positive impact of physical activity and exercise on all of these conditions. Especially an intelligently designed program that is specific in its approach to an outcome or need.

The Good News: You CAN Improve Your Health Over 50

Now for the great news! This is exactly where Fit for Fifty comes into the picture. Fit for Fifty is a program designed to ensure that all Australians maintain a robust level of health (and maybe even improve it a little) heading into their fifties and I would be even more excited if it meant they did beyond too, through their sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties!

The 12WBT Difference

What’s special about Fit for Fifty though? What makes it different from all the other programs?

There are a few things we know about the process of ageing and these include:

  • Our BMR decreases with age – this basically translates to our bodies don’t require as much energy on a day to day basis, contributing to weight gain.
  • Bone mass peaks in our twenties – from there, it is a steady decline in bone mass in line with age. This leads to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
  • Sarcopenia is a real issue – this is the loss of muscle mass and strength with age.
  • Even more alarming is the loss of power, the ability to exert force quickly. This happens at a rate 3-4 times faster than muscle strength and size loss, which has implications for falls.
  • Falling is a massive issue as we age, falls are a key morbidity factor (meaning they show likelihood to die earlier). Therefore balance becomes even more important.

Join our 12WBT Fit for Fifty Program today and start making positive changes to your health and fitness that will last!

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13 thoughts on “Yes, You CAN Improve Your Health After 50

  1. I would like to know if theres any fitness programs in cragieburn area. possibly over 50s class.
    is there any couple classess

  2. Hi,
    I’ve been told to cut fructose,gluten out of my diet and limit red meat to once a week.
    Does your food plans cover these requirements? Have been finding it hard as I love fruit & vegies but my body doesn’t.
    Cheers Michelle

    1. Hi Michelle,

      Wow, those are some pretty drastic changes you need to make! As a first step, we’d suggest getting in touch with a Accredited Practising Dietitian (if you haven’t already), who specialises in food allergies/intolerances. They will be able to give you the individualised advice needed to make those changes AND continue getting all the nutrients you need to stay healthy. http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/find-an-apd

      12WBT does require a little work adapting certain recipes when you have specific dietary requirements, but Michelle gives you all the tools to make it happen. While we don’t have a separate low fructose or gluten free Meal Plan, with a bit of tweaking each week, you can make this work for you. We have a Vegetarian Meal Plan that you could follow as a base and a great ‘Customise Plan’ tool to help you swap in gluten free meals (there are over 300 in the Recipe Index) or low fructose meals, as needed. You’re also welcome to modify recipes as you need to (replacing apples with banana or berries, etc.).

      Using the customise feature of your Meal Plan also updates your Shopping List which saves time and effort, and any last minor edits you need to make before doing your shop won’t take too long. You will not only enjoy your chosen meals, but you will be taking responsibility for your own lifestyle changes. Once the Round is completed, you will have all the skills and resources to continue with this healthy life change for LIFE (not just these 12 weeks).

      If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@12wbtsupport.com

  3. Hi I am on my third round having lost a total of 21 kgs I am hoping to shed the last 2kgs this round. I am interested in how to eat healthy and maintain my weight loss permanently. Where can I find a food planner that enables me to begin as soon as I finish round 3. I am on week four only lost 0.5 kgs so far but am comfortable with slow weight loss as I feel it is more permanent.

    1. Hi Ros,

      Wow, congratulations to you!!! You might like to check out the 12WBT daily and weekly planners in the 12WBT Shop – https://shop.12wbt.com/t/categories/planners. Use this Round to continue to bed down those positive habits you’ve developed over the last 9-12 months. This will give you the best chance of maintaining your results long term. 🙂 We suggest that members wanting to maintain their weight start with 1500 calories per day. You may find that you need more, so don’t be afraid to continue adding calories (say 100 at a time) and monitoring your weight, until you find the balance point for you. Be sure to print off all the recipes/Meal Plans you like so that you can continue to use this content long into the future

  4. I have joined the current 12week program. But I wonder should I be doing the over fifties one as I am 67 and have been unwell with shingles since Dec 14. I am trying to get my fitness back

    1. Hi Lyn,

      Thanks for getting in touch! We would love for you to shoot through an email to our wondering Support Crew at support@12wbtsupport.com, who can help advise you on this.

      Looking forward to hearing from you!

  5. I have joined the over 50’s program – can you please add the amount of calcium in the nutritional list attached to each recipe – that is really important for people doing this program.
    Thanks I await your response.
    Cheers Jane

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