Don't starve yourself or work yourself to death at the gym. Fitness after 40 is still attainable and not as difficult as you would imagine!

Even while it's true that as you age, your body changes, there are a plenty of ways to fight back and look and feel fantastic at any age. Keep in mind that age is just a number! Still doubt the viability of fitness after 40? We'll walk you through it in four simple steps!

Fitness After 40: The Mindset

Mindset is the key to fitness after 40. There is so much negative self-talk that we all do as we age.

• I'll never go back to my pre-baby body.

• My partner probably wants someone thinner.

• There's no way I have the time to look like her.

• Loose clothes are all that fit me now.

Do you identify with any of those statements? Since you can now continuously compare yourself to others thanks to social media, negative self-talk has only become more prevalent. Any fitness objective you have must first be won in the mental realm. Do a cleanse. No, not a juice cleanse – a social media cleanse. If you frequently use Facebook or Instagram, you are affected. Unfollow accounts when scrolling through your feed if they make you feel inferior to others or self-conscious. Find new accounts that make you feel better, motivate you to travel, or teach you how to prepare new dishes.

Better now? Great! It's time to get motivated now. Everyone wants to be more fit for one or two major reasons. Do you want it to be simpler for you to climb stairs? On your family's bike journey, do you want to be able to keep up? Do you wish to proudly don your all-time favourite pair of jeans once again by pulling them out from the back of your closet? Whatever your motivation is, identify it and keep it in mind. Lastly, make goals.

Setting goals makes many people uncomfortable because they are frightened of failing. You won't succeed, I tell you, if you don't establish a strategy for it. Find a deadline-driven goal that you can actually achieve.

Fitness After 40: The Diet

Our first piece of advice is to switch up your diet after you've found your inspiration. Consider this: the food you eat serves as the foundation for your entire body. How well your body functions is ultimately determined by whether you get enough water, vitamins, and nutrients from meals. When considering a diet, consider increasing your intake of nutrient-dense meals rather than cutting out unhealthy ones.

Watch Calories

As you get older and your metabolism slows down, you need fewer calories to fuel your body. Anything extra will just be converted into fat unless you burn it off. Recommended caloric intake for women over 40:

• 41-50: 1,800-2,200 calories

• 51-60: 1,600-2,200 calories

• 61 and older: 1,600-2,000 calories

Perfect Plate Method

Portion control always sounds like a punitive measure. But with our theory of the Perfect Plate, it can be as easy as arranging food on your plate! Each plate should consist of:

• 1/4 plate of protein (chicken, lean beef, turkey)

• 1/2 plate of vegetables (lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers)

• 1/4 plate of starches (legumes, quinoa, sweet potatoes).