Fitness is not just a young person’s game. Fitness is for all stages of life. And as your body changes with age, so too will your fitness and nutrition program. Now more than ever, as Fitmark Ambassador Geri Berger says, you need to eat with purpose.
Fitmark Ambassador: Geri Berger
Lifestyle: Director of Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness at Island Club Spa, IFBB Pro Athlete, Fitness Model, Black Belt in Hapkido, Martial Arts & Kickboxing Instructor, Marathon & Obstacle Course Runner, Mental Health Advocate
Meal Bags: the Envoy Duffel ︱the Shield ︱the Go Pack
As we age our metabolism naturally drops. So it’s vital that nutrition, cardio and strength training are each addressed. It’s also important to make sure that as we age we maintain and improve cardiovascular health and weight training to help keep our metabolism up. Proper nutrition must support our activities and we must learn to eat for purpose.
As a woman of 45, Geri understands firsthand how hormonal and metabolic changes can affect your waistline as you age. While it takes a shift in perspective to accept these changes, it’s a great time to take another look at your diet and fitness program to see how you can customize it to suit your current goals. Geri told us:
Don’t diet! That’s my main dieting tip – lol! Keep it clean and remember that eating healthy is a lifestyle. The problem with diets is that there is a beginning and an end. It doesn’t always teach you life strategies on how to “eat for purpose.” When you focus on giving your body what it needs to get healthy, the weight always follows.
Holistic Health and Nutrition
Since 1992, Geri has been helping people of all ages and all fitness levels achieve their best and be the healthiest they can be. She believes in a holistic approach to training and nutrition, and eating with purpose. She told us:
I have a holistic approach to nutrition and even contest prep, which is unusual in my sport. I keep things pretty simple and clean using real food. I don’t use a lot of supplements; my belief is that real foods provide us with everything we need.
Physical and Mental Health
This holistic approach to health overflows into Geri’s work outside the fitness industry. She has always been active in the community, helping the neglected and homeless youth of Hawaii and she currently sits on the advisory board of adult mental health. Promoting the needs of others and understanding the link between the physical and mental aspect of diet and exercise, she told us:
99.9% of all our cells will die and be replaced within a year. That also includes our brain cells. Each day we have the opportunity to replace each dying cell with stronger and healthier cells. Feeding our body the best food there is out there will help ensure that we have the right building blocks for healthier cells. You can be 99.9% new person in one year!
Eating With Purpose
Eating with purpose not only feeds the body, it also feeds the mind. So if your purpose is to slim down or increase lean muscle or stay ahead of the inevitable weight gain that comes with shifts in hormones, you’ll want to customize a diet plan that’s flexible. Working with a fitness tracker and breaking down your caloric intake into macronutrients – carbs, fats and proteins – will set you up for life. As opposed to a short-term diet, it’s a healthy way to eat that works for anyone, no matter what your age or purpose.
The important thing to remember, according to Geri is to “be organized.” She told us:
Organization is key. It’s the only way to stay on track. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So have your food and gym gear ready at all times and that will ensure success!
My Fitmark Bags help keep me organized so that I always have everything I need – from my gym clothes, work clothes, food and even my laptop for work! My entire family uses Fitmark Bags.
You can find Fitmark Ambassador Geri Berger on Instagram @geriberger_ifbbpro
Sport Your Lifestyle
The Fitmark Team
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