My blog last week attracted a number of comments and a couple of shares on Twitter. I can’t tell you how delighted I get with ‘shares’ especially when the sharer has thousands of followers. A huge challenge for any blogger is getting out there. I know there are things that I could be doing to optimise my reach but they take time to introduce and then the consistency to maintain and develop. And there is always the element of luck. It is often this elusive element that can mean the difference between having hundreds of followers or thousands. And age is not on my side. There are very few older fitness bloggers who attract a lot of attention. But I will persevere. I enjoy it. And it keeps me accountable to what I hope to achieve.

But back to last week’s blog which was about the difference between weight and body fat. 
I received a number of comments telling me that I looked great and that I shouldn’t worry about the body fat measurements. Which is lovely to hear and on the whole I am very pleased with the way I look. Weight training has changed my shape and my posture. I am confident with the way I look. In clothes anyway. A high level of body fat is not so attractive in a bikini. Of course at nearly 60 it is suggested by some that my bikini days are well pass me. But they can forget that bunkum. 

But having too much belly fat is not just aesthetically unattractive it is also unhealthy. It is linked to an increased risk of cancer. It also raises inflammation in the body which is of concern to me as I have arthritis in my fingers and a medical history of cardiac valve disease which may have been caused by inflammation.

It feels as if I’m a bit of a conundrum. One of those graphics popped up on my Instagram stream a couple of days ago attempting to explain what the ‘skinny fat’ are doing wrong. Apparently I am doing too much cardio training and not eating enough protein. Wrong on both counts where I’m concerned. But I know I’m not getting my nutrition right. This is what I need to change.

The other change I want to make is more long term. I plan to retire from my current role in about three years to embark on a ‘encore’ career. Something in health and fitness. It feels as if I may come round full circle. I started my working life as a nurse care for those that who had become ill. I (hopefully) will end supporting people to prevent illness.
One of the things I have decided to do is undertake a qualification in Coaching. Wellness and health coaching is not as lucrative as executive and career coaching but hopefully I can attract a handful of clients to supplement my pension. 

The reason why I think this is so important is that so often the barriers to becoming more active are often mental and emotional not physical. This becomes more acute in older people who are told by society to slow down. The opposite to what they should be doing if they are to remain independent and enjoying life.

This Saturday I was back doing Parkrun. My first in 2018. I did it in 34.34. I have now kicked off my training for The Great Run so hopefully that time will improve over the coming weeks.

Happy days.