If you have always lived a healthy lifestyle, keep it up! Do not be discouraged if it becomes harder to maintain your fitness and shape over time.

Help your friends and colleagues avoid middle age spread, too. Set a challenge to all lose weight and keep fit together.

Follow a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Don’t nap too much during the day. Avoid caffeine after 4pm, or earlier if you’re sensitive to caffeine. Use your bedroom only for sleeping to train your brain that “bed” means “sleep. ” Don’t watch TV in your bedroom. Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. Have a warm bath, read a book, give yourself a hand massage, or have a cup of decaf tea.

It will help to keep a food journal. Write down what you eat every day. Look at food labels and record the calories you’re getting from your foods. Take into account what is a serving size for what you’re eating – if the label lists an item as 200 calories but you’re eating three times the serving size, that’s 600 calories!

Get protein from unsalted nuts, seeds, soy, and beans. Limit eating takeout or fast food to once a week. [11] X Research source

Get protein from unsalted nuts, seeds, soy, and beans. Limit eating takeout or fast food to once a week. [11] X Research source

Avoid white bread and other refined sugars. Eat a variety of vegetables – dark leafy greens, red and yellow veggies, peas and beans, and starches. [13] X Research source vhttp://www. mayoclinic. org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dietary-guidelines/art-20045584

Spice up regular water with natural flavors like lemon, lime, or orange slices. Try mint, cucumber, or even basil for fun flavors. You don’t have to completely eliminate sugar – it’s okay to treat yourself. Don’t make sugar a part of your regular diet, though.

If your workouts are more vigorous, like jogging, you can shoot for 75 minutes a week of activity.

Opt for swimming if you have joint pain; it’s a great non-weight bearing aerobic exercise.

Wrist curls, arm curls, chair dips, elbow extensions, and seated rows. Knee curls, back leg raises, toe stands, squats, and lunges. The main way to minimize belly fat is to burn calories, but it won’t hurt to strengthen your core to tone your abs and have more strength for other workouts. [19] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Do crunches, plank, bridge pose, segmental rotation, quadruped, and superman.

FitBit is a great tool to monitor your steps. It’s a small watch you wear that keeps track of your heart rate, steps you take, miles you walk, and more. Or get a simple pedometer or use an online tool to monitor your steps. Easy ways to increase your steps are taking the dog for a walk, using the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from your destination, window shopping, walking to visit neighbors or run local errands, and even getting up to change the channel on the TV.

If you can’t miss your favorite program, do light to moderate exercises while you watch. Do squats, crunches, or even just jog or walk in place.