As a leading edge baby boomer woman, I’ve been facing some of the less than fabulous telltale signs of aging. In fact, my body parts seem to slipping and sliding with a vengeance and landing right around my middle. As my friend Caryn Leschen says, “Just when you’re getting it all together, your body falls apart!”

Well, I’m happy to say, there are things we can do about this unfortunate turn of events. I interviewed Pam Archer, a fitness coach, on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio this morning and she had some simple and effective tips to help us shed those unwanted pounds. I’m going to follow one of her great suggestions and turn on my favorite Motown tunes while I’m cleaning up the kitchen. It will make the chore a whole lot more fun and have me “sweating to the oldies” and burning calories at the same time. Movement with music is also a terrific mood lifter. You get endorphins with a beat and that can’t help but make you happy.

Exercise in any form is truly the fountain of youth. It aides your health and well being in a number of ways: it oxygenates your brain and makes it function better, it wards off serious illnesses like cancer and heart disease, it strengthens your bones, and it tones your muscles. Another fabulous side effect of exercise—it boosts your metabolism so you can eat more without gaining weight! Each pound of muscle on the body burns an additional 40 – 120 calories daily while each pound of fat burns a puny 1- 3.

So, next time you’re feeling blue and lethargic and feel like being a sedentary senior couch spud, put a little music on. Make sure it conforms to what the legendary spinner of songs, Dick Clark, told us: “It’s got a great beat and you can dance to it.” Then turn up the volume; dust off your blue suede shoes, and dance, dance, dance!

I know, I know—I do it, too! I get all fired up, decide to change my life, and commit to exercising every day. I’m going to finally say goodbye to my muffin top, tighten my posterior, and get rid of those extra fifteen pounds that seem to stick like glue.

Then, somehow, I get busy, or start a new project, or we go away for a couple of days. Whatever the excuse du jour, I get off track and return to my ways as a sedentary, senior coach spud. The muffin top remains and so do the fifteen pounds.

But, I’ve got some new inspiration: Dara Torres. She’s the American swimmer who, at 41, just became the oldest Olympic swimming medalist. I’m sure you’ve seen her ripped body and awesome abs. Although her physical presence is amazing, I’m more inspired by her spirit.

Torres has not let age or anything else stand in her way. She focused on her dream, worked hard for it, and came out a winner. And, she’s only in her early forties. Wait ‘till she hits fifty and really becomes feisty!

She’s inspiring women all across the country and I’m going to use her to inspire me, too. I’ll envision my head pasted on top her body—like the tabloids do with the heads of celebrities. And, just like the law of attraction and the promise of The Secret, I’m certain I can manifest this new look for myself.  

Well, maybe not exactly. At any rate I’ll go back to huffing and puffing and pumping iron. Got to run—I’m headed for the hiking trail!