Boomer Wellness – Thriving Through the Decades

Wendy Green [00:00:34]:

Hello and welcome to Hay Boomer. My name is Wendy Green and I am your host for hay Boomer. And hopefully you guys are all prepared for the solar eclipse today. If you're in the zone of totality, I have to say it's the coolest thing ever. We had total eclipse here in 2017, where I am careful. Do not look at the sun, no matter what. It can burn your eyes, your retina, within seconds. So just enjoy the darkness or the partial darkness and realize how cool it is.

Wendy Green [00:01:17]:

So interesting that today we're talking about exercise. I just got notification from Rhodes scholar today, actually, for my upcoming trip in July to Quebec, which is a walking and hiking trip. And they were giving us all kinds of fitness tips to prepare for the trip because they're saying we could walk anywhere from four to 8 miles a day. So I am really going to be using this episode today with Heike to really get myself motivated, to get in shape and be prepared. But if you're like me, sometimes you get all motivated, you get going, and then life gets in the way, right? Things happen, you get busy. All kinds of other responsibilities or priorities seem to pop up and suddenly you've lost your momentum. So if this is true for you, this is definitely the episode for you. Heike Yates, who is our guest today, is a midlife fitness and mindset coach.

Wendy Green [00:02:28]:

She is a powerhouse of fitness, nutrition and mindset and has been working in this arena for 35 plus years. Heike takes the complexity of midlife wellness and breaks them down into simple, actionable steps that we can start acting on today. But don't mistake her for someone helping just to get by. In midlife, hikey's goal is to help us thrive, and that's what we want to do. We are looking to age well in our boomer years and beyond, and thriving is definitely a part of that. But before I dive in, I want to invite you to join. Hey, Boomer's Boomer banter, or Boomer believers. These are our monthly membership meetings where we get together virtually.

Wendy Green [00:03:24]:

We build community. We talk about all kinds of topics that are of interest to us and that are important to us in this stage of our lives. And the boomer believers have one extra special opportunity, and that is to meet once a month with one of our guests from that month. And this month it's going to be the amazing hikey eight. So you will get to meet with her on April 30 for a 1 hour q and a with hikey. So go to buymeacoffee.com. Hey, boomer 0413 and get engaged with the community. And as I mentioned in the beginning, Rhodes Scholar sent me all this information about getting ready for my trip.

Wendy Green [00:04:11]:

Well, you know, Rhodes Scholar has been such an amazing sponsor for hey boomer. We love them. They love us. We love that you are interested in travel and having great learning experiences. And if you want to check out some, some of the amazing opportunities that Rhodes Scholar has to offer, go to rhodrow.org heyboomer and book your trip. Let them know that we sent you by saying hey boomer at the end of that. And remember, I love your comments. Talk to us, leave your comments in the chat, say hello, ask questions, and let me bring Heike on.

Wendy Green [00:04:57]:

Hello, hikey.

Heike Yates [00:04:59]:

Hey, wendy. So glad to be here, especially on Eclipse day. I already went out to try to get some glasses. Of course, everything's sold out, so I guess we're not looking. But as you said in the intro, actually in 2017, we were down in Virginia beach and we were trying to see the eclipse with the real glasses. So people be aware that sometimes of they sell you glasses, they are not for looking at the solar eclipse, as I just found out today, but they are for just looking, protecting you from the sun. So I will take those back. But I already did a little bit of walk today.

Wendy Green [00:05:36]:

Oh, good for you. I have not done my walk yet, but I did do some yoga today, so. And I forgot to mention, Heike, that we met at podcast movement out in Denver.

Heike Yates [00:05:47]:

Yep.

Wendy Green [00:05:48]:

Yes. We were so lucky to have a group of those of us in the over 50 group kind of find each other, and Hikey is one of the best ones.

Heike Yates [00:05:58]:

So it was really great to collaborate and hear what other people and their podcasts are talking about or the different parts of the United States they're from and what the situation is like for us over 50.

Wendy Green [00:06:12]:

Exactly. Exactly. So as I said in the beginning, you know, I have to find my why so that I can go walk and get ready for my trip. So, you know, that's my why for now. But what happens when my trip is over? How do I continue to find my why and keep that going so that I can thrive?

Heike Yates [00:06:34]:

Well, why don't you just turn it around and said why not?

Wendy Green [00:06:39]:

Finding your why?

Heike Yates [00:06:41]:

It's why not. Why should I not walk? Why should I not do something that makes me feel stronger and healthier? Why not do something that's simple and easy to do in my life? And walking is just really great for that, whether you walk outside. And I know right now everything's blooming and we have the pollen. I'm living in the Washington, DC area, not too far from you, but we have a lot of pollen out. So it could be very difficult for those of you guys who have allergies. But you can walk around your kitchen counter, you can walk in place, you can put on your favorite tunes and walk. So your why is determined by basically, why not? Why should I not be the one who benefits from all those amazing health benefits that exercise brings for us?

Wendy Green [00:07:32]:

I know, but in our minds we know that, right? We say, oh, exercise keeps us healthy. And movement is so important. But why not? Oh, I have that book to read. Oh, I have to go to the grocery store. Oh, I haven't made those phone calls. Like, we can easily. I can anyway make a million excuses as to why not.

Heike Yates [00:07:53]:

Yep. Then it comes down to priorities. What is your priority? Is your organizing your cupboard more. More of a priority than your health? But that can also contribute to your health. If you organize in your cupboards and that's your priority, you are still moving. But on the other hand, that gives you more sanity and serenity in your life and de stresses you. If your cupboards are organized or, and you mentioned that. Going for a walk.

Heike Yates [00:08:20]:

Well, take your friend on the walk with you on the earbuds. Off you go. There's always, we can always find a reason why we don't have time or don't have the money or don't have the whatever if we're not making our health a priority. And the priority sometimes comes in the form of the doctor saying, yo, no, this is not a good place for you to be. You need to move.

Wendy Green [00:08:46]:

Yeah. So how did you get started 35 years ago? What was your motivation?

Heike Yates [00:08:52]:

I gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with my firstborn son. And, you know, back in the days when I grew up in Germany, I didn't formally exercise or anything like this, so I really didn't know what to do once I gained all this weight. And my ob gyn back then said, oh, pamper yourself, lie on the couch, rest, eat bomb bombs, let your husband do all the work.

Wendy Green [00:09:20]:

Right.

Heike Yates [00:09:21]:

You sounded really good. And that's how I gained 50 pounds, because I followed his advice afterwards. I said to him, are you nuts? You can't tell this to women. This is not a good thing. And he was, he was just very convinced that this is a good way to go for women. But, you know, when you don't know, which is what I come across with, a lot of people really don't know how to get healthy. In shape or fit or whatever you or get moving when it comes down to it. And this is basically how I felt.

Heike Yates [00:09:55]:

I sat there with my 50 pounds. I'm overweight. My baby was ten pounds, and then whatever else. So I still had over 30 pounds to lose. And back then, the perfect idea in my mind, oh, if you just do one of those popular diets, you just do the cauliflower. Now, the cabbage soup diet was very popular back then. The Scarsdale diet was very popular back then. And I said, if I just do these diets, it's got to come down, because that's what they tell me.

Heike Yates [00:10:28]:

And you have to remember, this was way before I knew anything about fitness, exercise, and nutrition. That was like most people. I just lived my life, did my thing, and didn't worry too much about my health because I was overall healthy, and I didn't have any complaints. I was not where I am. I'm 62. I have all kinds of other things that creep up as you got older. But then back then, I didn't have any things to worry about. And so when I decided that I didn't know what to do, so I.

Heike Yates [00:11:00]:

A girlfriend of mine asked me if I wanted to come with her to a class at the YMCA. And actually, the YMCA had hired out churches and community center rooms to hold classes as an extension of their programs. And so I said, what I got to lose? I'm now a stay at home mom. I quit my job. I have nothing to do but take care of my child. So I said, okay, let's do this. And besides, they had daycare.

Wendy Green [00:11:28]:

Daycare was great.

Heike Yates [00:11:30]:

I mean, the woman probably hated me because my son, every time I put him into that 1 hour daycare situation, he screamed his head off the whole time. All our great. But I got to this class, and they had what's back then known as dancer size, which you may think right now, it's zumba. It's a zumba style class. And the teacher showed up with a little boombox, and back then, we had little tapes where we recorded our music, and they would go in that boombox. Everybody brought a yoga mat or some kind of a mat, and they encouraged you to bring two to three pound weights. And that's how the teacher showed up as well. And then she hit play, and we would do grapevines and Chacha Chas and all you dancers out there.

Heike Yates [00:12:16]:

It was a whole lot of fun, because every six weeks, the program changed, and we had new current music. So most women love to dance. I know some have cross legs that are not working quite well. But that's, that's okay because you can always wiggle to music. And that's how I got started. I just loved it. Yeah.

Wendy Green [00:12:41]:

I think that, you know, when we're young, you're right, we, we feel like we're invincible, right? Like I don't have any problems. And so if you're having fun, that's great. So now we reach our sixties, our seventies, we still want to have fun. But now things hurt, right? Like I took a walk the other day with my son. We walked about 4 miles. I am feeling it in my hips and my upper legs. Okay, so how do we adjust?

Heike Yates [00:13:13]:

Well it depends. You go in from a time frame where I was in my twenties to now in my sixties. So that's a big leap forward. So when you think of aging through the ages, it depends on what somebody chose to do. If, let's say in your thirties, if you said, okay, I have nothing, I just, like you said, I'm doing a little bit of walking. Then in my thirties I may do nothing. I rear for my kids, I take care of my household, I don't have time to exercise. Then you get into your forties and you're thinking oh my goodness, you know, I should be doing something because my doctor is like my cholesterol is a little bit high, my blood pressure a little bit high and then you may start exercising there a little bit.

Heike Yates [00:13:55]:

Then you get to your fifties where you go past or are through menopause. So you have to deal with a whole different bowl of wax as it as far as comes to exercise and the things that you need to attend to. Then you get to your fifties and beyond or like sixties again. We have arthritis, we have osteopenia, we have spinal problems, we have less stamina. So it changes every century that we go. Every ten years is every ten years is like every decade. Thank you. Not century, you're very old.

Heike Yates [00:14:33]:

But every decade you're like, oh, I need something different for my bodies. But I have to tell you, Wendy, that all through those years I kept exercising in one form or another and I would encourage everybody to think about that wherever they are in their age group right now. What am I doing right now? Because truth is we're getting older, our bodies are breaking down. It's not like the, some of the fitness and health industry is telling us that we will be forever young and if we just do this particular exercise we'll be younger than anybody else. We all age differently and you don't know what you will experience some people.

Wendy Green [00:15:20]:

Yes.

Heike Yates [00:15:20]:

You see them on all the social media. They're like, oh, here's the 96 year old who's running a marathon or whatever you see, or the 67 year old who's super lean and is a bodybuilder. You see these people, but they're honestly so far and few in between. They're naturally that way. They've always had a good body that always had a strong body that they don't have. But most people experience arthritis, or maybe they don't talk about it, which is another thing. So it depends on what happens to us as we age. But I felt that throughout all of this, through menopause, through my kits, strength training and cardiovascular exercise are the two things that as far as exercise is concerned.

Heike Yates [00:16:08]:

And not even talking about nutrition is something that I can only say yes to wholeheartedly.

Wendy Green [00:16:16]:

Okay, so I'm going to give you some scenarios because Heike is a podcast host for pursue your spark. Heike has her own Pilates studio, and she has online classes for pilates, so she is the expert. Okay, so I'm going to give you a few scenarios and see how you would advise me if I was a client coming to you like this. Okay, so assume that I have never been an exerciser and I'm 60 plus years old. My doctor says I should start to exercise. The thought of going to the gym just scares me to death. What would you advise me to do?

Heike Yates [00:16:59]:

Don't be scared, number one, because we all start somewhere. You're thinking everybody looks like a pro at the gym, and they know their way around, and they know what the equipment is, and they have the cool outfits on and all.

Wendy Green [00:17:12]:

That's right.

Heike Yates [00:17:14]:

And you're the one that comes in and goes like, oh, I got my sweatpants on and my old shoes and like, yep, you know, we all start somewhere. It's not about the look, but you don't have to belong to a gym. I would say at this age group, it's really if you want to go to a facility and you don't want to exercise at home, a local community center or a YMCA, where people, more likely your age group, are gathering than a regular gym. But I don't know, you know, what's in your neighborhood and what you can find. But I find that in general, the older folks like us go more to centers like that. There are better programs that you can sign up for and classes that are geared towards you. And one of my clients that comes to my Pilates studio, she also belongs to the local YMCA. And she's.

Heike Yates [00:18:07]:

She is actually 78 now and has scoliosis, which is the s curve in the back. And that's why she's working with me through Pilates, but she's also doing strength training, and she's going to a class called the Iron Maiden. And I said, whoa, what are you doing at Iron Maiden? And she says, well, it's a group class where we have different stations, and we're all, you know, we're all old fogies. She says, there's a few young ones in there, but pretty much everybody is our age, so it's not intimidating as a group. And she says, we go through different stations, and the teacher shows us the exercises on the first day so we know how to do them. And then the teacher goes around and says, oh, better form here. You need to tweak on that here. You need to do this.

Heike Yates [00:18:54]:

And she loves it because she gets stronger. She does weights and bands and balance work in that class, and it's. That's her, her peers, she makes friends there. So if this is an aspect that you want in your exercise, that you don't want to exercise at home, I would recommend a situation like that. If you choose to be at home, I would say walking. Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes. And Pilates, of course, pilates can be done on the mat work which use where you strengthen your core, you align your spine, you get stronger all throughout, and also flexible.

Heike Yates [00:19:35]:

And pilates doesn't require you to buy anything. You could just take a couple of towels, put it over a carpet, and take one of my videos and get started with pilates. Simple but effective ways.

Wendy Green [00:19:49]:

So clarify. Like, I know yoga, but I don't know Pilates. What is the difference? What would I do in Pilates that would be different?

Heike Yates [00:19:56]:

Most people relate yoga to stretching and meditation and stillness. Pilates is kind be quite vigorous, so you roll on the floor. And most people have heard at least of an exercise called the 100, where you lift your head and you pump your arms like crazy and then you breathe. Pilates focuses on the universal alignment of your spine, even strength throughout the body, through different exercises. We also do the plank, where you're on the floor and all toes and hands, and you can modify pilates to every body ailment and to everybody's strength. And it is focused on the core, which is the core is everything but your arms and your legs. The head, to me, also is part of the core because it's part of your spine. So it extends out through the spine and everything that's in my mind is part of the spine belongs to the core in my mind.

Wendy Green [00:20:56]:

So the core front. So, for pilates, it's the spine and the abs is what you're considering. The core.

Heike Yates [00:21:03]:

The core is everything. But. So that means your chest muscles, your pecs, your lats in the back of the body, your rectus abdominals in the middle, the obliques on the side of the body that help you balance and twist. Then your transverse abdominals, which is the lower part of your abdominals, which is where? Below the belly button. Then your lower back muscles, then your back extensor muscles along the spine that help you grow the spine strong and solid of osteo. Osteoporosis. When you have spine, we're oftentimes dealing with that. And pilatus has shown to increase bone density throughout the spine.

Heike Yates [00:21:46]:

So think about the whole package. And Joseph Pilatus called our body the box. Everything in the box is considered the quartz, not just the abs.

Wendy Green [00:21:57]:

I never knew that. That's good to know. Thank you. Yeah. Very cool. Okay, so another. Another scenario. So I have arthritis in my hips and in my neck, and, you know, so it hurts.

Wendy Green [00:22:14]:

And in fact, yesterday, when I took that long walk with my son, I could feel it in my low back. And I'm kind of, you know, holding my hands there. But I'm also thinking, walk through it, Wendy. It'll get stronger.

Heike Yates [00:22:26]:

Just keep going.

Wendy Green [00:22:27]:

It'll get stronger. Is that right? Should I do that?

Heike Yates [00:22:31]:

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

Wendy Green [00:22:34]:

What should I do.

Heike Yates [00:22:38]:

Now? The first thing is get diagnosed by a doctor. What did your doctor say about the bone density in your hips? That determines a lot if you have low bone density in the hip. And that's actually a really cool story about this. I used to teach step aerobics, and back then, I was the young teacher, and my clients were all, at least in their forties, fifties that would come to my step class, and they were talking about the bone density, and they said, you know, even when we do step aerobics, I was just diagnosed with low bone density in my hip. The other ones like, oh, I'm walking. I have low bone density in my hip, too. So it's a twofold thing you can focus on. Like you said, my hips are hurting.

Heike Yates [00:23:28]:

But why are they hurting? Are they hurting because you need more mobility in the hip? Are they hurting because there's a lot of arthritis in the hip? Are they hurting because you have so much arthritis that they're literally stuck and stretching wouldn't be a good idea. So there's a lot of things to consider, and walking through pain is never good. Another thing you mentioned, Wendy, is that you put your hand on your lower.

Wendy Green [00:23:54]:

Back, like by my tailbone. Really? It's by my tailbone.

Heike Yates [00:23:59]:

That would be definitely a case to go to the doctor and get at least an x ray, if not an MRI, because you also pointed out your neck, and these are the neck and the lumbar are two of the spots where we are most prone to develop osteoarthritis, osteoporosis through the whole spine. But osteoarthritis to start with, which then may result in slipped discs. So it's a twofold in a pilates setting. If I had somebody like you, I would say, do not lift your head. We're leaving that head down. All we're going to work on is your abdominal connection. All we're going to move is your hips to a degree where they don't hurt and check on mobility of the hip and do maybe some strengthening. But the first thing I would always say, go see your doctor, get an x ray, get an expert opinion, because as a coach, we're not qualified to diagnose.

Heike Yates [00:25:01]:

It's like always say, go to the doctor, come back with a diagnosis. Then I know what I need to do. Because the same with the neck, you know, is it something that you do habitually during the day and that could help you relieve that pain in the neck? Where is the pain in the neck? Is it closer to the occipital bone? Is it closer to the bottom of the spine? You know, what is going on? Do we know what causes the pain? What is the misalignment that we need to address when it comes to that part of the spine? So that's a very tricky question. But may as it be, pilates improves bone density in the spine, which is overall a good thing. But based on your scenario, it's like, okay, let's backtrack. Maybe you need to stretch your hips after you're walking. Definitely, I would say definitely work on your lower abdominal connection and go with that. But get an x ray, get an MRI, get an educated explanation why that is.

Heike Yates [00:26:03]:

Because these things, from my experience of teaching, I've been teaching pilates for over 20 years, and I've been a coach, fitness coach for almost 40 years. These things just don't happen because there is some muscle imbalance, there's some way of how we favor the body, what's going on in the rest of the spine. There's a lot, and that's why I love this kind of work because it makes it interesting. Oh, look at Wendy. She's got this.

Wendy Green [00:26:29]:

Oh, yeah.

Heike Yates [00:26:30]:

Let's see what we can do with her.

Wendy Green [00:26:32]:

So if I can't meet you in person and the videos that you have, would they specifically say, okay, this is going to work with your ab connection so that you can build up that strength in your lower back or your lower spine or.

Heike Yates [00:26:45]:

I prefer not to send people to a video with a condition like yours where we're not sure what it is. And instead of saying, oh, let's try this, and how about that? That may work. No, no, no. Let's not do that. Go get a diagnosis. And then if you were to work with one of my videos. I don't. I didn't film videos specifically for specific conditions because I feel I do a disservice to my clients.

Heike Yates [00:27:13]:

I work with people like that, preferably in person, even on Zoom, that's totally fine. But just to start a video because of it, I feel I do a disservice to my client because I don't really know what is going on. And when I see somebody move, that gives me a clue of where I need to go with that client. So if you're a parent, healthy person that maybe has just low back pain, go to the section that says core strengthening.

Wendy Green [00:27:41]:

Okay. All right. But that's fair. I can respect that, that you want to be more specific and careful. And I do need to get an MRI. I've had the x ray, but. And did the PT and so.

Heike Yates [00:27:54]:

And, you know, it's so easy to say, and there's many people out there that are saying, oh, I'm a specialist in arthritis. I'm this and that. And they have videos out there and you can test them out. But it's a diagnosis that you need first to pick through what really works for you if you're in a video only setting.

Wendy Green [00:28:13]:

Right? Right. So say that I. I used to be an athlete and, you know, I played basketball or I swam or I did whatever, and for whatever reason, I stopped. And now I want to get started again. Do I need to see a doctor before I get started again? Or do you think it's safe to get. Just start walking or start one of those couch to five k programs or something like that?

Heike Yates [00:28:43]:

Well, it all depends. It always does. It's never just the one. One answer for all depends on what kind of athlete. If you're a swimmer, you can do pilates. Pilates. You will love pilates because it lengthens and strengthens the whole entire body and the muscle belly. But it depends on where do you want to go with this? If you stopped and you said, I'm just burned out with my sport, I want to do something different.

Heike Yates [00:29:09]:

You definitely want to start working out, but it depends on the age group. Are you stopped as an athlete when you were 30 and now you're 60? I think everybody should have a physical once a year just to be on the safe side. Also to get preventative care, which we don't do if don't follow up on, if we don't see our general practitioner for the most part and to see where you are, see what you feel like doing. That's, I think, the key to really, like you said, what's my, why? It's gotta make me happy.

Wendy Green [00:29:43]:

Yeah.

Heike Yates [00:29:44]:

If it doesn't make me happy and you slug through it, you will not wanna do it. It doesn't bring you joy. And I feel if you do something you don't like doing, but you do it just cause it causes stress. Yeah. And that's not a good place. So you want to pick some, pick something. I don't care what it is. Pick something and start with this and see if that floats your boat.

Heike Yates [00:30:09]:

If you want to go to, like, the iron maiden class or you want to say, I'm going to do pilates at home and see how that works out and then say, oh, this is fantastic, I'm going to built on that, or you say, no, that wasn't so much for me. I'm trying something else. Maybe, you know, weightlifting is more my speed and you'll find something that you will not maybe love, but something that, you know, ignites your spark and you go, oh, yeah, I can do this. It's kind of cool.

Wendy Green [00:30:39]:

So I think there's a lot to that answer, you know, like find what you enjoy, then decide, do you want it to also be social? So, like, go to a class or is it more something you personally want to just strengthen for feeling better? So there's a lot of things to consider, I think is what you're saying when you're deciding what to pursue.

Heike Yates [00:31:04]:

Yeah, absolutely. And that's a good, good why to begin with, it's what, where do I want to go with this? Also, as we're aging, what is the point of it? What do I get out of it? Could I train? No, I can't anymore because I have really bad arthritis in one of my knees and a partial tear as well. So I had to stop running about a year and a half ago. And when an injury set has an injury setback. Like, in my case, you have to think about, what else do I want to do? What can I do instead? And so now I hike and I walk way more than I ever thought possible, and it's so good for my body. That's why I started recommending walking for so many people, because you can do it any which way you want and anytime you want, any time of the day you want. And it's. I love it.

Wendy Green [00:32:00]:

I love hiking. Hiking is one of my, because it not only fills my, you know, need to get out and have exercise, but it's also fills my heart and my soul to be out in nature and, you know, just feel the magnitude of all of that. So, yeah, so you've been doing this, you said, I think, almost 40 years.

Heike Yates [00:32:22]:

Yep.

Wendy Green [00:32:23]:

I'm sure the whole exercise industry has evolved since you started, just like everything else has evolved. So what? What kind of changes have you seen over the years that have really made an impact?

Heike Yates [00:32:38]:

That's a tough one, because nothing really has changed. Nothing really has changed. It's.

Wendy Green [00:32:45]:

The exercise advice has not changed in 30 years.

Heike Yates [00:32:49]:

People are more out of shape than they've ever been. People are heavier than they ever been. People are more unhealthy than they've ever been. So in my 40 years of doing this, the idea is in the fitness industry, to help everybody, depending on what age group or what sexes you're working with, to be healthier, to be stronger, to be more confident in their bodies, to live better lives. And the few percent that we actually are able to reach compared to the masses are so small, it sometimes, honestly, Wendy, it's sometimes very discouraging because you're putting your heart and soul into teaching these classes and giving out the information. And I understand people are overwhelmed. I understand people get so much information now that they don't know what to choose or what to believe. And the only change in that sense is that new programs came out, which is great.

Heike Yates [00:33:54]:

If you're bored with one program, you do another program or you rename it. So we have a plethora of classes and exercise modalities that we can do, but it hasn't changed the outcome. It hasn't changed significantly of how we reach our customers, our consumers. It almost has backfired in the sense that people look at us as coaches and saying, yeah, look at you looking so fit. I can never be that. And it's discouraging to a lot. And that's a frustrating part for me. Like I said, I pour my heart and soul into what I do, the education.

Heike Yates [00:34:37]:

I show you how. I give you the baby steps, but the impact is lagging and the misinformation is just, you want to pull your hair out of. What I come across with that, that you see is convincing people to buy in those programs that are absolute baloney. So the changes, it's not I'm looking at from that lens. Are there many more programs out that people can choose from? Absolutely. Are there many more trainers out there? Absolutely. Are we going away from the all or nothing idea to the more mindset based work, to the more reduced stress, especially after COVID? Yes, but, you know, if we can't make that impact that we are set out to do as coaches, we're failing.

Wendy Green [00:35:35]:

Well, I hear your frustration that you're not reaching as many people because there are so many people that would benefit from the work that you do. But I'm sure you told me you have people from eight to 98 that you're working with.

Heike Yates [00:35:51]:

And so the few people I can get my hands on, I'm changing lives when it comes to that. I'm, I'm helping those. And I always feel like that when you help one person, they may touch somebody else's life and say, oh, look what I did, and look how strong I got and look how much better I can stand now. Oh, look, I can do a squat now. I can sit on my chair. So you have these little tentacles that keep coming out that really ignite the sparks, like, everywhere. And you're hoping that it spreads more and more, overriding those negative and false informations that we hear all the time and that people say, oh, from this experience, look, look, this is what happened.

Wendy Green [00:36:35]:

And I think you're right. I think, and the same thing with, you know, what I do with the aging well and living fully engaged lives. I mean, you want everybody within the sound of your voice and beyond to be able to catch on with these messages and say, yeah, I want to live that life. I want to feel good as long as I can, which is what we're trying to do. So do you think, though, when you were starting out, you know, in your thirties, that there were a lot of programs that even believed that people in their sixties, seventies, and eighties could still be thriving?

Heike Yates [00:37:14]:

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. They all been there, but they were not emphasized or not put in the forefront because us boomers were not that many at that point. Now we have a ton of people our ages who want to stay fed. And do you remember Tae boy?

Wendy Green [00:37:34]:

No.

Heike Yates [00:37:35]:

No. So, Ty Bo, I don't remember when that was, but Ty Bo came out as this kickboxing class with Billy Blanks came into this.

Wendy Green [00:37:43]:

Oh, I remember Billy Blanks.

Heike Yates [00:37:44]:

Yeah, yeah, Billy Blanks and Ty Bo with kickboxing. And I remember the gym I worked at that time had never been more packed. All ages came to that class. All ages. And of course, after six, eight months, it died down. Back to the hardcore. I want to kickbox people, but I think over the years, the biggest change we see is more mind body programming, more pilates, more yoga, more breathing, more meditation for. But that again has come because of the increase in boomers and awareness.

Wendy Green [00:38:26]:

Increase in boomer awareness.

Heike Yates [00:38:28]:

And we had all these things before. Maybe you would go to meditation in a meditation center or yoga to a yoga studio or Pilates in a Pilates studio. And then the clubs noticed that they needed to focus more on stress reduction, mindful movement, breathing, as well as alignment and balance training as we get older and losing balance. So that's a small shift that had to happen based on the population. They were always there, but there was not in the forefront based on the clientele.

Wendy Green [00:39:00]:

Yeah, makes sense. That makes sense, right? Because, yeah. So, as before you leave us, I want you to give us two or three takeaways, actionable steps that we can use to get started today so that we can thrive into this next decade.

Heike Yates [00:39:22]:

Step number one is don't worry about what everybody else thinks. Thinking about that, you start a new program, that you start a new strategy. Don't worry what, they don't care what they think. Do what you think is best for you and follow through. Pick one thing that you start with. Stop overwhelmed. Start feeling crazy about not picking the right thing. Pick one thing.

Heike Yates [00:39:48]:

Start with it. Do it small. Just the one thing. Don't pick. Don't say, oh, no. I have to do a big overhaul. I'm a health and fitness and I'm going to do x, Y and z. Pick one thing, so don't.

Wendy Green [00:40:00]:

One thing. Could be like, like walking, like strength training, like stand up, sit down, like any. Anything.

Heike Yates [00:40:06]:

Yep, could be that. Or eat, you know, one fruit a day or eat one vegetable a day or take ten deep breaths every time you walk out the door. Or it could. Whatever it is that you come to with that you can think of or do one. I touch my toes ten times a day or once a day. Whatever it is, just one thing, but don't change it every day. Keep going with that one thing. Which brings me to number three, is being consistent in those other two steps.

Heike Yates [00:40:39]:

Do not care what everybody else thinks about you and what you're doing, what you look like. And number two, pick one thing that you, number three, consistently do every day. You may fail sometimes, you might forget sometimes. You kind of get busy sometimes. But if you make this commitment to yourself, and you may write it on a piece of paper to remind yourself that you made those three commitments to yourself, you will remember, go, oh, yeah, today I forgot to touch my toes. Or, yeah, I forgot to eat that carrot today. So I'm going to do this real quick until by the end you're like, of course, it's a no brainer. I don't care if when I go to the gym and they look at me sideways because I don't have the fancy sneakers.

Heike Yates [00:41:23]:

And number two, I just do my toe taps. I don't care what they think about what they look like. I'm getting down there at some point. And so without judgment. And number three is do it consistently, every day, whatever it is, not just a once a week kind of thing. Start out with literally once a day. So make it so small. Like, I call them baby steps.

Wendy Green [00:41:47]:

Yeah.

Heike Yates [00:41:48]:

That they're not inhibiting your lifestyle. You can fit them in. You don't need extra time, you don't need extra equipment to get started being healthier, stronger, and what I think, happier.

Wendy Green [00:42:01]:

I love that. Thank you. So take baby steps one thing a day and don't care what others think.

Heike Yates [00:42:10]:

That's good.

Wendy Green [00:42:12]:

Or even yourself. Right? Well, think about how you're taking care of yourself. You love yourself. You owe it to yourself to take care of yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Heike. So, Heike's amazing, as I said.

Wendy Green [00:42:26]:

And you can look at her website and find her podcast, her videos, everything you want to know about hikey. She also is available to speak to your organization. Her website is, her first name is spelled Heike, hikeyeats.com. This will all be in the show notes. And you can also, there's a contact her button or contact me button there so you can reach out to her if you have any specific questions. Remind you that she is also going to be our guest of honor for the boomer believers.

Heike Yates [00:43:03]:

Yay.

Wendy Green [00:43:04]:

So we'll, I'm sure we'll have plenty of questions for you there. So go to buymeacoffee.com heyboomer 0413 and register to be a boomer believer, which also gets you access to the boomer banter, which is amazing. And don't forget to book your next trip with roadroadscholar.org. Slash hey, dot boomer. So I building on what Heike talked about today. We're talking about health and wellness and nutrition and mindset and all that this week. So next week we really have an inspiring story. We're going to talk about nutrition and mindset with a woman named Kim Rahir.

Wendy Green [00:43:52]:

And Kim went from a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis to becoming the european champion in masters weightlifting in her age and weight category. So I think she will have a thing or two to tell us about mindset. Each episode of Hay Boomer is an invitation to listen, learn, and apply the wisdom gained from each episode to your own life. And I would like you all in the chat before you leave or in the comments to the podcast, let me know, is that one thing that you're going to commit to starting now? Because the path ahead is not always easy, but it's traveled best with support and shared insights. Thank you, Heike. This was really a very wonderful show.

Heike Yates [00:44:44]:

Thank you, Wendy. Thanks for everybody being here listening in and reach out and ask questions and take action.

Wendy Green [00:44:51]:

And take action. Yes. Hey, Boomer is produced by me, Wendy Green. And the music you heard at the beginning was written and performed by Griffin Honrado, who is a student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and my grandson. So I love it.

Heike Yates [00:45:13]:

I love it.

Wendy Green [00:45:15]:

Thanks, Heike. Great to see you.

Heike Yates [00:45:17]:

Thanks, Wendy.

Wendy Green [00:45:18]:

Thanks, everybody.