A Fabulously Fit Over 50 Beauty That Will Inspire You

Happy Thursday and welcome to Ageless Style. It is that time of month when my friend Brenda Coffee (1010 Park Place) and I interview someone over 50 with great style and inspiration. This month I am so pleased to introduce you to Over 50 Fitness and Wellness Coach, Barb Hawken. Let’s chat with A Fabulously Fit Over 50 Beauty That Will Inspire You.

A Fabulously Fit Over 50 Beauty That Will Inspire You

Tell us a bit about your story and background and what factors helped form your wellness path. What have you learned along the way?

I began my fit life at 17. I started teaching aerobics in high school. I fell in love with weight training and eating healthy foods. In my 40’s, I took 8 years off from lifting weights to homeschool my 4 sons when they were very young. I remained the same weight because of my diet but became skinny fat. At 47years I joined a gym and reshaped my body.

You are a successful wellness coach – how has your approach to coaching evolved and how do you help your clients thrive in menopause?

Menopause does have several factors that come as a surprise for most gals. The onset of belly fat and the redistribution of fat in general. We take a good candid look into diet habits, foods and daily exercise. Many gals are new to tracking and measuring food but it is really important to know how much food you are consuming and how much your body needs based on activity level. We tackle that early on in the coaching program.

FABULOUSLY FIT OVER 50 BEAUTY THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU -HOW SHE DOES IT

Tell us about your morning routine and how it plays a part in your day. Are you an early-riser or night owl, or both? How do you prioritize sleep?

When I was homeschooling, I learned to get up at least 30 minutes before anyone else in my house. I still do that today, even though there are just 4 of us at home now.

It helps me to be prepared for my day and I tackle the most pressing tasks head on in the morning. Leaving more creative tasks for the afternoon. I used to get up early but now, I sleep in to just about 7. Sleep is a priority and my husband and I don’t go to bed until about 11pm. since he works 80 hours a week and gets home late. Rising any earlier would interfere with my recovery. We must get 7-9 hours of sleep each night to fully recover from tough training.

Share a normal week’s workout plan

Since I began Powerlifting four years ago, I only train 4 days a week. 45-60 minutes. I just got the squat record in Florida training just 4 hours a week. I have found that most women train too much and don’t allow their body to recover. this leaves them with lackluster results. My group and 1:1 clients train 5 days a week. Just 38- 45 minutes each time.

If you only have 20 minutes for exercise, what does your workout look like?

When I’m traveling and short on time, I would do a quicker warm up and my main compound movement. I would never skip that. Some sort of squat, deadlift or benching exercises- depending on what I trained the day before. We don’t want to train back to back body parts two days in a row. I usually opt for RDL’s and targeted glute work. It Can be done with heavier db’s found in most hotel gyms. I always prioritize lifting weights versus doing any kind of cardio. Weights sculpt the body and strengthen the heart. Cardio can not sculpt a body. 

FABULOUSLY FIT OVER 50 BEAUTY-WHAT SHE EATS

What type of diet do you follow? What supplements allow you to meet your nutritional requirements and help you feel your best?

My diet consists of my 15 foods. All non-processed foods. No GMO’s, preservatives, No seed oils. think fresh meats, fruits, veggies and whole fat dairy. By eating the same foods everyday, I save hours in the kitchen. This also allows me to eat practically anything I desire when I dine out or travel the 16 plus weeks a year. I eat maintenance calories and a slight surplus most of the year. 1700-2500 calories daily. This assures me that I am building strength, muscle and staying healthy. No need for protein powders or supplements. One can not sculpt a hot rockin body by eating 1200-1500 calories. It is too low and you risk being undernourished. The calorie deficit should be reserved for the times you need to lean out your body and lose fat. It only works if you have been feeding yourself plenty of food for many months. This is why it is very easy for me to get leaner, lose some fat every summer. 

You stress clean eating, getting rid of carcinogens within your home, and sticking to whole foods – what are your top-five tips to make this happen?

Eating super clean isn’t as hard as most people think. 

Walk around the perimeter of the supermarket. The outside isles have fresh food. Only reach in to get coffee, rice, oats.

Clean with vinegar or an organic soap. Use all phosphate -free dish and laundry soap. Getting rid of carpets for wood or tile floors.

Toss out anything with a fragrance. Soaps, candles, and many US beauty products are full of parabens. Admittedly, wearing perfume is a risk factor for cancer- known carcinogen and my husband does buy me perfume several times a year. I make sure it is not sprayed near the thyroid gland and I use it occasionally. It is just like eating out in restaurants, which are usually full of seed oils, since they cook or put it on their pots and pans. Try to live the cleanest way possible, when you can. 

Share your must-have skincare items for warm summer months

I have been using K-beauty products for about 7 years now. I buy all of my skincare online from South Korea or at pharmacies in Europe. They are void of parabens so I don’t have to worry about toxins on my skin.

Editors Note: You can find an excellent selection of K Beauty products on Stylevana

I don’t wear a lot of makeup since I have been an anti ager since my 20’s and have invested much time in my skin. Choosing to let the skin shine through without covering it up. I started with my medical esthetician 20 years ago. Growing up boating in Florida, she and I had a lot of work to do to get my skin up to par and keep it from accelerating through the aging process. 

When you spend a lot of research and time figuring out how to eat, exercise, avoiding the sun on the face, it’s natural to keep going down a holistic road of pure health. 

Skincare treatments such as micro -current, red light therapy are a natural part of my routine, just like eating fresh food and lifting. They go hand in hand. If you drink a collagen drink but go to the beach and get a sunburn, you are running in circles. Same with eating anything in a package and then getting botox. The botox can not fix a bad diet or bad skincare habits. You will still have sad, dull skin with extra wrinkles that need not be there. I’m more passionate about skincare and antiaging than fitness. Fitness is something I do 4 hours a week. Skincare is daily. The food we eat, the products we use on our skin and in our house have a huge impact on the acceleration process of the body. However, they all work together holistically.

FABULOUSLY FIT OVER 50

How would you define your own personal style?

I live in a warm humid climate and have a casual lifestyle except when dining out with my husband. I live in athleisure or casual dresses.

What are some of your favorite fitness apparel brands and why?

Alo Yoga and Ultracor are some favorites. I like the smooth, luxurious fabric of each brand. 

What are some of your favorite over-fifty fashion tips?

Fashion over 50, I take from my Italian cousins who live in Napoli. You dress to show off your best assets, that will make you feel more confident as well, instead of hiding a certain feature that you may not like. Show off what you do like.

If you could give your younger self any words of advice, what would they be?

My words of advice to my younger self would be. Kudos, well done. I was an absolute circus freak in my 20’s. My big floppy hats. Wearing them in Italy- nowhere near the sea. Scarves around my neck, even when I played tennis. I knew that the delicate skin on the neck was very susceptible to sun damage. I wanted no part of that. The skin and other environmental factors, which I brought up, can accelerate wrinkles, skin cancer on the face. Sun exposure is important for vitamin D on the rest of the body though.

Thank you so much Barb for sharing your wisdom and inspiring us all to get up and move! I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Barb and her fitness and lifestyle. If you would like to read any of my previous Ageless Style Interviews you can find them here. Thank you for reading A Fabulously Fit Over 50 Beauty That Will Inspire You.. If you would like to learn more about Barb’s personal coaching you can check out Barb Hawken Personal Wellness here. You can also follow her on Instagram for daily inspiration here.

Let’s pop over and visit my friend Brenda at 1010 Park Place and see who she is interviewing this month.

1010 PARK PLACE