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Faster at 40: It's Never Too Late to Start Moving
Posted on Jul 13th 2010 2:00PM by Deborah DunhamFiled Under: Fitness, Motivation
www.joanna-zeiger.com
That one piece of advice has stuck with professional triathlete, Ironman Champion and Olympian, Joanna Zeiger, over the course of her career, and now she wants those same words to resonate with other women, too.
After earning top honors in multiple triathlon races all over the world including winning the Brazil Ironman in 2005, the Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 2006 and two Continental Cups in 2007, at age 40 Zeiger said she believes she can race faster than ever and is looking to win the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
"I am a lot smarter about my training than I was 10 years ago," Zeiger said. "I make every workout count. I do not spend time doing 'garbage' miles. I spend a lot of time in the gym working on core strength and preventing muscle imbalance. Massage and physical therapy are an essential part of my regimen as well to help stave off injury."
In addition to her own fitness pursuits, Zeiger said her main purpose is to get more females involved in sports, regardless of whether they are professional athletes or not. She wants women to understand that there is a place for exercise in everyone's life -- even those with the busiest schedules.
"Everybody has different abilities and room to improve," she said. "You just have to be creative to fit everything in."
Zeiger also believes it's important to inspire young girls to a lifetime of physical fitness and health. She has talked at many schools over the years and plans to do more speaking to school-aged girls. "I am acutely aware of the benefits and difficulties of being a student-athlete," she said. "But I also understand how an athletic lifestyle is so beneficial. It is an excellent outlet, leads to better health and is a wonderful way to build confidence and self-esteem. Additionally, it is a perfect social network."
While Zeiger has seen female participation increase in the sport of triathlon both at the amateur and professional level, she said many women still feel self-conscious about starting an exercise program and participating in events. "I want to be the conduit to their initiation."
She also wants women to know that at age 40 and beyond, it's never too late to get faster and better.
"Age should not be a deterrent to involvement in sports," she said. "The sky is limit in terms of what the body can do if we train it properly."
For more inspiration from Joanna, follow her blog where she writes about the trials and tribulations of an athletic lifestyle. Over the next few months, she said they will be adding guest writers and instructional videos.
Meanwhile, check out what this woman accomplished with her fitness!
