One look at Kim Lyons, celebrity fitness trainer, nutrition coach, mater-certified personal trainer of 24 years, and former Biggest Loser trainer, and you can tell that clean nutrition and regular exercise are staples in her life. Her skin glows and her physique is an example of strength. Over the years, Lyon’s nutrition and exercise programs have been featured on Dr Oz, The Today Show, Larry King Live, The Doctors, and dozens of magazines worldwide. “I feel so blessed to help others look and feel amazing,” says Lyons.
However, the celebrity fitness trainer wasn’t always the pinnacle of health. Years ago, while working at the front desk of a gym, Lyons was 30 pounds overweight and knew very little about fitness. This was the time when a personal trainer at Lyons job, offered Lyon the chance to split the cost and training session with his existing client.
“The gal that I shared the session with was a fitness competitor. I didn’t have any idea what the competitions were all about, but after watching her diet down for a show, I was 100% on board,” recalls Lyons. And the rest is history. Lyons shed those 30 pounds, earned her pro card, and began working full-time as a sponsored athlete.
From there Kim Lyons went to the National Academy of Sports Medicine to get certified as a trainer. “I wanted to transform lives like my first trainer transformed mine!”
Fast forward to today and Lyons shares her fitness, nutrition, and beauty tips with the world. Today, she shares how she stays youthful and fit in her 50s while avoiding pressure from the media, diet fads, and other unhealthy methods of staying in shape.
The Neverending Pressure for Women to Look Young
There’s a reason women look up to Kim Lyons: She steers them away from unhealthy thoughts surrounding their bodies and offers them sound advice for aging gracefully and staying in shape.
“The pressure on women to look young stems from a complex combination of societal, cultural, and historical factors. Media, including advertisements, movies, TV shows, and magazines, often portray youthful women as the standard of beauty,” shares Lyons, and she feels this creates a narrow definition of attractiveness that emphasizes smooth skin, slender bodies, and other attributes associated with youth.
“Plus, the prevalence of social media contributes to a culture of comparison and women may feel pressure to measure up to the youthful images they see online even though these images are heavily filtered and altered.” Unfortunately, this can foster insecurities and a desire to remain forever young.
To combat this never-ending cycle, Lyons provides her top tips to keep your skin, body, and nutrition on point minus the guilt, pressure, unhealthy methods, and unrealistic expectations.
Adjusting Your Skincare and Fitness Routine As You Age
“Tailoring healthcare and skincare routines to different life stages is essential for overall well-being,” says Lyon, and shares she’s never been so thankful for her knowledge of health and fitness as she enters her 50s.
Here, Kim Lyons shares how to healthily adjust your wellness routines with each coming decade.
The 20s
- Establish a Routine: When it comes to overall healthcare, the 20s are a time to establish a foundation of healthy habits. Prioritize regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep.
- Learn Family History: It’s never too early to learn about your family health history and be sure to get annual check-ups and screenings to catch any potential issues early. Even if you are healthy, it’s good to have these checkups to have a good baseline to refer back to each decade.
- Preventative Skincare: In your 20’s, focus on prevention. Develop a skincare routine that includes cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection. Incorporate antioxidants and establish a habit of daily sunscreen use to prevent sun damage.
- Focus on Clean Ingredients in Your Products: Don’t overdo it with too many products; instead, focus on good, clean ingredients in your cleanser, moisturizers, and sunscreen. Lyons loves La Roche Posay sunscreen.
- Pay Attention to Skin Issues: If you struggle with skin issues, Lyons recommends looking at the sugar and dairy in your diet and consider cutting back or eliminating it. Lyons shares she struggled with acne, and not one doctor recommended she focus on her diet resulting in spending years on heavy medications that didn’t work, however, her skin completely cleared up when she changed her diet.
- Keep in Mind: “Food truly is medicine and it can also be poison when it’s over-processed. Establish good habits in the 20’s and your body will thrive in the decades to come,” Lyons shares.
The 30’s:
“The 30’s are not as forgiving as the 20’s and often bring on a lot of transitions, such as marriage, divorce, career changes, childbirth, etc. Life transitions, both good and bad, tend to be a time when people put on weight,” says Lyons, placing the importance to continue forming healthy habits.
Strength Train: Incorporating strength training to maintain muscle mass and bone density is the most important thing you can do in your 30’s. Lyons also recommends short spurts of high intensity to help boost human growth hormone because it naturally declines in the 30s.
- Stress Management: Regular stress management and mental health practices are also crucial as the 30s can bring on more responsibility and life demands.
- Skincare: This is the time to start incorporating “anti-aging” products, such as retinol, keeping the ingredients clean and natural.
Your 40s
- Avoid Long-Duration Workouts: Regular exercise should remain a priority in the 40s; however, hormones change during this decade of your life, and Lyons doesn’t recommend long, intense workouts that can stress the body out and increase cortisol levels. The emphasis should be on flexibility, strength training, and a nutrient-dense diet that supports bone health and metabolism.
- Up Your Protein: Focus on protein in the 40s to help support muscle and avoid muscle loss, and Lyons feels too many people are following outdated diet information.
Check out Lyons’ 5-Step Diet Makeover for a quick easy update.
- Skincare: Lyons recommends Retinol as it’s especially important to address fine lines and wrinkles- it’s gentle and won’t irritate sensitive skin.
The 50s
“The 50s are all about working smarter, not harder; the days of getting away with unhealthy habits are gone,’ says Lyons.
- Walking and Weights: Now is the time to double down on walking and weights while focusing on joint health and flexibility.
- Focus on gut Health: Nutrient absorption may decrease, so gut health becomes a priority. Adding in various vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats while reducing starches and processed foods becomes very important for overall health.
Glow Up with Kim Lyons Bonus Skincare Tips
- Hydration For the Win: Hydration remains crucial for healthy-looking skin. Lyons recommends looking for products that provide intense moisture and opting for treatments that promote skin tightening and collagen production, such as laser therapy or microneedling.
- Don’t Forget to Exfoliate: Exfoliate weekly, but don’t overdo it with daily scrubs as it can irritate the skin.
Stress management, mental health, and maintaining a positive body image are essential throughout all stages. “As we get older, we must remember to do things we love and not get caught up in the day-to-day tasks that can suck the life out of us,’ says Lyons.
“Some people might wrongly assume that age automatically means a decline in health and vitality. It’s crucial to challenge these stereotypes and promote the idea that health and wellness are achievable at any age through proper nutrition, exercise, a self-care.”
Simply put, At every age, take care of your body; Eat clean foods, lift weights, and move. Your body will thank you!