My Life In A Plan – The 404040 Plan

Where Did It Start?

You may have seen my recent hashtags on Social Media #404040 and wondered, what? 40 40 what?

So I thought I would explain this sequence of numbers. Welcome to my 404040 Plan – 40 recipes and 40 exercises over 40 Days. Its a plan that I have been working on for the last 12 months, and what an eventful 12 months it has been.

Firstly lets rewind 12 months to where it all began…

I was sat at my computer researching some health and fitness information that I needed for a blog. My mind started to wander and drift to a different subject matter – online workout plans. More specifically, ‘workout plans for the over 40s or the over 50s. I was curious. I expected to stumble upon lots of different plans for this huge segment of our population but I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was hardly anything on offer, or anything of any quality.

Am I the only one?

As a woman of 50 (it still feels weird for me to say that as I certainly don’t feel 50) I don’t think of myself as past it or over the hill. Sure I may have a few more wrinkles but I’m not old, am I? For sure I’m not past the point of wanting to shape up and look good, so why wasn’t there an array of plans on offer for me or for people in my age group? Surely If I was googling online plans for the over 40s I couldn’t be the only one…

My blog could wait for now as I was becoming very intrigued with this subject matter. Where were the on line plans for the 40+ market? Were they hidden in some cryptic clue that I couldn’t find. Did you need to join some sort of club to be able to see them? The Masons Perhaps? Boycies Masonic Lodge?

Shall I Stand Here While You Burpee?

Sure there are a gazillion health and fitnessplans out there, but (and this is a Big BUT) not one of them catered specifically for the 40+ market. Of course they all claimed to work for all age groups with statements such as “This Plan Caters For All Ages And Abilities” but when I looked deeper at what was actually on offer, it didn’t cater for the 40+ market at all. Instead all you got was this…

“If your knees are weak, or you have problems with your knees, leave this exercise”

ohh thanks for that love

“If your back or wrists hurt, come back to us when you feel better”

Er Excuse Me? Any alternative exercises or variations? No. Just rest. Okay, thanks for your Expert help, NOT.

“Age Is Just A Number You Can Join Us, Lets Jog”

Replied a 20 Something Girl in Hot pants. Jog On Love

“You could always choose a different option if you don’t like burpees, Follow Sally – She’s Doing The Easy Option”

Sally smiles and hardly moves. Thanks for that patronising quote. No offence Sally, but I’m starting to feel very inadequate that I can’t do the ‘proper’ exercise. I’m not sure I like Sally. Sally and me might not be friends. Sally is 26.

Step Away From The Hiit

Sally did not understand my needs. She couldn’t. She didn’t know that my body had changed since I had kids – I still have a wrinkling on my tummy that will never go, but hey that’s just part of me now. I’m a mum.

She also didn’t know what it felt like to have achy joints and not feel comfy working out in hot pants (actually I have never really been a hot pants workout type of girl, too much riding up and gathering for my liking). So I asked the question again, this time out load. WHERE ARE THE 40+ PLANS represented by 40+ people?

Now here’s the thing. I am fit and strong and Its important to me to look after myself. But I don’t want to be doing hiit routines all the time, which is the trend at the moment for getting fit. Hiits are hard on the joints if performed on a regular basis. So not an ideal plan for me.

I also don’t want to pound the streets for hours on end only to end up with ice packs on my sore knees. I don’t really want to follow the “20 something girls” on line either, they don’t represent me, even if they say they do. They represent Sally. But I want to exercise and I want to workout and I want to be fit. So where do I go?

Get Out of The Way I’m Lunging

I decided to try one more search. This time I stumbled upon the Repetition Plan, actually it wasn’t called that but it should be. Endless repetitions of exercises with 20 something girls jumping around in the snow or on the beach, with silly grins on their faces – oh yes and wearing their hot pants.

‘Just Repeat these Exercises 78 thousand times” said the instructor. How many? er no thank you.

I switched off after I saw X50 appear on the screen. Who wants to do 50+ squats or 50 walking lunges? My lounge isn’t big enough for a trail of 50 lunges and I have yet to meet a 40+ person, or any person come to that, that wants to do 50 + squats in every workout. Neither do they want to lunge around the house like some mad woman shouting “get out of my way I’m lunging”

Lightbulb Moment

I looked up from my computer and turned to my husband who was sipping a cuppa at the time, and I said “Why Are There No Plans Our There For The Over 40s and 50s? Why are we Invisible?” He looked up at me and said. “You need to change that then. Why not do your own? You look amazing at 50. You always get asked about what You do to stay In shape, so tell people and help people.” Ahh a Lightbulb Moment. Thanks Hubby.

He was right. I would create my own online plan. I would open up my life and share all the exercises that I follow to stay in shape and that had kept me injury free for 30 years. The stuff I do that has helped me to be in the best shape of my life at 50.

I will also share all the recipes and foods that I go to every week, that my family have followed for over 20 years to stay healthy.

It was time to fill the gap in the market for us ‘oldies” (don’t you just love that term, I bet Sally come up with it) and offer something that was appropriate for our age group – no hiits, no burpees and no 50+ repetitions. Just a plan that was easy to follow and that is always effective.

Look At Me, Look At Me

It’s hard for me to open up and share my secrets, but I am in good shape. I do work hard and it’s not easy keeping fit but nothing worth having ever is easy, right? And I am very proud to say that I feel in the best shape of my life at 50. I am body confident which in turns gives me confidence on a day to day basis. Why shouldn’t all women and all men feel that to? Why shouldn’t we able to be in the best shape of our lives at 40 or 50 or 60?

We are not over the hill. Our adventures are not over. We still want to look good and feel good don’t we? We don’t want to be treated as an elderly person, no thank you very much. And you can stuff your patronising smiling 20 somethings with their hot pants and unwrinkled bellies telling me how I can look like them. I can’t look like them. I’m 50. But I can still look good can’t I?

Usher In The 404040

So there you have it. The 404040 Plan is almost ready. My life in a plan. A Plan with no gimmicks, no fads, no burpees, no lunging around the house like a crazy person. Instead what you have are guided video exercises that are easy to follow and that will make a difference to your body, that will look after your body while you work it.  Add in simple, delicious, easy to source and prepare recipes for you and the whole family to enjoy at the same time.

This is a plan that doesn’t tell you when to eat and doesn’t ask you to source a rare ingredient in the middle of London. This plan doesn’t patronise you or make you feel inadequate or make your joints hurt.

My 404040 Plan looks after you. Its a plan that fits around you and your life. Finally a plan that caters for the mature generation.

This plan is my life. I can’t wait for you to try it. You can find more details of the plan and register for an special reduced introductory rate HERE https://www.facebook.com/404040plan  The #404040 Plan launches December 26th

I hope you see you soon!

About Niki Wibrow

Niki is a fitness, health, and yoga expert specialising in helping ladies and men over the age of 40 and 50 to look and feel great through innovative and personalised exercise plans. Niki is a regular contributor to many TV and Radio Shows, and has worked with major brands such as Netflix and Matalan launching unique workout programmes for real people. Her celebrity workout DVDs are sold in excess of 500,000 copies to date.

Check out Nikis other blog posts HERE https://www.nikiwibrow.co.uk