Annoying or inspiring for middle-aged women?

Now that the Super Bowl and its halftime show are behind us, let's take a number of minutes to reflect on what Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's stellar performances mean for ladies in midlife.

Are J.Lo and Shakira, 50 and 43 respectively, an inspiration to women, or do they set the bar so high that regular, middle-aged women feel they need to just throw within the towel and quit?

While the world focused on his looks and whether his performances objectified women and were “very sexy”. For prime time, I believe there are more interesting and compelling issues elsewhere.

I mean, yes, each women looked beautiful but she's also an expert actress with a whole team dedicated to costumes, hair and makeup, and even with that team, she took them. 10 hours to prepare.

And their looks are a part of why they're so successful in the primary place. It should come as no surprise that each women looked extraordinary.

On the objection front, the ladies authored their very own show, including the selection of costumes. And it's not just like the cheerleaders were wearing bathing suits. Is it possible that there is barely one? A touch of racism in these criticisms?

What does 50 seem like?

gave It had to be said On J.Lo's body shape: “Well, on Sunday Ms. Lopez showed the world what 50 looks like — at least her version of it.”

But it's not nearly looks. I believe we will all differentiate between individuals who make a living like J.Lo and Shakira and people of us with other careers that don't involve performing in front of tens of millions of individuals.

Instead, as a long-time scholar of feminism, I believe what's really interesting is that J.Lo and Shakira are a part of a trend of super-fit women who're taking their physical fitness into midlife and beyond. Maintains.

The possibilities for what we will do in our 40s, 50s and 60s have modified. It is inspiring and sends a positive message to women that isn't in any respect visible but of strength and resilience.

There was a time when it was assumed that after 40, it was all downhill for ladies physically – in spite of everything, the childbearing years are largely a thing of the past. But that's just not true.

A friend of mine recently shared photos of her aunts of their youth, and of their 40s and 50s, dressed like churchgoing grandmothers, complete with beads and hats. These days, women of that age are probably wearing running tights and matching race cut singlets.

Older women are taking on the running.

Older women are, in truth, managing the running community and as a gaggle. The population of the fastest growing generation. Women in their 40s are also running 20-plus marathons faster.based on running app Strava.

When my partner Tracy Isaacs and I wrote our book. we keep hearing stories of female athletes taking serious steps into competition of their 40s.

For example, Kristen Armstrong didn't start cycling competitively until she was 27 and won a few of her Olympic gold medals at 43. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time world champion and winner of six US national championships.

And then there's Canada's Lori-Ann Munzer, who entered the 2004 Olympics at age 38 and won gold on the track.

At the older end, there are numerous impressive senior residents, including 89-year-old triathlete Sister Madonna Bader, nicknamed the Iron Nun.

Bader has competed in greater than 340 triathlons and 45 Full Ironmans, which involve swimming nearly 4 kilometers, biking 180 kilometers and running greater than 42 kilometers.

If lifting is more your thing than endurance sports, you possibly can look to Ernestine Shepherd for inspiration. She is an American bodybuilder best known for being the world's oldest competitive female bodybuilder at one time.

At 83, Shepherd now not competes but she still trains each day.

There can be Olga Kotelka, a Canadian track and field athlete. Kotelko holds greater than 30 world records and has won greater than 750 gold medals in his 90-95 age category for Masters competition.

She died in 2014 on the age of 95.

Actors and sportsmen

But back to JLo and Shakira.

These women are artists who've a wealth of creativity and placed on a tremendous show. They are also dancers and athletes, and we will appreciate what they'll do about how they give the impression of being and what they wear.

As I watched J.Lo glide across the stage and jump and dance again, it was like watching Olympic athletes perform at their peak during competition. That J.Lo can still perform at this level at 50 gives hope to all of us who wish to proceed to perform at our greatest — into midlife and beyond.

These great performers shouldn't stop women from throwing up their hands and exercising any greater than Olympic cyclists should encourage us to stop riding our bikes.

Personally, I'm impressed by it. J.Lo's Workout Routine And I'm hoping each he and Shakira proceed to perform for a very long time to come back.