Let’s talk about aging.
We have all heard someone say or we’ve said it ourselves: “As I get older I can’t get rid of this extra fat. My metabolism just isn’t what it used to be”.
Read this article and reveal this myth now!
Here’s the bad news, according to research by Journal of Applied Physiology in 1998, our resting metabolic rate (calories needed to keep the body functioning) goes from an average of 1500 calories to 1200 calories from age 25 to 65. Yeah, as we get older it doesn’t look good based on those numbers.
Cheer up! Here’s the good news. During that same time period we tend to lose about 20 pounds of lean mass. How is that good news? Well, lean muscle mass is crucial to maintain a healthy metabolism. Therefore, drop in mass during the same time frame as a drop in metabolism would indicate that the slowing metabolic rate happens due to lifestyle changes as opposed to aging itself. In other words if we are able to build and maintain lean mass in the body as we age, we can maintain a healthy metabolic rate. If we maintain a healthy metabolic rate we can avoid much of the excess body fat that seems to be age related.
Muscle and metabolism
By preserving muscle mass as we age, we preserve a healthy metabolism. But how? Muscle is very metabolically active. Thus, the more lean mass we have the more our body works to provide ATP – the chemical that provides the body’s energy. The more ATP is needed, the more efficiently body metabolizes the nutrients we take in. This efficient healthy metabolism helps us keep off the extra body fat that we like to blame on aging.
Lifestyle and aging
Clearly, the key to keeping off those extra pounds we tend to gain as we age is to preserve lean mass. This means regularly engaging in exercise that is intense enough to build muscle as well as increase our heart rate. Unfortunately, as we get older we become busy with other things besides staying physically active. This less active lifestyle leads to a slowing metabolism which leads to extra body fat. This cycle makes it easy to see why one may think a slowing metabolism is age-related even though it doesn’t have to be this way. We must take time out of our busy lives to take care of ourselves.
It seems that as we “grow up” we tend to become preoccupied with what we feel as the most important thing in life. But whatever else we pursue in life our well-being must be a top priority. After all, without our health it is much more difficult to enjoy anything else life has to offer.
The bottom line is we must make time to ensure physical at an appropriate intensity is a regular component in our life. How much and how often? Those aspects depend on your individual circumstances. By enlisting help of someone trained to review your personal situation you can be well on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Such lifestyle includes a balance of exercise and nutrition suited to fit your needs and goals.
