Yes this is a common situation as we age. Most people just think “it’s a part of getting old” But it doesn’t have to be.
So why does this happen?
The main reason we start to put on weight as we get older is due to the fact that our metabolism starts to slow down. Metabolism starts to slow because usually as we age muscle mass decreases. Muscle mass decreases due to less movement, and also because of a change in hormones. As we age hormones such as estrogen, testosterone start to decrease.
Yes this is a natural part of the aging process but that doesn’t mean we just throw in the towel. It just means we have to work harder.
What Can We Do?
We have to really pay close attention to the other areas of our life. Not just exercise. Don’t get me wrong proper exercise will drastically slow down the aging process (specifically weight training). The more muscle we can put in the bank the better quality of life we will have. Not to mention the increase in bone density, balance, and flexibility. Obviously all these are extremely helpful as we age.
Let’s talk about nutrition. I mean really dialing in on what we put into our bodies. We definitely can’t get away with eating the same shit we used to in our 20s. We need to ensure we are getting enough protein to build new muscle and hold on to the muscle we have. We need to eat clean complex carbohydrates that will provide us with sustainable energy but not store as fat. We need to eat enough good fats to aid in brain function and joint health. And of course we need our veggies and fruits to keep us away from disease and illness.
We also need to focus on quality sleep. Those days of surviving off of 4 hrs of sleep are over. We heal, restore, and grow (meaning new muscle) when we sleep.
Our hormone levels regulate with proper sleep and I already talked about what hormones are doing as we age.
Lastly we need to avoid unnecessary stress. Stress releases a lot of not so good hormones such as cortisol. Too much cortisol is no bueno when it comes to our health. For the most part I think we do pretty good in this area. I think as we age we start to realize what’s truly important to us and usually nonsense isn’t a part of the equation. But still, let’s take a close look at our life and see if we can shed any unnecessary stress that is probably speeding up the aging process, not slowing it down.
Take away from all this. DON’T accept the aging process. There is so much we can do to continue improving health and fitness well into our 80s and 90s. We can continue doing the things that we love for a very long time. If you aren’t sure how, just click HERE. We will get a game plan together right away.Â
Best
Coach Marcel
