Slow Metabolism to Blame?
I came across a very relevant article in the January 2022 ACE Certified Issue I thought to share. ACE is the governing body that certifies personal trainers and they put out amazing content every month for us trainers.
The title of the article: Is a slower metabolism really to blame for middle aged weight gain?
Quick summary of the ACE article:
According to a new study from the peer-reviewed Science Journal our metabolism really doesn’t change from age 20 to 60, and even after 60, your metabolism declines only 0.7% per year.
So what is the cause for our weight gain as we age? Well…it’s multi-factorial.
Two main culprits:
1. we move less
2. we lose muscle mass
We Move Less:
As we get older we tend to move our bodies less. Some of that is normal, I definitely don’t train as long or as hard as I did in my 20s and 30s, so naturally I can’t eat as much as I did back then. As a society we don’t realize that our bodies need at least 30-60 minutes of daily intentional movement: bike ride, walk/hike, stretching sequence, Pilates mat workout, strength workout, etc.
We Lose Muscle Because We Don’t Challenge Them:
If muscle burns more calories than fat does, we want to keep our muscle mass long term. Plus, the more muscle you have, the stronger you are. Walking stairs is easier, carrying extra grocery bags is doable, walking the dog is quicker, etc. We preserve and increase our muscle by resistance training. Any movement that challenges our muscles is technically resistance training, and the options are vast.
My fave? You guessed it! Pilates Equipment sessions. I love the feeling of challenging my muscles using spring resistance. I also love a good Athletic Barre or Sculpt strength class using light to medium hand weights (3lbs to 12lbs is my norm) and medium strength resistance bands with higher reps. I prefer these methods over others because I gain lean muscle mass without tiring my joints. My muscles and joints feel worked, but not over taxed, so my body feels good after. It’s an intelligent way to exercise.
Age related weight gain is multi-factorial because our stress levels, our nutritional intake, and our sleep patterns also play a role. To read the full article head to the ACE website. Check out the Science Journal study too!
