Weight Loss Over 40
People are living longer and it is said that 40 is no longer middle age but still part of your youth, however, there are some facts that can still make you look and feel older than your age, especially when it comes to losing weight.
Playing sport and keeping active may have taken their toll on your body, especially if you have been carrying extra weight all along. You may feel a little slower or stiffer than you used to. Our metabolism also slows as we get older, so we use less energy in our day to day living. But our diets may not change to take account of this slow-down. And that means weight creeps on each year. The older we get, the harder losing weight becomes. At 40, 50 and 60 years of age and older, our bodies don’t burn off the weight as easily. We may also have slowed down and reduced our activities for different reasons, such as health or other responsibilities. It’s not possible to eat like a 20 year old, while exercising like a senior if you want to lose weight. If you are serious about losing weight, talk to your medical adviser to make sure any diet you choose is safe for you.
There are also exercises you can do to help you lose weight faster or look trimmer.
Weight Training
Muscle uses more energy than fat. If you increase your muscle mass, you speed up your metabolism. Weight training not only builds muscle (and no, women do NOT bulk out) it makes you look trimmer. How? Muscle takes up less space in your body than fat (it’s denser) so you look slimmer, even if you have not lost weight. Amazing but TRUE.
Get your hormones checked
As we get older our hormones may reduce, which can cause weight gain. Get your thyroid and other hormone levels checked. Getting the levels set right again can help with weight loss.
Find Joint Friendly Exercise
Choose exercise that doesn’t hurt your joints. If exercise causes you pain in your joints or elsewhere, it can turn you off exercise completely. There are many joint-friendly exercises, so find something that suits you. If you can access a swimming pool, you get a great workout from water resistance without hurting your joints and it can even improve your range of movement. Walking, dancing, cycling and yoga are all great forms of exercise for your heart as well as being joint friendly.