Don’t Blame Your Age and Metabolism for Gaining Weight

I have heard countless stories from people who claim that getting older has caused them to gain weight. They love to tell me how they were great athletes in their 20’s and are now in their 40’s, 50’s or 60’s and are overweight because their metabolism has slowed down. I completely disagree!

First of all, what is our metabolism? Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) that we burn during the day.  Can we boost our metabolism? Yes, studies have shown that we can boost our metabolism by increasing our muscle mass via strength training. Any type of strength training such as free weights, the strength machines at the gym or even some body weight exercises will increase our muscle mass.

While it may seem that our metabolism slows down as we age, does it really? Studies have shown that our hormone levels do change as we age in a way that may encourage weight gain particularly around the midsection. However, if you maintain your muscle mass throughout the years, you should burn calories the same way you did when you were younger and be able to maintain a healthy weight. So in addition to cardio and healthy eating, it is also important to do strength training to maintain that muscle mass.

I have applied these principals of healthy eating, staying active and doing strength training to my own life and as a result I am now 50 years old an have maintained my weight for 25 years.  If I can do it, so can you!! Remember, strength training = weight loss.

Rebecca LeSaffre is the owner of Lynnfield Boot Camp. She is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, a Fitness Nutrition Coach and a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. She is qualified to assess what types of exercises will be most beneficial for meeting personal fitness goals, while also helping assure that you use proper form for maximum results and injury prevention. You can contact her via her web site www.lynnfieldbootcamp.com