There is little dispute over the fact that in a general sense metabolism slows down and muscle mass declines as people age. Don’t take that to mean your metabolism can’t be sped up and you muscle mass can’t be increased as you age, merely that your potential for each declines. You’ll have to work ever harder just to maintain muscle mass and metabolism as you age.
While there is a lot of research being put into ways of medically stimulating metabolism and muscle mass, progress is slow. Research into the causes of aging has been going on even longer, but with few hints about how to slow it down. Meanwhile, it is up to each individual to do what it takes to maximize health.
The Keys to Health
The factors behind health remain the same at any age, they just must be applied in different ways. In other words, no matter how old you are, eating healthy foods in moderation and exercising in moderation are the keys to health. As you get older, it is very important to do everything under the guidance of your doctor to help ensure that your exercise plans conform to the goal of moderation.
When it comes to exercise, the goal is typically an hour long workout six days per week. As you age, non-impact workouts are preferable. Listen carefully to your body. Temporary muscle pains in the days following a new workout or a new intensity are normal. Severe or acute joint pains are not normal. Re-examine any exercise or workout that causes such pain.
As you get older, the dietary mistakes of your youth start to collect their dues. But, it is still not too late to get positive results from dietary changes. While the dietary mistakes of your youth may not show symptoms until you’re older, the dietary mistakes you make as you age have much more immediate impacts. You must use all of the discipline you’ve developed over the years to engage a healthy diet as a regular habit.
How to Maximize Your Health
In order to maximize your health, you need to stop eating processed sugars and trans fats. You need to limit your intake of saturated fats. You don’t have to go on any sort of extreme substance elimination diet, merely eat in a way that focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. This will ensure you keep your nutrient levels high. You may also need special supplements that your doctor may recommend to you for your age group and lifestyle.
In addition to your regular exercise time, you should seek to integrate regular movement into your daily activities. Most people fit the definition of sedentary by the age of 65 even if they’re on an exercise program, merely because the bulk of the day is spent inactive. It is not good to spend too much time in a position. Walk around, stretch out, and make variety a priority. This should keep both your mind and body fresh.
Strength training is more and more important as you age. Young adults can be healthy merely by virtue of aerobic activity, but older individuals must have weight bearing exercises in order to prevent atrophy. Further, weight training may be safer for the elderly than heavy cardiovascular exercise.
Basically, if you want to remain vital as you age, you need to become more active, not less. But always remember moderation and take your time building up your fitness level.
Related articles
- No Fat Loss Success without Muscle Growth (herfitnesshut.com)
- Don’t Count the Pounds: Why Muscle Mass Is Important (fitsugar.com)
