I am forever hearing different tips about the best ways to lose weight, the best ways to tone up, what exercises I should be doing to achieve different goals, but how do we know if any of these things we hear are true? Over the next few weeks I am going to solve some of the fitness myths for you so you can forget about all the nonsense that is spread around and so that you know exactly what to do to get in shape the right way.
Fitness Myth #1 – As you age you gain fat.
There’s a common myth that as you age gaining fat becomes unavoidable. This simply isn’t true – the reason you gain fat is because your metabolism has slowed down due to a lack of exercise and bad diet choices. Most people think that gaining weight and getting older go hand in hand, but the reason we gain weight isn’t just about getting older, it’s about how our habits change. Many of us gain weight because we:
- Become more sedentary
- Don’t lift weights to maintain muscle mass
- Eat more calories even as metabolism slows down
While there are some elements we can’t control, most of the weight gain that comes with aging can be avoided with a little exercise. The main reason for muscle loss (which lowers metabolism) is that we often spend way too much sitting – we sit at work, we sit when we watch TV and we sit when we play around on the computer. If we spend too much time doing that when we’re younger, it’s that much harder to stop doing that when we get older. It follows that being active (and lifting weights) will help preserve your muscle and increase your bone density while maintaining a higher metabolism. Here is a basic approach to staying or getting fit.
Staying Active Is The Best Way To Keep The Weight Off!
- Cardio Exercise: Choose any activity you enjoy (or think you might enjoy with some practice) like swimming, walking or cycling and try to do that activity at least 3 days a week. Start with what you can handle and gradually add time each week until you can do 30 minutes of continuous activity. Even a casual game or tennis our round of golf is a great way to get some extra cardio in!
- Lift weights: Strength training may be one of the most important parts of your exercise program. You’ll build muscle and strength while also working on important areas like balance, stability and flexibility – all things that tend to decline with age. Ladies, DO NOT worry about bulking up. I promise it won’t happen and that’s something we will be going over in the coming weeks.
- Watch Your Eating Habits: One of the most important things to watch for is your portion sizes when eating. As you age, you don’t need as much food as you did when you were young and developing. In most cases, people eat just as much as they did when they were younger (if not more!) and this leads to weight gain.
- Be realistic. As you get older, the body starts to because less responsive due to a slower metabolism and lower hormonal levels. As a result it will take longer to lose weight and improve muscle tone, so consistency is the key – getting your workouts in and eating as healthfully as possible. Do that and your body will respond in its own time.
If you find it hard to start or stick with an exercise program, motivate yourself by remembering what you do for your health when you exercise: you feel better, you look better, you reduce your chances of heart disease and diabetes and, best of all, you’re doing what your body was meant for: moving around. If you need help to get started, feel from to fill out the consult form on our webpage to see how we can help you!
