It shocks the world when we see a 55-year old with a slender and muscular body. We are accustomed to seeing men and women lose tone and gain weight as we get older, especially around the tummy.
Why is that? Why isn’t it normal to see a woman who is active and always looks after what she eats as with six-pack?
Besides the obvious reasons, like pregnancy and lactation, where it is normal and healthy to gain a certain amount of weight, there are many reasons why people, though especially women, tend to slowly gain weight as we age.
Metabolism is slowing down
As we age, we need less energy to grow and develop. As a result, our calorie needs reduce, but we don’t usually reduce the amount we eat in accordingly.
Hormone Changes
Menopause in women causes significant hormonal changes. Around menopause, the amount of progesterone in the body decreases, and the amount of estrogen in the body increases. Estrogen promotes energy storage in the form of fat. Talk to your doctor about hormone therapy if you think this might be an issue.
Less muscle mass
Muscle in our body helps to increase metabolism. As we age, a process called sarcopenia. This process is accelerated if we don’t to exercise in your later years. Stay active, and do explicit strength training to prevent muscle mass loss.
Sedentary lifestyle
As we age, we are less likely to be assigned job positions that require us to be out and about. Instead, we probably spend hours on end at the desk, moving very little throughout the day. We are so mentally exhausted by the time we get home, we likely lie on the couch and watch T.V. or read rather than move around. Again, talk to your nearest gym and see who is specialized in adult exercise training.
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Remember that it is unrealistic to expect that our bodies will remain the same throughout out lifetimes. This isn’t expected or necessarily healthy. Your body should change, but it should be healthy throughout different stages of life. Part of that is to have regular hormonal checkups and stay active.
