Getting started with exercise is a fun and exciting time. We can’t help but daydream of the fantastic results we’ll achieve, and we want to get started as soon as we can.
But exercise can also be frustrating and confusing, especially as we get older.
With that in mind, let’s go over exercise for women over forty, what to look for, how to get started, and why it is never late to take the first step.
The Adverse Effects of Leading a Sedentary Life
Many people treat physical activity as optional, but this is far from the truth. Exercise is mandatory because leading a sedentary lifestyle leads to all sorts of health problems. For one, not moving enough causes weight gain, which increases the risk of metabolic disease, heart problems, depression, anxiety, and low confidence. Leading a sedentary life is also linked to reduced physical abilities, dependence on others, and a greater risk of falling.
We don’t typically notice these effects while we are young. But many sedentary women experience a significantly lower quality of life once they pass the age of 40 or 50. All of a sudden, all the years of sedentary living catch up, snowballing into significant health issues.
Start With This:
Leading an active #lifestyle is essential, but every woman can benefit from starting with better nutritional habits first. Chewing more slowly, buying more unprocessed foods, and drinking more water are all simple things you can implement into your life, starting today.
Adopting such habits is beneficial for two reasons. First, improving your nutrition brings health benefits. You start feeling better, you lose some weight, and you boost your confidence. That alone is huge.
Second, eating better often motivates you to start #exercising. The two go hand-in-hand, and everyone who eats better intuitively wants to move more.
The best thing about eating better is that these habits take time to establish but get easy to maintain after that. You eventually reach a point where eating healthy isn’t an option, but the only thing you do. If you need an inspiration, take a look at my meal plans.
The Truth About Our Metabolism, Physical Activity, and Aging
You’ve probably heard that it gets increasingly difficult to lose weight as we get older. There is a lot of truth to this idea because our metabolic rate declines after reaching thirty. It’s difficult to say how much our #metabolism declines, but experts suggest that the figure is around ten percent. Our metabolic rate seems to go down another ten percent after the age of sixty, making it even more challenging to get in shape.
One potential reason for these effects is that we move less as we get older, which reduces our non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). As a result, we burn fewer calories. Another potential reason is that women lose their muscle mass with age. This is problematic because muscle is metabolically costly. Meaning, the body expends calories every day to maintain it (i.e., our metabolism is healthier). Plus, muscle makes us more functional, improves how we look, and allows us to burn extra calories in our training.
So, what’s the solution to all of this?
#Physical activity. We need to maintain a habit of moving because that is the best way to keep muscle mass and support our metabolic function well into our forties, fifties, and beyond. The best part is that you don’t have to do a specific type of training. You can do cardio, lift weights, dance, play sports, or do something else you enjoy. Struggling to find right exercises for you? I have this covered - join my online community for women over the age of 50 and reach visible results within months with my guidance.