Maybe this has happened to you already…and if it hasn’t, there’s a good chance it will at some point!
One day, seemingly out of the blue, your pants don’t button up as easily, or you notice that the scale creeps up faster than it used to.
AND…it’s much harder than it used to be to get those pants to fit the way they once did (or return the scale to its former spot).
It’s not your imagination! The truth is our metabolism naturally slows down as we get older.
It happens at different paces and different times for each of us, but I do have some positive news for you. There are things you can do to offset it.
And the sooner you start, the better!
Over the next 3 weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the top reasons your metabolism starts to slow and outline a few key things you can do to keep your metabolism revved up, even as you age.
The first thing that affects your metabolism is your activity level. This may seem obvious, but it’s actually quite a sneaky one, because you might not actually notice you’re moving less each day!
How active you are each day (including your workouts and your normal activities of daily living) makes up about 10% to 30% of your daily calorie burn. Very active people can actually burn up to half their daily calories from activity!
BUT…studies show that as we get older, we tend to move less, both in terms of exercise AND our general daily living.
More than 25% of people over 50 don’t exercise, and by the time we reach 75, that number jumps to more than 35%.
Plus, studies show we also move less in general, burning almost 30% fewer calories through non-exercise activity.
There is a way to avoid that slowdown!
A study comparing women aged 21-35 with women ages 50-72 showed that when the older women engaged in regular exercise, they avoided the dreaded age-related metabolic slowdown.
→ The takeaway: Start a regular exercise habit you enjoy NOW, and find active hobbies! If you’re not doing much now, start slow and set a fun goal.
One of our members began by committing to doing 10 rounds of stairs in her home each day. Now, she’s up to 20 and feeling amazing!
Activities like going for walks in the neighborhood or at a local trail, swimming in Lake Michigan, or trying out a class at Valeo purposely designed to keep your metabolism elevated all add up to good habits that will set a strong foundation for continued movement as you get older.
How might you fit in some more daily movement this week?
We’re cheering you on!
Jess & Team Valeo