Enhancing Wellness While Aging: Is Weight Gain Inevitable as We Age?
It’s often said that gaining weight is virtually unavoidable as we get older, but is that really true? The facts are not encouraging. Currently between the ages of 25 and 65 people gain one pound of weight per year. But, they also lose ½ pound of lean tissue every year. This means they have actually gained 1.5 pounds of fat per year. So over a 40-year period, the average American gains 60 pounds of fat while losing 20 pounds of lean mass, a very unhealthy combination.
If we’re concerned about aging wellness, the good news is that this is not inevitable. We need to be aware of how our lifestyles shift over the years and make the necessary adjustments. Younger adults tend to be engaged in activities that keep them moving such as playing sports, raising children, and completing projects around the home. These activities shift as we age – our children grow up and leave home, our incomes rise so we hire outside help, and we attend social events rather than participate in sports. Being less active means we must consume fewer calories, an unpopular option for most people, if we are to avoid weight gain. What’s the answer for aging wellness? Look for ways to stay active and maintain muscular strength to keep your metabolism high. Experts have found that the major element in enabling older adults to be independent is maintaining their muscular strength, so don’t overlook strength training in your exercise program.
This site is written by Joanne Deck, CWC of Nurture You.
August 14 2008 05:02 pm | aging wellness and baby boomer fitness and baby boomer health and boomer fitness and boomer health and boomer wellness and elderly exercise and senior diet and senior exercise and senior health