Are you finding it harder and harder to lose weight? Author of The No-gym Workout, personal fitness trainer Lucy Wyndham Read, explains how you can help yourself through every stage of your life
The reason you may find it harder to lose weight as you get older is down to changes in your basal metabolic rate (bmr). This drops by two per cent for every decade of your life. Also, you lose 3.2kg (7lbs) of lean body mass with every decade, which is replaced by fat. Therefore, as you get older you need to changed what you do to stay fit, slim and toned - you need to do more exercise to turn back the clock.
Metabolism by the decade
In your twenties
In your early twenties you naturally have more lean muscle and less fat, so your metabolic rate will be high. By your mid-twenties, if you're not exercising regularly - concentrated exercise, such as power walking, cycling or aerobics, say three times a week - muscle mass starts to decline. The muscle fibres deactivate, which slows down the basal metabolic rate, and the body's fat stores increase. However, staying in shape in your twenties can be easier than in your thirties or forties as you're more likely to have an active life with time available to spend on yourself.
In your thirties
The thirties can be a time of plateau in terms of body shape and self-attitude, as we become absorbed with children, home, career development - or all three. You may feel extraordinarily busy, but don't seem to be able to shape up as you naturally lose lean muscle and gain fat.
Extra weight tends to head for the hips on women, and we often try to run it all off or we focus purely on exercise that gets our bottoms moving in the hope of shifting weight. What's really needed, however, is toning exercises - not only because toning helps you to control your shape, but crucially because toning also helps to protect against osteoporosis. Begin (or continue) a programme in your thirties, and your body will be radically stronger by the time you reach your fifties.
In your forties
During your forties your bmr and digestive system start to slow down. Hormone fluctuation can arise at this time, particularly in the mid to late forties with the onset of menopause; again, bone density can be improved with regular toning exercises helping to prevent osteoporosis.
In addition, thyroid problems are more likely to arise during this decade. The thyroid gland in the neck helps to regulate the bmr. When it is not functioning properly, weight, energy levels, muscle strength, skin, hair and periods are affected. Too much thyroxine (the hormone produced by the thyroid) in the body can cause thyrotoxicosis, doubling the bmr. Too little thyroxine results in myxoedema, when the bmr may drop to 30-40 per cent below its normal rate. Because exercise speeds up the metabolic rate, it's helpful for those with an underactive thyroid.
In your fifties
The average age for the onset of menopause is 51. During the menopause the body produces less oestrogen, which can cause the rapid loss of bone density. For some women, the hormonal changes can trigger weight gain. Given that the metabolic rate continues to slow with age unless it's speeded up by regular exercise, menopause weight gain can be difficult to lose.
In your sixties and beyond
During the sixties, weight generally returns to normal. This is also a time when cholesterol levels need monitoring to protect the health of your heart. There are three types of cholesterol, or fats in the body: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein).
The ratio between them indicates in the artery walls, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Aerobic exercise helps to decrease LDL cholesterol and raise HDL, as can eating fewer saturated fats.
Extract from The No-gym Workout, by Lucy Wyndham Read
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