How to maintain a fast metabolism as you age

Many people’s metabolic rates will decrease as they age. Not many people understand why this happens.

It can be frustrating when you feel powerless to the changes your body makes – but don’t worry! There are steps that you can take to reignite your metabolism.

In this post, we’re going to walk you through the typical ageing process, how it affects your metabolism, and some simple steps that can help you make the healthiest choices for your metabolism, mindset and lifestyle.

What is your metabolism?

Great question and a good place to start!

Metabolism is how your body uses the food you eat as energy and then turns that energy into the fuel it needs to keep your body functioning. It doesn’t matter if you do nothing all day, your body still uses energy to keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing and your other organs functioning so that you can stay alive. At rest, these processes are referred to as your basal (resting) metabolic rate.

Can you really speed up your metabolism?

Your basal metabolic rate is determined by many different things such as your age, your gender, your family history, your environment and other factors like stress and hormonal levels. And if that’s not enough, eating foods high in sugar, fat and salt can drastically lower your metabolic rate, as can eating at the wrong times and not getting any exercise, or enough of the right type of exercise.

It might seem to you that a lot of these factors are just too hard to overcome, and we certainly understand that old habits die hard. It’s not easy to change and it seems like the older we get, the harder it is.

But fortunately, it’s not all bad news.

There are many things you can do to speed up your metabolism, and they don’t all need to be attempted or accomplished at once. You only need to start with one thing, one small change; one commitment to do one thing differently and you will reap the rewards a lot sooner than you think.

Another change! Really? Do I have to?

Of course not! You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We know it seems that the prescription for healthy living is the same for everyone – eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy work/life balance…

While these things are good for your health, your overall well-being is so much more than that.

Did you know that studies have found that as we age we actually avoid surroundings which are unfamiliar?

We are all much more comfortable in familiar surroundings, but as we age, we become more connected with our comfort zone than ever, which makes it quite difficult for us to pursue new interests outside of what we already know.

Don’t you find that piece of information quite fascinating?

Being aware of it can potentially change the way you think. If you can push through this thought barrier, imagine how limitless your world could become. You wouldn’t need to stay with the status quo; you wouldn’t need to accept things because “that’s just the way it is”.

“You’re too old to change”

Surely you know that’s not true! Everybody’s saying it, and so are we –

You’re never too old to change

So what if you’re not as young as you used to be and your body shape has gone south – and not just for the winter? Granted, this can have a detrimental effect on your psychological and physiological well-being, particularly if you’ve always been in control of your body shape, but you really can turn that around and kick those depressing thoughts to the curb.

For women, pre-and-post menopause usually means there is going to be some weight gain. This happens because your ovaries slow down and then they stop producing oestrogen which is the hormone responsible for:

• a decrease in lean muscle which burns up fat
• a slower metabolic rate where less energy is burnt up at rest
• weight gain during menopause
• a shift of body fat from your hips to your waist which makes for a rounder tummy and a thicker waist.

For men, there is also a decline in hormonal testosterone levels which means there is less muscle mass to burn fat. Skin in the abdominal area starts to lose it elasticity and the “middle age spread” starts to take over.

From a psychological standpoint, this may sound like bad news but really, it’s just life giving us another experience on our journey. When we can accept this reality, we can choose to make the changes we need to keep us vibrant and lively.

If you’re struggling to know where to start, you can read more of amazing free resources full of information on how to make healthy changes to your body and lifestyle on our.

Overcome the barriers that bind you

Remember earlier when we talked about doing one thing differently, and reaping the rewards? Well here’s your opportunity to do that one thing.

Expand your horizons and join in the fun and fitness that ‘Live Life, Get Active’ have created with you in mind. That sounds so cliché, but we did have you and entire communities in mind when we started this adventure and we would love for you to come on board.

This is a great opportunity for you to meet some fabulous new people, have some fun, and get regular exercise, all of which will re-energise your body, re-vitalise your spirit and renew you mind.

You can exercise at a pace which suits you and you can do it for free. If there is even a little bit here that you find tempting, take the next step.

So if  you’d like to take your first steps to feeling better about yourself and working on a fitter and healthier you, as well as enjoying the friendship and support that comes from training with others that feel the same way, then register and come and join us in the park. We have camps in locations across Australia so join today – And don’t forget EVERYTHING is FREE and EVERYTHING is provided so all you need is you.

Not a member?
Register

Existing members
Book a class