Throughout her lifetime, a woman will experience several fluctuations in her weight. These changes in weight occur due to puberty and pregnancy -- and perhaps because of the "freshman 15." If you are like most women, you have probably noticed the number on your scale slowly moving upward since you turned 30. This weight gain is brought on by several factors, including decreased activity levels and your body's natural aging process.
Decrease in Physical Activity
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a decrease in physical activity is a primary factor in the increase of fat mass with age. You may find that you don't spend as much time engaged in physical endeavors as you did when you were 25, not to mention that you cannot even imagine scheduling a specific time to go to the gym every day. This is not unusual. Many women find themselves caught up in the hectic schedule of family and work, with no time for themselves. However, if you want to fight your expanding waistline, you should try to fit in at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, recommends the American Heart Association (AHA).
Decreased Muscle Mass
Muscle mass decreases progressively in both men and women starting at about the age of 30 to 40, write Jack Wilmore and David Costill in their book "Physiology of Sport and Exercise." A decline in activity level is the main reason for your loss of muscle mass; if you don't use it, you lose it. You would assume that a loss in muscle mass would result in a lower number on the scale, which to a point is true. However, when your muscle mass decreases, so does your metabolic rate. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning that it requires calories merely to maintain its existence. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you are doing nothing. So when you lose muscle, your body doesn't require as many calories to maintain its mass. Therefore, unless you decrease your caloric intake to compensate for the lower caloric intake your body requires, you will undoubtedly gain weight. In order to maintain and even increase your valuable muscle mass, the ACSM recommends at least one set of eight to 10 exercises that condition the major muscle groups on two to three days a week.
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is caused by changing hormone levels, and occurs in the five to 10 years leading up to menopause. This is the time when most women begin to gain weight. On average, you may gain a pound per year during perimenopause, according to the Mayo Clinic. During this time, your body begins to shift its fat stores to the central body, and you will exhibit greater increases of internal fat, rather than subcutaneous fat under the skin. The extra weight gained during perimenopause does have a purpose other than to make you miserable. According to Discovery Health, the extra fat cells convert the hormone androgen into estrogen, which your body has lower levels of during this phase. Although it may put up a fight, this cause of weight gain is not indomitable. If you diligently follow a healthy diet and make it a point to lead an active lifestyle, you can keep perimenopause weight gain to a minimum.
References
- "ACSM's Certification Review", Second Edition; Theodore J. Angelopoulos, PhD, MPH, FACSM, et al.; 2006
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise", Third Edition; Jack H. Wilmore, David L. Costill; 2004
- Mayo Clinic: Weight Gain After Menopause
- Discovery Health: Perimenopause
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