Aging adults need to watch calorie and activity levels closely. As you age your metabolism slows down, making you more prone to weight gain. Keeping your body weight in a healthy range requires reducing calorie intake and boosting activity levels. These lifestyle changes will also assist in minimizing your risk for chronic health issues.
Boost Your Activity Level
Older adults reduce the risk for chronic disease by participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate intense activity most days of the week, according to the National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Aging. Moderate activity level includes activities such as walking fast, riding your bicycle or gardening. Boost your calorie burning potential by choosing more intense activities. For example, running, jogging or high-intensity aerobics burns more calories than low-impact activities. Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
Strengthen the Body
Strengthening the body is important for people over 50 to minimize the risk of bone density loss and osteoporosis. Strengthening the muscles also reduces your risk for joint injury and helps maintain balance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a minimum of two strength training sessions weekly. Work a variety of muscle groups such as the arms, abdominal muscles, legs, back and chest muscles.
Make Healthy Food Choices
As you age, your body needs fewer calories. Talk with your doctor about your calorie needs, based on your height and weight. As a general rule, women shouldn't consume fewer than 1,200 calories and men shouldn't consume fewer than 1,500 calories, according to MedlinePlus. Older adults need at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables daily. Select a variety of fruits and dark green vegetables, legumes and orange vegetables to provide more nutritional content. You also need 3 oz. of whole grain products daily and 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk daily.
Foods to Limit
Limit your consumption of saturated fats to 10 percent or less of daily calories. Consume 20 to 35 percent of daily calories from fat, with the majority of fats coming from monounsaturated fats, which is linked to weight loss. Polyunsaturated fats are a healthy option as well. Limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg or less daily and consume plenty of potassium rich foods like fruits and vegetables. It's also important to limit alcoholic beverages to one drink daily for women and no more than two drinks a day for men. These beverages add extra calories to your diet.
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