Although it is not unusual to put on a few additional pounds as you age, many seniors believe weight gain is a natural part of the aging process. In fact, the majority of older adults reduce their activity levels and experience a decrease in lean muscle mass and a subsequent decline in their body's metabolism. When the metabolism slows, the body takes more time to break down food and convert that food into energy.
Step 1
Eat breakfast within an hour of waking. Eat frequent small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism working. Avoid skipping meals or adopting a restrictive diet that can cause your metabolism to slow even further or assume a starvation mode.
Step 2
Stay active and keep moving. Even short spurts of brisk exercise cause metabolic changes in your body that are measurable more than an hour later. Make a habit of increasing your activity level by swinging your arms when you walk, standing instead of sitting while talking on the telephone and rising to change the channel on the television rather than using the remote control.
Step 3
Keep a glass of purified water within reach. Water is necessary for proper digestion, and if taken cold, your body will burn extra calories working to warm the water. Eat an orange or apple in lieu of a glass of juice to add additional fiber that your body must work harder to digest.
Step 4
Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period. Sleep deprivation slows your metabolism and wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels. Take a short nap if you tire in the middle of your day.
References
- Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Alerts: Your Aging Metabolism, Tips on Revving Your Metabolic Motor
- Colorado State University Extension: Nutrition and Aging
- USA Today: Study, 10 Minutes of Exercise Yields Hour-Long Effects
- US News Health: Senior Citizens Need to Work Out, Too; Deborah Kotz; October 2007
- Science Daily: Lack of Sleep Alters Hormones, Metabolism, Simulates Effects Of Aging
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