When you hit the half-century mark, you may notice that things are not like they used to be. According to MayoClinic.com, as you age, your eyes produce fewer tears and your vision gradually becomes less clear. You hearing might dim. Your mouth tends to get drier and your teeth become more brittle. And you might have packed on a few extra pounds.
Physiological Changes
There are several factors that make it harder to lose weight as you age. Muscle mass tends to decrease with age -- a polite way of saying that muscle turns to fat. Fat tissue burns fewer calories than muscle tissue. Your metabolism slows as well -- after the age of 30, it declines by 2 percent per decade. Women have the added complication of menopause, hormonal changes which tend to increase weight around the abdomen. Even if you stick with the same healthy diet and exercise program you practiced in your younger years, you will gain weight as you age. In fact, you need to consume fewer calories and/or burn more calories through increased exercise just to maintain weight, much less lose it.
Exercise
Although it takes a concerted effort, you can lose weight after the age of 50. More importantly, a consistent exercise routine can actually counteract the aging process to some degree and make you much healthier. As the "Los Angeles Times" explains, two research studies reported in 2008 and 2011 lend support to the theory. A study of prematurely aged mice who used a treadmill three times per week from three months to eight months -- the equivalent of 20 to 55 years in human terms -- revealed that many physiological signs of aging were slowed or reversed.
Even more significantly, a 21-year Stanford University study of runners at least 50-years-old found that death rates from heart disease were significantly lower among the exercise group. Researcher Mark Tarnopolski, professor of medicine at McMaster University, home of the mice study, says, "You are 100 times better off as an athlete training in your 40s and 50s than as a sedentary person in your 20s, any way you look at it."
Diet
A healthy, low-calorie diet coupled with exercise can help you lose weight after 50. A 2008 CNN Health story profiled Barbara Aldrich, who dropped 75 lbs. after turning 50. She used a tried-and-true method of daily walking coupled with a diet prescribed by a registered dietitian. If you replace most fatty foods, sweets and alcohol with a diet focused on fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats, nuts, beans and whole grains, you can lose or maintain weight.
Considerations
Even if you just maintain rather than lose weight after 50, the health benefits can be enormous. Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, helps maintain your bones and joints, helps keep your blood pressure down and blood vessels free of plaque and aids in maintaining brain function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that older adults should shoot for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as walking or cycling, as well as muscle strengthening exercises twice per week. However, it is important to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have been sedentary.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Aging: What to Expect as You Get Older; Mayo Clinic staff; Aug. 2010
- "Los Angeles Times"; Exercise Counteracts Aging Effects; Amanda Mascarelli; September 2011
- CNN Health; Turning 50 Prompts 75-Pound Weight Loss; Jackie Adams; May 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; ntion: How Much Physical Activity Do Older Adults Need?; March 2011
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