Did you know that people lose 10% of their muscle mass by age 50? (American College of Sports Medicine). You have your metabolism to thank for this because your body’s muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which burns more energy from the start. And with less muscle, your metabolism will inevitably slow down, which is a contributing factor to unwanted weight gain.
So, what is the best way to slim down if you’re 50 years or older? Strength training. In other words, you need to lift weights. According to Pam Sherman, a 54-year-old trainer and health coach, diligently participating in strength training for 3-4 days a week is your best bet. But what exercises should you be doing? Here are a few…
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Doing squats is one of the simplest yet best ways to build muscle and lose body fat. Once you master a regular squat, try adding weights to continue to help your body build muscle mass.
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Lifting weights is great, but paring it with cardio is a game changer. David Sautter, a NASM-certified personal trainer at Top Fitness Magazine says that “The ideal type of training to achieve a lean body will be a combination of resistance training with high-intensity cardiovascular exercise,” (ETNT Mind + Body).
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Make sure to do your strength training before your cardio training. Your body needs the majority of stored energy in order to power through strength training. After that your cardio can burn the rest of the fat stored for energy. Josh Schlottman, CPT, CSCS recommends adding at least 10 minutes of cardio after your strength training, but preferably 30 to 40 minutes of cardio to maximize your body’s ability to burn fat (ETNT Mind + Body).
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Lastly, when strength training, be sure to use your whole body, working multiple muscle groups at once. This will maximize efficiency in building muscle and burning fat.