What Happens to Our Metabolism as We Age

Have you’ve noticed you can’t eat as much as you used to without the side effect of weight gain? That’s because research shows metabolism as we age slows. The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn in a day and the more calories you can eat without gaining weight. Now there are many reasons why our metabolism may slow. The most common causes are that we simply aren’t as active as when we were younger and we also lose muscle mass as we age. Here are a few things you can do to help keep your metabolism higher.

#1: Resistance Training

Resistance training as you get older is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise you can do. Not only are you burning calories through exercise but you’ll also be building lean muscle mass which burns more calories. We have a lot of options in our Wellbeats library that use various forms of resistance training using weights, bands, and even our own body weight to help you build lean muscle.

#2: High Intensity Interval Training

High intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT, is another form of exercise that’s great for stoking the metabolism fire. HIIT uses intense intervals of work followed by short periods of rest. It’s a quick and efficient form of exercise because it’s shown to burn more fat and calories for hours after exercise and it also builds lean muscle, too! Search the Wellbeats Library for lots of great options here. Just be sure not to overdo it and have 48 hours rest between HIIT workouts for maximum benefit.

#3 Sleep

Did you know that a lack of sleep can slow down your metabolism? Make sure you get on a regular schedule of bedtime and wakeup time and aim for 7-9 hours each night. The good news is exercise can also help you have more restful sleep!

#4 Eat Enough Food

Finally, make sure you’re eating enough food! While many people tend to overeat, some people struggle with not eating enough food, especially protein, as they age. If we don’t consume enough calories regularly, our body thinks it needs to conserve calories by slowing our metabolism. Choose enough protein-rich foods to meet your daily needs and boost your metabolism as we age.

What tips do you have to boost your metabolism? Share with us in the comments below!