When we talk about the effects of aging and what we can do to stave them off, all too often, we focus on the aesthetic. While maintaining your confidence and sense of self-image is important, there are much bigger changes going on under the hood, as well.
The way that the body burns energy, builds muscle, and supports movement can change in ways that might make it seem harder to stay fit. However, that doesn’t mean that becoming more idle as we get older is the only or best option. Here, we’ll look at how you can stay vital and strong for longer.
Focus On Strength Training
As we get older, we tend to naturally lose muscle mass. This is a process known as sarcopenia, which can cause feelings of weakness, a higher rate of injury, and a slower rate of metabolism (which can also lead to weight gain). Staying active is important, but as we get older, it’s important to shift our efforts a little more towards strength training.
Whether you’re using weights, doing body weight exercises, or using resistance bands, you should attempt to target all of your muscle groups. Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and push-ups, which activate multiple muscles at once. Resistance training not only preserves lean mass but also improves bone density, joint stability, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic rate.
Adjusting Your Diet
Our nutritional needs change all throughout our lives, and it should be no surprise that we may need to change our diet again as we get into our 40s. As our metabolism slows and our hormone levels start to shift, it becomes more important to eat protein-rich foods, helping to support muscle preservation and recovery after exercise.
You should also include omega-3 fatty acids (from sources like fatty fish, walnuts, or flaxseed) to reduce inflammation and eat plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits for antioxidant support. Meanwhile, try to cut out processed carbs and added sugars from your diet, as they can disrupt your insulin release and lead to higher levels of fat storage in general. Be careful not to reduce your calorie intake too much, however, as extreme dieting leads to muscle loss.
Consider Topping Up With Some Supplements
Supplements can be a highly effective way to make sure that you’re filling the gaps in your nutritional intake, which can be hard to hit with your diet alone. However, aside from preventing micronutrient deficiencies, biohacking (the use of specific supplements and compounds to improve body function) has grown as an anti-aging strategy, as of late.
More people are looking to new solutions, like MK677 capsules, also known as ibutamoren, as a means to stimulate human growth hormone, which tends to decline as we age. As such, biohacking could potentially be the answer to improving muscle maintenance, fat metabolism, and recovery after working out.
Get That Shuteye
Sleep becomes even more important as we get older, and it’s not just because you might feel sleepy lately. It directly affects your exercise recovery, mood, metabolism, as well as your body’s hormone regulation. Not getting the quality or quantity of sleep you need reduces testosterone and growth hormone levels, both of which are essential for muscle maintenance and energy. It also increases cortisol and ghrelin, hormones associated with stress and appetite, respectively.
Take steps to improve your sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent bedtime as well as a time to get up in the morning. Avoid disrupting this schedule on the weekends, even if you feel like having a lie-in. Be sure to limit caffeine intake in the afternoon and reduce exposure to screens an hour before bed, as blue light can suppress melatonin production.
Take Care Of Your Joints
Muscle loss isn’t the only thing that can make it more difficult to stay active as we get older. Joint stiffness and aches tend to become a lot more common as we get older, and this can be made even worse if you’re neglecting your mobility.
Mobility routines such as stretching, yoga, and Pilates can help you maintain physical strength and flexibility much better once you’re over the age of 40.
You might also want to consider supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, or turmeric to help support your joints. If you’re experiencing the burn of inflammation routinely after exercise and even the next day, it’s important to get checked up for arthritis, which can be treated.
Manage The Mind-Body Connection
Your mental health has a much bigger impact on your physical health than you might think, and this can get even more pronounced as we get a little older. Chronic stress can lead to increased levels of cortisol in the body. Too much of this hormone, and muscle can begin to break down, while fat tends to accumulate much more easily.
It can also affect your hormonal balance by decreasing levels of testosterone and estrogen, which can accelerate aging. You are even likely to sleep less as a direct result. To manage stress effectively, adopt daily practices like meditation, deep breathing exercises, journaling, or nature walks. Physical exercise itself is a powerful stress reliever, particularly activities that encourage mindfulness, like tai chi or yoga.
Consistency Is Key
It’s not just important to choose the right exercises when you are being active. You need to make sure that you’re exercising consistently, as well. Routine cardio exercises are vital for maintaining your heart health and lung capacity, as well as keeping your metabolism active. Even moderate-intensity cardio like brisk walking, cycling, rowing, or swimming can help maintain your body effectively.
Equally important is functional movement, which mimics real-life activities. Exercises like lunges, carries, squats, and push-pulls improve balance, coordination, and agility, helping you stay independent and injury-free as you age. While you should aim for roughly 150 minutes of cardio a week, consistency is the most important aspect of all. Even if you only have time for a relatively short exercise, making sure that you’re moving at least every other day is recommended.
It might not be as easy to stay fit and healthy as we get older, but it’s far from impossible. Being smarter with your efforts is just as important as working harder.
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