Protect Your Muscle And Metabolism Over 40

my mission is to get people to believe that age isn't a limiting factor in success.

Not with fat loss. And not with muscle building.

Many people's limitations are more mental than physical.

Now before you stop me to say:

"But it IS harder for me than it used to be."

"I'm not as strong as I was before."

"The fat just isn't coming off the way it did before."

I get it.

➡️ Yes, there are a lot of challenges in our 40s and 50s.

We might not feel as energetic.

We may not sleep as well. 

Our recovery from exercise tends to go down a bit.

Not to mention, we're at a time in our lives when pressures are at an all-time high from work and family.

You may find yourself not getting to the gym as often as you would like or eating as well as you think you should.

Taking care of yourself seems like a job of its own.

And in some ways, it should be!

A lot of the decline we see with age ISN'T inevitable.

✅ We don't automatically gain fat.

We start to move less and don't compensate by reducing our calorie intake.

✅ Our muscle doesn't just disappear.

You've probably heard that starting at 40 we lose somewhere around 0.8-1.0% of our muscle mass each year. But that data is based on average populations where few people are doing enough exercise.

Only about 23.8% of women 45-64 and 29.9% of men 45-64 are doing strength training. 

While we know that our muscle mass won't stay the same from our 40s to our 80s, the amount of that decline depends A LOT on how much physical activity you do.

Masters athletes give us a clue about our potential.

Research shows that highly-trained athletes in their 70s and 80s have more muscle and less intramuscular fat than inactive people of their own age.

➡️ But what's more interesting is that these older athletes have levels of muscle mass and strength that are more similar to much younger people. Often 20-30 years younger!

One meta-analysis concluded that "chronic exercise training preserves physical function, muscular strength and body fat levels similar to that of young, healthy individuals in an exercise mode-specific manner."

Which means if you want to keep more of your muscle as you get older, you need to strength train.

If you want your heart to be strong and healthy, you need to do cardiovascular exercise.

✅ Because strength training and cardio also lead to a longer life.

In studies, strength training reduces all-cause mortality by 15%, cardiovascular mortality by 19%, and cancer mortality by 14%.

Not only are you setting yourself up for a longer life, but a stronger and healthier one as well.

Metabolic Benefits To Muscle

As a side benefit, maintaining your muscle will help you maintain your metabolism as you get older.

Muscle is slightly more metabolically active than fat, so the more muscle you maintain as you age, the more calories your body will burn.

Lifestyle changes often reduce our physical activity. Most of us spend hours behind a desk each day and then more hours sitting in the evening.

Exercise and daily movement like walking burns calories, but it also helps manage our blood sugar levels and food cravings.

➡️ Our appetites can often increase in our 40s and 50s. Reduced insulin sensitivity can increase food cravings.

Poor sleep increases our production of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and decreases production of leptin (the fullness hormone).

And when we're tired, we're less likely to move and more likely to eat tasty, comforting, calorie-dense food.

It's not hard to see why MOST people gain weight and lose muscle as they get older.

So how do you avoid becoming a sad statistic?

✅ Do at least 2 strength training sessions per week.

Track your weights, sets, reps, and weekly volume. Work on getting stronger over time.

Deal with any injuries that come up along the way. You want to stay as consistent as you can, so don't let minor setbacks hold you back.

✅ Add at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity per week.

Ideally you want to find something you enjoy, so that you'll stick with it.

Is there a martial art you've always wanted to try? A dance class that sounds fun? Try something new! 

Challenging your body also gives your brain the stimulation you need as you get older.

Exercise improves brain health and physically active people are 20-40% less likely to develop dementia.

✅ Include mobility and stretching exercises to reduce stiffness and help you move better.

You don't need long hours of yoga for stretching benefits. Just find exercises that help you with tight areas. 

✅ Eat a balanced nutrition plan that includes enough lean protein, fibre, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and (primarily) lower fat dairy.

About 97% of people don't get enough fibre. Yikes!

The recommendation is about 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories you eat. That's roughly 25g for women or 38g for men (based on larger body size).

And adding more vegetables and fruit will go a long way to getting you there.

✅ Prioritise sleep

Get 7-8 hours of sleep consistently. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Staying up an extra 3 hours on the weekends and then sleeping in isn't a great habit.

Although we probably all do it once in a while for special occasions!

If you're doing all the right things for sleep, but it's still not happening or you're not feeling rested despite sleeping at least 7 hours...see your doctor.

About 2-5% of women and 3-7% of men have sleep apnea and up to 90% are undiagnosed.

For perimenopausal/menopausal women with sleep problems due to vasomotor symptoms like night sweats, there are treatments that may be helpful.

✅ Find ways to manage your stress.

Stress is always going to be a part of life.

Learning to accept the things you can't change and work on the things you can change is a good start.

Some of us learn to do that naturally as we get older, but it's always good to have a reminder! 

Practicing mindfulness not only improves stress resilience; it improves your decision-making when it comes to food, training, and recovery.

What I've always liked about mindfulness is that it doesn't require you to "clear your mind". It's really just about paying more attention. 

That's why it's a key skill that I teach to my clients to help them deal with overeating and manage their stress.

➡️ The goal isn’t to eliminate stress, it’s to respond to it in a way that supports your performance from day-to-day.

With some planning and the right focus, your 40s and 50s can be the most productive and enjoyable time of your life.

And they set you up for living your later years with confidence and energy.

Stay strong!