GET FIT TO STAY SLIM…
Resistance exercise isn’t just for those wanting to build muscle – it could be essential for maintaining a healthy weight as we age. In fact, you can lose around 8% of your muscle per decade if you don’t do it. Sports nutritionist Anita Bean says losing muscle leads to a drop in your resting metabolic rate (the speed at which your body burns calories). When this happens you’ll need to eat 200 fewer calories a day in your 50s just to avoid weight gain.
Anita recommends combining resistance work with eating a little more protein to help reduce and off-set natural muscle loss. ‘People who do this maintain around 40% more muscle than those who eat very little protein,’ she says. Given that there’s also evidence omega-3 fats become more important for preserving muscle mass as we get older, it might be an idea to build in a serving of oily fish a week (and considering a daily omega-3 supplement if you’re vegetarian or vegan) to combine with your regular resistance training programme. For easy exercises go to healthyfood.co.uk.