Glamour on a budget - Mattie Roberts

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Boosting Your Metabolism
Septembert 18, 2006

Lots of ladies are still asking me why their metabolisms slow down as they age. The truth is that they only slow about 2% per decade all things being equal, but our activity levels and muscle mass decrease as we age. The good news is that this is fixable, the bad new is that it takes effort and you are going to have to get into a weight-lifting and regular exercise program to keep your calorie burning engine as revved as it was 20 years ago.

Cardio exercises -- the best are weight-bearing like jogging, brisk walking, elliptical machines or biking -- need to happen at least four times a week for 30-45 minutes at what I call a 'vigorous' level. It means that you can only carry on a conversation in short phrases. If you can chatter away without puffing you are not going fast enough. If you are gasping for air and are pretty much unintelligible, you are going too fast. The latter is what happens to me when I work out with my sister. She runs so much faster than I do so I just try to keep up with her for ten or fifteen minutes, then I let her go on ahead and I slow to a more stately pace.

As much as regular cardio will keep your metablolism boosted, you also have to lift weights because we do tend to lose muscle mass as we get older. Two or three times a week is good, and you want to be slightly sore from the session the next day. "Good sore" is how I think of it and it means you taxed the muscle to the point of tearing down the microscopic muscle fibers, prompting your body to release growth hormone to repair it. Your body's own growth hormone is a very good thing to have running around in your system as you get older.

Ladies, do not be afraid of putting on some good solid muscle. If you are over 50 it is highly unlikely that you will bulk up in any noticeable way even with a fairly rigorous plan. This one of the best ways to maintian youthful posture, bone density and the enviable metabolism of youth. If you are starting out, it behooves you to get several sessions with a certified trainer who can get you on a safe effective weights program. Then you can do it on your own for a while, and occasionally get a check-up session to keep your form correct -- and make sure you are pushing yourself to your fullest potential.