Fitness changes with age
THE svelte bodies we have in our youth will change with age and things we would have got away with before will be unforgiving as our bodies change.
General, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon Dr Alfred Dawes said once you have exited your 20s you have already passed your peak and your fitness as well as energy levels begin to fall.
“Harsh words, but it’s the truth. Your fitness level, energy levels and muscle to fat ratio are all governed by hormones and level of physical activity. Both tend to go down as we get older and have more work and family activities that compete for our time,” he said.
“Hormone levels fall with age and with it muscle mass and the ability to train as hard as we could in our 20s.”
He further explained that in your late 20s to early 30s the testosterone levels in both men and women peak and begin to fall steadily thereafter.
“Of course men, with their higher testosterone levels, are more protected. Testosterone promotes muscle mass and reduced fat content. As the levels fall the ratio of fat to muscle increases. Less muscle means less explosive workouts and decreased endurance. This leads to fewer calories burned and in turn may lead to increased storage of fat,” Dr Dawes said.
Additionally, the surgeon explained that our basal metabolic rate falls with age, thus the amount of calories we burn at rest decreases.
“Our daily caloric requirements may fall significantly while we continue to consume our previous caloric requirements out of habit. This leads to the unintentional weight gain associated with ageing. These hormonal changes tend to sabotage our efforts at getting and staying fit,” he said.
Personal trainer at Gymkhana, Gisel Harrow, said due to the changes people experience in their bodies as they age, it is important that they maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“Eating right, exercising and regular check-ups are a few examples of keeping healthy,” Harrow said.
As for exercise, she explained that people in their 20s are at a great advantage as they are able to build up their fitness due to the presence of all the hormones working together to keep them in shape.
“Their respiratory capability is at its peak, hence one builds more muscles and burns more calories,” she said.
She added that in your 30s things start to slow down as your dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) declines.
“This causes the body to calculate muscle to fat at a high ratio. Weight training can help to increase muscle mass to prevent fat gains,” she said.
Additionally, Harrow said in your 40s you begin to lose muscle mass naturally as it’s a part of ageing, but doing exercise that focuses on using the fast twitch muscle fibre, which is responsible for high-intensity activities, can help in preventing muscle loss.
“So lifting heavy weights targeting the major muscle groups and increasing protein intake can help,” she said.
Harrow maintained that the key is to remain active, by exercising and of course eating healthy.
“It’s never too late to start a healthy lifestyle; one just needs to commit to a balanced programme and diet.”
