Older Adults and Weight Management

The increase in fat puts you at higher risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. You can get to a healthy weight with regular exercise that includes aerobic (“cardio”) activities. Examples are brisk walking, golfing, yard work, bicycling, and swimming. Add to that some muscle-strengthening exercises and healthy eating. And you can do more than just manage your weight. According to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, getting at least 2-1/2 hours a week of moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking can lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and colon and breast cancers. Also aim for 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activities.

It's the combination that makes fighting the extra weight so tough. After age 30, youthful muscle mass begins to decrease, which means your body needs less energy to operate. Often, we don't reduce our eating to match it. Family history, which determines where body fat will accumulate, kicks in. By age 30, we may have picked up bad habits, such as not exercising and eating poorly. And hormonal changes from menopause can also make it hard to keep weight off. Becoming more aware of what you can do to help reduce belly fat is the first step to losing it.

If you don't use muscles, you lose them. One way to maintain muscle strength is by strength training, or doing exercises 2 days a week that build muscle. Fat stored in the body doesn’t use as much energy or calories as muscles do. Strength training makes your muscles strong and can increase your metabolic rate – that's the rate at which calories are burned. This helps with weight loss and weight control. Talk with your healthcare provider to find out more about which strength training exercises are best for you.

Many things affect our weight throughout our life. They include family history (genetics), age, sex assigned at birth, sleep, culture, family habits, and even where you live and work. It's important to exercise regularly and eat healthful foods as you age.

Even short bursts of activity can add up to real calorie burning. For example, try parking your car a few blocks from work and walking the remaining distance; replacing coffee breaks with short walks around the block; running in place or jumping rope during TV commercials; and taking the stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible.