What's Age Got to Do With it?

Olympic Gold Medalist and mother, Dara Torres, age 42

Ah, to have a dollar for every time I have heard someone say that they can't lose weight because they are over 30, 40 or 50. There would be a private island complete with a 20,000 square foot mansion and full staff just waiting for me! Sure we may not be able to consume massive amounts of beer and pizza like a 21 year-old frat boy, but I it is not impossible to lose and maintain our weight as the years go by.

Certainly there are physiological reasons why weight loss is more difficult as we get on in years. We lose muscle as we age. As you may know, lean muscle tissue burns more calories than fat. According to WomensFitness.net , the average (inactive) person loses approximately 0.5% of lean muscle mass every year between the ages of 25-60. From the age of 60 on, that statistic doubles. However, muscle loss is not a foregone conclusion. Regular strength training can combat the loss of muscle tissue.

In his book, "Strength for Life", over-40 fitness expert and author Shawn Phillips states,

"Adding just one pound of muscle will enable you to burn on average an additional 18,250 calories per year. A pound of fat burns just 700 calories over the course of a year."

Phillips goes on to say,

"Let's say you've added 10 pounds of lean muscle to your body. Just carrying those 10 pounds around for daily activities, not including exercising or training, can burn on average an additional 500 calories each day. That is over 180,000 extra calories in a year, the amount of calories stored in 52 pounds of fat! It is also the equivalent (estimated, of course) of running four miles each day for a year."

Fitness Expert, Shawn Phillips

Can you see the abdominal muscles beneath that t-shirt? Don't forget, he's over 40!

Think about that last quote. If you add 10 lbs. of lean muscle to your body through strength training, you are essentially running more than a marathon every week without even putting on your running shoes! Why wouldn't you want to strength train? Think of it as turning back the clock.

Have you added strength training to your routine? If not, would you be interested in future posts that cover the topic?