Scientific studies have confirmed - it really is downhill from 30! Many of the changes within our bodies, although gradual, lead in time to weight gain, muscle loss and ill health. Here are 5 reasons you need a healthy active lifestyle, starting right now.
1. The proportion of body fat to total body weight doubles between the ages of 25 and 75. The body does not lose fat with age, it redistributes it from just beneath the skin to deeper parts, like the muscles and organs.*
2. After the age of 25, muscle bulk and strength start to decrease.** Less lean muscle means a slower metabolism, as muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat does.
3. After the age of 30, energy needs drop by 5% per decade.** Unless you decrease your calorie intake, or increase your physical activity to compensate, the result is weight gain.
4. Peak lung function is reached at between 20 and 30 years.** By age 40 to 50, you'll only have 80% of your total maximum breathing capacity. This of course is made worse by pollution and smoking.
5. Once you reach 30, bone marrow starts to disappear from the bones in your arms and legs.*** A reduction in calcium leads to further decreases in bone mass. Diet and exercise play an important role in combating this.
You cannot decide whether these changes take place - it's biology. You can influence the speed at which it happens, and prevent some of the ailments that result from them. There are lifestyle changes from the mid-20's onwards that affect our eating habits and physical activity as well. Getting married, starting a family, full-time employment and just getting older change the way you live. You are probably less active than you were at school or college. You are less likely to participate in organized sports. You don't go dancing until dawn quite so often anymore. Your eating habits have probably gotten worse too. Skipping breakfast because you're late for work, grabbing junk food for lunch, and possibly eating out more often all contribute to unhealthy living. Children change your life completely, and they tend to add to your poor eating habits. Joining them for an ice cream, sharing a packet of crisps and finishing their food for them adds up to extra calories for you.
It sounds like it really is all downhill, doesn't it? It doesn't have to be though. With a little effort, you can switch to a healthy lifestyle. It's all about eating habits and regular exercise. Based on the science, you have to eat less as you get older, and maintain regular physical activity just to combat the biology! That's without taking any other factors into consideration, like the effects of pollution, stress, smoking, alcohol and so on. If you're at a stage where you've already gained a few more pounds than you're comfortable with, you might find it helpful to start with a weight loss program. Once you've lost the extra pounds, healthy eating habits and regular exercise will have you living a healthy, active lifestyle for a long time.
