SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM AFTER 50

Your body is constantly changing throughout your life. As we grow older, we learn to be more accepting and open to the world. There is nothing wrong with aging and we shouldn’t have to try to avoid that.

But there is one thing that most women would probably like to change.

And it’s the slowing down of our metabolisms.

Metabolism is essentially a process in which your body converts your meals and drinks into energy by burning calories. Running, talking, thinking, lifting a pencil – your every action burns calories. Even when you’re asleep your body continues to do that, as it needs to regulate its temperature, breathing, blood circulation, and so on.

Even if you’ve been active for most of your life with a regular exercise plan and a healthy diet your metabolic rate can still be slowing down with age. And that means that you could be gaining weight.

But that doesn’t mean it’s game over. Think about how to speed up metabolism after 50. Make it a focus.

Simple changes in your activity levels, sleep habits, and eating frequency will do wonders!

Here are 4 ways to speed up your metabolism and burn more calories.

1. Pay attention to your NEAT

The Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis refers to the calories that you burn during the day except the times when you exercise. Your non-workout hours.

Why is this important?

Well, research shows that your NEAT can be responsible for up to 30% of your total daily calorie burn. Boosting your NEAT will help you to get rid of that extra body fat. Boosting your metabolism by one-third is an impressive number if turned into calories.

How can you do it? By being more active daily.

Think about your day. How many hours do you spend watching the TV, sitting by the computer, or being inactive? Implement more movement into your life. For example, substitute some of that “lazy” time with a walk.

Be mindful of your activity levels throughout the day. Use your phone or smartwatch to track your movements and see how much time you spend being lazy.

If you don’t feel like going outside, start with the little things at home–walk around while talking on the phone, iron, or fold clothes when you are watching TV.

2. Pay attention to your meal size

Overeating when you’re hungry is something every one of us occasionally has been guilty of. Even though finding the right balance for your metabolism isn’t that simple, it’s safe to say that eating more frequent and smaller meals is a much better option and downing big portions.

Having a small meal every 2-3 hours will help to avoid eating too much at a time. It is a sure-fire way to boost metabolism over 50.

And remember, that doesn’t mean that you must spend half of your day preparing food for 5 meals. Just divide whatever you were planning to eat into smaller portions.

3. Exercise by building muscle mass

After age 30, we begin to lose muscle mass. But the thing about muscles is that they are more active and burn more calories than fat tissue. The more muscles you have, the more your body will be burning calories while doing nothing.

Therefore, if you’re losing weight, you should gain muscle.

Aim for 2-3 strength training workouts per week. These workouts will help you not only with the metabolic rate but also with your core strength. It will make you feel stronger and more confident.

Don’t forget to eat more protein, as it’s an important nutrient that helps your muscles to be strong.

4. Make sure you have a good night sleep

We all know the general rules for a good night’s sleep.

It means no telephones when trying to fall asleep, don’t stay up late working on your computer in bed, etc.

How your sleep influences your metabolism?

If you’ve had a poor night’s rest ghrelin (also known as the hunger hormone) levels in your body increase and leptin (hormone that helps the body to maintain its weight) levels decrease.

Does metabolism slow at 50? Yes.

These changes are likely to increase your appetite which can lead to obesity. Your energy levels are down because of the lack of sleep, and your body tries to compensate for it with more food.