As I was lying on the ground the other day, having slipped on the ice while walking our beloved pet, I was wondering yet again about this whole "new middle age" idea. Would I really contemplate calling my husband to pick me up, literally, if my 50+ body was the new 30+body?

Finally, I did pick up this 50+ body and started walking, albeit as a much more sedate pace.

This whole idea of my 50’s being more like being in my 30’s intrigues me. In many ways, we 50+ folks are indeed in better health than our parents were. Our access to health care, for many of us, is much better, so medically we can take better care of ourselves. The concept of "personal trainer" was unheard of twenty-five years ago, as was the idea of belonging to a gym. Many of our parents couldn't even consider making time for a daily walk.

We are lucky, though, because so many of us are able to include these benefits into our lives, allowing us to be a much healthier generation.

However, some things haven’t changed. As we age, our metabolism still slows down, which is why we tend to gain weight as we age. Metabolism refers to the rate at which the body burns calories. There are many factors affecting what is called our "metabolic rate," including height (tall people burn more calories than short folks), fasting (that’s why skipping meals is not a good way to lose weight-your metabolism slows down) and temperature. When it is colder outside, we require more calories to stay warm, to keep our internal body temperature at 98.6 degrees. I suppose one way to lose weight would be to run around naked in the cold. However, I’m not sure how long this "diet" would last before your neighbors call the police.

The point is that we cannot control many of the factors affecting our metabolic rate, including age (young, middle or old). 

Activity, however, is one factor we can control. When you are active, you’re body can build muscle. Muscle tissue is considered to be more metabolically active because more calories are needed to maintain muscle than fat. Fat is a lazy tissue, and can get along without any help on our part. But muscle? There’s a different story. Because muscles need more calories to get their job done, the more muscles you have, the more calories your body requires. And that’s why, as we age, we need to stay active. To keep fat from accumulating, we need to build our muscles, and maintain their tone. Walking is one important activity I rely on to keep my metabolism up. Others enjoy lifting weights. As long as you have worked with an experienced trainer making sure you don’t injure yourself, increased muscle mass is definitely a benefit of this activity. Being active raises your metabolic rate, increasing the number of calories you burn while preventing fat tissue from growing.

So whether you are lying on the ice wondering how to get up, or stuck in a couch wondering how to get out, think about staying active. It’s the activity that will make moving around (and preventing weight gain) a lot easier-at any age.

Copyright (c) 2008 At Peace With Food