At FORM we inspire fitness for all ages. But, as we all know, when we age we start to lose muscle and our metabolism starts to slow. So what does fitness look like for over 60s? Muscle and metabolism only decrease a very small percentage each year. People often blame their slowing metabolism for weight gain, loss of muscle and reduced strength and fitness levels.
This should be no excuse. Fitness for over 60’s should be just as important as any other age group. Read on to see Gary’s fitness transformation at age 60. Gary invested in fitness and exercise with the aim to build muscle and improve his overall health.
Our metabolism isn’t only determined by our age, but also by our lifestyle
Investing in fitness when you are over 60
With age only being one contributing factor towards a loss in muscle mass and fitness levels, lifestyle factors (by no surprise) play a huge contributing role too.
The first place to start when tackling health and fitness at any age, let alone over 60, is to take a closer look at your lifestyle factors and see where huge improvements can be made.
When speaking to Gary, he clearly understands his own areas of improvement: “Our metabolism isn’t only determined by our age, but also by our lifestyle” As lifestyle is probably the biggest contributing factor to health and fitness, it’s important to start here.
Exercising when you are over 60
As we transition to adulthood, the daily demands of work, family and general responsibilities usually result in us becoming less and less active. If you have been living this lifestyle now for some time, your exercise routine when you are over 60 can often be bleak and non-existent.
But… your fitness lifestyle all starts from childhood.
As a child we play sports and run around all day with friends – we are hugely active and tend to have endless amounts of energy. We are energy burning machines.
Then we go to university or get a full time job and become sedentary.
The typical 9-5 job has us stationary for hours on end, resulting in decreased activity levels. This lifestyle is often associated with increased calorie consumption.
We start drinking and partying, consuming alcohol calories which we didn’t consume as children and the weight slowly and surely starts to creep on.
As we become less active, we naturally start to lose lean muscle tissue – this results in a decreased metabolism.
As humans we only develop and hold enough lean muscle to cope with the demands we ask of our body. As children, we climb trees, play sports, play fight and are constantly moving. Even this type of activity requires a certain level of muscle and strength to perform the tasks necessary.
Muscle is very metabolically active, meaning your muscles require a lot of energy (calories) to sustain them, or to grow. The amount of muscle we have has a huge impact on how fast or slow our metabolisms will work. Generally, the more muscle we have, the leaner and stronger we will be.
As we become more sedentary, not applying the same demand on our body, we start to lose muscle mass, simply because we no longer need it.
As the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
There it goes – your whole life summed up into a couple of sentences. By the time you’re 60, if you’ve followed the above timeline, you’ll notice that exercise and fitness haven’t been much of a priority in your life so far.
How to exercise when you are over 60
If you want to feel fitter in your 60s and start building your metabolism and increasing your lean muscle, follow the steps outlined below to support exercise for the over 60s:
Get active
- How many steps are you doing each day?
Hitting the minimum of 10k steps each day is the very first place to start. Get yourself an activity tracker such as the FitBit and track your progress. This is a great way to support fitness for over 60s.
2. How many hours do you sit down for each day?
Stand rather than sit. If you can walk around at work, do so! It will make a huge difference. Get up every hour and walk around for five minutes. Go for a walk on your lunch break. Basically, reduce the amount of time you spend sedentary by keeping active and busy – this is a really easy way to exercise for over 60s.
Start lifting weights
If you’re already a regular gym goer, you’re more than likely doing too much cardio. Cardio is a fantastic way to help burn off calories and should be a part of your routine. However, cardio alone will not help you increase lean muscle mass. Lifting weights is not only for the young, over 50s, over 60’s can do it too.
Where to start in lifting weights?
1. Join a class that involves lifting weights.
Body pump or Circuits is a great form of exercise for the over 60s. Not too strenuous, but also super fun at the same time!
2. Start by using the machines rather than free weights
Learning how to use machines is much easier than trying to master technique with free weights. This is a great, safe place to start if you’re new to lifting and also new to the gym environment.
3. Follow a weight program
Rather than just going through the motions, do some research and find a program to follow. Alternatively, ask for a free gym induction and program from your local fitness centre.
1.Find yourself a personal trainer
Investing in a good personal trainer will accelerate your results. Find one with a track record of results before making the financial commitment. Here at FORM we have some exceptional body transformations as a result of personal training- check them out to inspire your fitness if you’re over 60!
2. Join a group training facility
Semi private group personal training is a great option for those on a budget but require an individualised approach, and are keen to fast track progress. Find out more about REFORM small group training.
Nutrition
It goes without saying, that nutrition plays a major role in supporting muscle gain, weight loss, performance and general wellbeing.
If your goal is to improve your metabolism and build muscle, then consuming a diet that supports this is essential if you want to progress. You can get active, and start lifting, but if your diet is not lined up with your goals then you will undoubtedly fail to progress.
Explore our FORMULA E-BOOK here at FORM to discover how it can help you kick start your weight loss journey if you are over 60.
Key diet considerations
- Ensure calories aren’t too low
If calories are too low, and your goal is to build lean muscle, you will struggle to make progress. Muscle can only be developed in a calorie surplus; it cannot be built if the materials to make it are not present.
- Ensure calories aren’t too high
Building muscle only requires a small surplus of calories, if you find you’re starting to gain fat weight then this suggests calorie consumption is too high.
- Consume enough good quality protein
Protein is the building blocks of muscle, without this macronutrient present, building muscle will be hindered. Shoot for a palm sized portion of lean protein with every meal as a starting point.
- Meals must be well balanced
Carbohydrates, fats and fibre are also essential components of a well-balanced diet. We shouldn’t be eradicating any of these food groups unless advised by a practitioner. A balanced approach to meal planning is essential to build lean muscle. For simple, easy to follow, muscle building recipes, check out the FORMULA E-BOOK. Suitable for any age, over 60 or not, our nutrition guide will set you up for success!
Investing in your fitness and nutrition for over 60s
Now you know that building muscle and losing body fat can be achieved regardless of your age, it’s time to take the leap and make a start. Starting exercise at any age, let alone over 60, can feel like a mammoth task. But, here at FORM we are ready to support you whatever your age or current lifestyle.
You now have the base foundations of where to start -the next step is to take action and stop procrastinating.
Follow these simple steps to start focusing on your fitness as an over 60:
- Make a plan of action
- Get active
- Join a gym
- Train with a friend
- Find a personal trainer
- Join a training group
- Set yourself a goal
Find out more information about personal training, group personal training and other personal training services here at FORM Manchester.
If you have any questions on exercising as an over 60, please feel free to contact the team at FORM with your questions on info@formmcr.com.
Remember to check out our Instagram page for more inspiration to exercise over 60 years old!
