Aging and fat potential

Today’s workout:

60 min BodyFlow class (love getting my stretch on!) followed by a Bridal Bootcamp Workout found here (I’ve already been a bride, but this workout was a great mix of cardio and weights and quite challenging with all those supersets)

As many of you know, I am currently studying to become a certified personal trainer. While studying last night, I came across a few statistics that I found interesting and though I would share…

“Adults who are not involved in exercising regimens will lose approximately 5 pounds of muscle per decade, while simultaneously adding 15 pounds of fat per decade.”

(Source: NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 3rd Edition)

Can you believe that? I was really sad (and a bit scared) to read that statistic. No wonder we are a nation where 33% of all adults are obese and 2/3 of the adults population is overweight. Obviously a lot of that has to do with the typical American diet of high-fat, highly processed foods eaten in enormous portions. But the inactivity rate of Americans in general is quite astounding, only furthering the obesity epidemic of our nation.

Everyone I know (especially those older than 40) have always told me how much their body starts to fall apart as they age, particularly their metabolism and muscle vs. fat ratios. I found this statement pretty interesting though…

“When the concept of age-related fat gain was investigated, it was determined that body fat was not an age-related issue, but rather was attributed to the number of hours individuals spent exercising per week. It has also been shown in sedentary individuals that the daily-activity level accounts for more than 75% of the variability of body-fat storage in men.”

(Source: NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 3rd Edition)

So I guess the best way to overcome the lean muscle mass loss and fat gain as we age is to get out there and move more (and follow a bit more Michael Pollan’s advice… “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”)