There’s a misconception that older people have slower metabolisms, which can lead to muscle loss and an overall decrease in fitness levels. But it turns out that age is just one of the many factors that affect how fast your body burns calories according to recent research. You have likely linked a decline in metabolism due to aging if you are older than 50 and slowly but gradually have gained weight over the years.
The pace at which your body brings calories to keep you alive and working is your metabolism. It’s a recognized idea that your restful metabolism decreases as you get old — particularly beyond the age of 40. Your metabolism slows yet further if you’re a woman experiencing menopause.
All that weight, all that stress – it’s more worrisome than you probably think. A new paper published in Science finds that your metabolism may be on a downward slope from as early as your 20s. The study looked at data from almost 6,500 people ranging in age from infancy to 65 and found that resting metabolism holds steady from age 20 to 60 before dipping less than 1% a year thereafter. According to researchers, you can make changes that will boost your metabolism, regardless of your age. There are many things you can do to improve your metabolism and burn more calories.
Get active
While your metabolism naturally slows with age, it’s also affected by your lifestyle. If your daily activity level has decreased, it can slow down even more. That’s why sitting for extended periods of time can be detrimental to your health. The human body requires regular movement to maintain optimal health. If you’re not getting up and moving around on a regular basis, you’re likely to experience many of the negative side effects that come with physical inactivity like weight gain, depression, and fatigue.
