Fitness_South_Africa_JulyAugust_2017

IN YOUR40s
After the celebrations for your big 4–0
die down, you’ll soon realise that you
are losing muscle mass at a more rapid
rate. In fact, by the age of 40 you’d have
likely lost up to 10% of your muscle mass
(especially if you didn’t follow our advice
for your 30s), which means you may be
burning around 100 fewer calories per day
than you were 10 years ago.
You also need to start paying careful
attention to your bone health as
osteoporosis becomes a bigger concern,
especially as you approach menopause.
Accordingly, at this age, your efforts in
the gym need to be taken up a notch, with
more work against resistance and added
load-bearing exercises to maintain muscle
tissue and strengthen bones, cartilage and
tendons and ligaments.
However, you also want to start adding in
more cardio to strengthen the cardiovascular
system, particularly the heart, to maintain
optimal function as you age.
It’s also time to make a dietary shift to
fortify your body with more vitamins and
minerals, particularly vitamin D, calcium and
magnesium. For these reasons, a greater
focus on supplementation during this period
of your life may be warranted – just consult
your doctor to determine exactly what is
lacking from your diet and which products
Your 40s are also an important time to
start considering your mobility and functional
everyday strength, to ensure you age well
years. For these reasons, adding workouts
such as yoga, Pilates and mobility work
to your weekly training regimen is highly
recommended, if you haven’t already
done so in your 30s.
No matter your current age, always
remember that the lifestyle choices you
make today will either slow down or speed
up the physiological changes associated with
ageing. Consider what your actions today
will mean for you, your health and your
longevity in years to come. Ultimately,
the better the choices you make now, the
well into your 50s, 60s and 70s.
sarcopenia
total
muscle mass decreases
by nearly 50% between
the ages of 20 and 90. In
general, a person will lose
between 1 3% of their
lean muscle mass per
year after the age of 40.
USE IT OR LOSE IT!
Sarcopenia: Age-related muscle
begin to shrink and reduce in
number. The cells responsible
for building new muscle also
dwindle, especially if we don’t
exercise or move against
resistance.
on’t...
healthful, balanced
diet
Adjust down your daily
calorie intake based on your daily
energy expenditure, slowing
metabolism and changing body
composition.
Get regular endocrine
function tests to pre-empt any
of the conditions that become more
prevalent during this period in your life.
Consume more healthy, natural fats in your diet
and reduce slightly the amount
of carbohydrates you eat to
meet changing macronutrient
requirements as you age.
he cardio and mobility or
hing. Your exercise habits need to
change to meet the physical demands of
a changing body.
Rely solely on popping pills
and mixing powders to
maintain your health and
vitality. Stick to a programme
of regular movement, with
lots of exercise and a natural
whole food diet.
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