Don’t let ageing become a weighty issue. As your time on earth increases, so does your likelihood to start tipping the scales. As your heart, kidneys, brain and other vital organs show signs of wear and tear — each 'age' differently, as this article explains — it can take a toll on your health and fitness, leading to the dreaded 'middle-aged spread', insulin resistance and drops in muscle mass. What they don't tell you, however, is that a few smart tweaks can ensure that belly’s never gonna get ya, whether you're in your thirties, forties, fifties or beyond. Tap through to find out how...
Weight Expectations
With age comes knowledge, financial security and self-assurance – but there’s often some extra, unwanted baggage, too. From the age of 30, your levels of testosterone, HGH and the sex hormone progesterone start to decline. As a result, your muscle mass decreases and your mood and libido can go into freefall. The only thing that rises is fat retention (hooray), as your body slips from Adonis to adipose. Unless, that is, you fight back.
Unnatural Enemies
It’s easy to make a false start. The increasing dominance of oestrogen (and lack of testosterone) in your body contributes to weight gain – a situation exacerbated by xenoestrogens in your food, put there by pesticides. Adjusting your macros to get more protein and fewer carbs, especially with a focus on organic meat, can reverse this, and will ensure that you’re only battling against Father Time, not chemicals, too.
Fully Loaded
As the spread starts to take hold, the temptation is to lean more heavily on cardio. But slogging away on a treadmill isn’t your smartest strategy. Healthy levels of HGH can be sustained by activating type 2 (or “fast-twitch”) muscle fibres with weights and strength building. Done to excess, endurance training can increase cortisol production and, therefore, fat retention. Slow it down and go heavy.
Outside Chance
The pressures of work and family life build up over time. Increased stress is linked to poor sleep, low energy and sugar cravings. Enjoy refined carbs sparingly: an expanding waistline is a sign of insulin resistance, in which the body loses control of blood sugar, leading to further energy slumps, cravings and weight gain. To break this cycle, prioritise your mind and spend more time relaxing or training outside.
Balancing Act
If you want to turn back time in the long term, the solution is not a sudden, dramatic transformation but moderation. As men reach middle age, the drop in hormones leads to a reduction in muscle mass. This decline means that less glucose can be used for energy and is stored as fat instead. Add size in all the right places with a barbell and cut back on carbs at dinner, and you can strike a successful balance that’ll keep you in your old 501s.
