Older Women Need More Exercise + Less Calories To Lose Weight

Older Women Need More Exercise + Less Calories To Lose Weight
March 24, 2010 By Kimberly

Just like many women over 40 who are trying to lose weight, Vickie Jones is finding it difficult to get the scale to budge. I hear this from my female clients all the time and I am facing these same issues. I know life is hectic and even getting in a half hour, 3 or 4 days a week, seems like alot of exercise. Today a study released by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), suggests exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week won’t stop weight gain while getting older without cutting calories. Dr. I-Min Lee, the study’s lead author, found that among women consuming a usual diet, physical activity was associated with less weight gain only among women whose BMI was lower than 25. Women successful in maintaining normal weight and gaining fewer than 5 pounds over 13 years exercised approximately 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity activity throughout the study.

At least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women at a healthy weight who aren’t dieting. For those who are already overweight, and that’s most American women, even more exercise is called for to avoid gaining weight without eating less, the study results suggest. The study focused on women so researchers could not theorize if this data would be true for men.

I’ve been in the fitness industry for over 15 years and I’ve noticed that the longer a woman has been carrying those extra pounds, the longer it takes for it to come off. Vickie said she has been trying to lose weight for the past 5 years and she’s only lost 6 pounds.

Are you finding it hard to lose weight now that you’re older?

Thursday workout:
1 hour strength training: sumo squats, lunges, side lunges, rows (over and underhand), machine chest presses, shoulder presses, 200 v ups, reverse sit ups (hanging by legs?)
30 minutes cardio on eliptical (Tabata intervals)