THIS is 40

Some of us may have already hit that dreaded milestone...40. Many of us might be coming up on that birthday that officially makes us over the hill. And those lucky few....well, this will be you one day! Either way, we all can relate to wanting to stay in good shape at any age. But, the complaint I hear so often is that is gets that much harder after 40.

There are a few factors we can't change. That birthday is coming whether we like it or not. Our genetics DO play a role in how we handle this age thing. And, lastly, there's that shift in hormones. All of these factors CAN create that spare tire around your waist, but it doesn't have to.

Let's try not to focus on the genetic factors we can't change. Today, we are going to talk about the things we can change and what we can do to stay ahead of aging!

1. Muscle Mass

• Every 5 years your muscle mass decreases if it's not being worked. Those weight lifting sessions you haven't done since high school are finally catching up with you.

• It is so important to keep up the strength and muscle in your body. This is what keeps our metabolism going at a fast rate.

• Circuit training is a great way to work several muscle groups in a short amount of time.

• You don't have to kill yourself in the gym. To maintain, two days of strength training/week is enough.

2. Diet

• Because those hormones are shifting we have to address what we're putting into our body. Obviously a healthy all-around diet is the best thing for you. Dietary fiber is going to be key.

• As these changes happen you may find an increase in appetite, but a slower metabolism. Both things can equal belly fat so it's important to get around 25 grams of dietary fiber/day. This is what is going to keep you full on a less fatty/calorie filled meal.

3. 100-Calorie Fix

• Okay, research says that we need to burn just 100 more calories/day after 40.

• This could be a 20 minute run, a 40 minute walk, or 25 minutes on the elliptical. It doesn't matter just start moving a little bit more each day.

• You might also choose to cut your calories by 100. That works too. I like food so I'd rather exercise, but it's up to you!

• If you don't address the 100-Calorie Fix you could end up putting on about 10 pounds each year. No thank you! I'll take the treadmill!

4. Change-Up

• The bodily changes that play the biggest roll in gaining weight after 40: (Knowledge is power)

• 1. Muscle Mass decreases

• 2. Thyroid function decreases

• 3. Estrogen level drop

• 4. Insulin levels increase

Okay, so now we know what causes these changes in our body and how to combat them. You can still lose body fat, tone up, lose weight, gain lean muscle, etc after 40. Our body doesn't operate like it used to, but if we know how to handle these changes we can still be on our way to our best body yet!!!

See you in 2018!