These steps can melt your middle age spread

These steps can melt your middle-aged spread

The middle age spread is something we’ve all not only heard of but are forced to battle if we want to maintain a fit body and a healthy weight past the age of 45.

And, while it’s tempting to throw in the towel and think that carrying around extra weight as you age is just a fact of life, that type of thinking could leave you not only unhappy with your body, but at higher risk for many health problems, including heart disease and diabetes.

Luckily, a recent scientific study is giving us new insight on how to keep from packing on the pounds after middle age, without resorting to drastic, crash diets or dangerous prescription weight loss drugs.

So, let’s take a look at what the researchers found…

Middle age fattens you up if you don’t take more steps

The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä set out to examine how changes in people’s daily step count are related to changes in their body mass index (BMI) — the higher the BMI, the more fat on your body and the higher your risk for obesity-related health problems.

They followed study participants for a period of four years to determine whether they increased, decreased or maintained their daily step count post middle age and then compared the groups’ step counts to changes in their BMI.

And, what they found could hold your key to keeping off the weight…

The test participants whose total step count grew by more than 2,000 steps during the follow-up period, maintained their BMI at the same level throughout the years.

In contrast, their BMI increased for those whose step count stayed the same or decreased.

In other words, if you’re age 45 to 65, you must get more physical activity than you did when you were younger or you will gain weight. Even just maintaining the same level of exercise you got in your 30s will leave you carrying around extra pounds.

Easy ways to get more exercise

So, if you want to keep the weight off, it’s clear that you need to concentrate on moving more. Here are some easy ways to get more exercise each day that you can use right away:

1. Take a walk after dinner – Remember, participants in the study had to increase their step counts by 2,000 steps a day just to maintain their BMIs after middle age.
2. Stand more – Studies show than standing can help you burn 0.7 calories per minute more than sitting. That may not sound like much, but it adds up to about 50 calories an hour. If you stand for three hours a day for five days that’s around 750 calories burnt. Over the course of a year it would add up to about 30,000 extra calories, or around 8 pounds of fat.
3. Walk and talk – You might spend a lot of time on your phone but you don’t have to spend a lot of time in your chair. When you’re on the phone, get up and walk around – just be sure to pay attention to where you’re going!
4. Get fit while watching T.V. – You don’t have to be a couch potato to stay current on your favorite shows. Instead, walk around, or use the treadmill or a stationary bicycle while watching television.
5. Get your groove on – Pick up a new hobby and dance. Dancing is a great and fun aerobic exercise (and has surprising benefits for your brain).You can do it at home in your pajamas, in a ballroom or at a fitness center. And, as a bonus, you’ll not only look better, you’ll feel better too.