Losing Weight and Building Muscle When You Are Over 50

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When you are over age 50, losing weight and building muscle is much more of a challenge than when you were younger. As a person gets older, his muscle mass progressively decreases and the void is replaced by fat. Then, there are those who spread the myth that after age 50, a person can no longer build muscle. However losing weight and building muscle when you’re over 50 isn’t really much different than when you were younger. You still have to burn more calories than you consume and you have to replace fat with lean muscle mass. It’s just that those over 50 have slower metabolism which must be considered. Don’t let your age keep you from getting or staying in shape. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you lose weight and build muscle even over 50.

The basal metabolic rate (BMR) starts to decrease with age. The term BMR is used to refer to the amount of energy released by the body while at rest. This energy is used to maintain function in life-sustaining organs like the heart and lungs. Those with a higher BMR burn more calories. The way to counteract the decrease in BMR with age is to build lean muscle mass which is accomplished by resistance exercise such as lifting weights. read more