7 Ways To Lose Weight When You’re Over 60

Chaterine Lennox
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

For many of us, life gets better — easier, even — as we get older. We get more comfortable and confident in our own skin. We weed out what doesn’t work for us and invite more of what does work into our lives. There’s a certain clarity that inspires us not to sweat the small stuff so much and to keep the big picture in mind.

If only exercise, healthy eating, and weight loss fell into that “it gets easier with age” category.

Instead, dropping pounds can often feel harder than ever. After all, that stiff back that keeps you from bounding out of bed in the morning can make it less inspiring to go to the gym, a busy schedule can prompt you to eat on the run, and those 10 pounds you gained in your 40s can become an extra 20 pounds in your 50s and, well, you get the idea. Want to lose weight but are short on time?

Yet experts agree it’s important to focus on achieving your healthy weight no matter the number of candles on your birthday cake this year. “Excess fat is something we shouldn’t ignore no matter how old we are,” says Robert Huizenga, MD, the physician featured on The Biggest Loser. And while it can be tempting to throw in the towel, thinking you’re fighting an uphill battle at 60-something, compared with your 20- and 30-something counterparts, he has some interesting news: “There has actually been no difference in the amount or rate of weight loss in individuals of either sex who are over 60 years old versus those who are younger on the 17 seasons of the Biggest Loser show,” says Huizenga. So, while it might feel a little tougher (damn you, sore back), it is possible.

Michael Spitzer, a personal trainer and author of Fitness at 40, 50, 60 and Beyond, agrees, adding that “the true path to weight control and fitness after age 60 isn’t that much different than it is at any other stage of life. However, there are certain factors that need special consideration.”

For starters, it’s even more important than ever to actually follow the advice to talk to your doc before beginning any new exercise regimen. “Medical problems, such as heart disease and metabolic disease, become more common after age 60, so it becomes much more important to have a medical checkup before attempting a fat loss plan,” says Huizenga. Then there’s the fact that over the age of 60, your oxygen intake may be reduced by as much as one-third of what it was when you were 25, causing you to have a tougher time taking deep breaths when you’re exercising at a moderate to high intensity, and making it crucial to ease in to a new plan. Finally, this is the decade when your hips, knees, and other key joints are more likely to develop arthritis, which means that your old go-to running or aerobics workouts may need to be swapped for swimming and/or gentle walking plans.

The good news? These expert-approved tips will help you clean up your diet, lose excess weight, and set you up for better health in your 60s, 70s, and beyond.

Tip №1: Focus on fat loss, not weight loss.

Click here Next Tips Lose Weight=>

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