| It's a basic fact of life. As we get older our | | | | keep that youthful vigor and body. Research has |
| metabolism begins to slow down and the older we | | | | shown that exercise will keep your metabolism |
| get the slower it gets. That's just how nature | | | | running efficiently and that means burning calories |
| works. A slowing metabolism isn't always | | | | and excess fat. In one study a group of older |
| noticeable either, it's something that sneaks up on | | | | men was divided into two groups. One group was |
| us and before we know it there's 10 or 15 extra | | | | put on an exercise program the other group was |
| pounds hanging off our bodies. Or maybe you've | | | | allowed to go about their daily lives. At the end of |
| gained only 5 or 10 pounds but your clothes just | | | | the study they compared both groups to two |
| seem to fit a lot tighter. As we grow older for | | | | groups of younger men with similar lifestyles. The |
| many people the body begins to do the | | | | older group of couch potatoes averaged 22.2 |
| unthinkable, it starts getting rid of muscle and | | | | pounds more fat than their younger counterparts. |
| replacing it with a nice layer of fat. | | | | The group of older exercisers on the other hand |
| There a couple of reasons that this begins to | | | | only had about 9.5 extra pounds of fat then their |
| happen as we get older. For most people getting | | | | more active younger counterparts. |
| older means being less active. We also don't really | | | | In another study it was found that men who |
| change the way we eat and our caloric intake | | | | lifted weights can increase not only their muscle |
| begins to overtake our caloric output. This change | | | | strength by over 200 percent but that their |
| can be slow as the fatty layer slowly begins its | | | | growth hormone decline significantly slowed |
| insidious advance. Human growth hormone, the | | | | allowing them to not only increase their lean |
| hormone responsible for our growth from infant | | | | muscle mass but also maintain it. |
| to adult hood, begins to diminish. The body, no | | | | Maintaining or even increasing your metabolism |
| longer needing to grow, produces less and less of | | | | while we age is entirely possible, but it does take |
| this as it ages. Human growth hormone is also | | | | a little motivation on your part. By following three |
| responsible for building and maintaining lean muscle | | | | simple steps, living healthy, exercising and eating |
| mass and as it diminishes the body has a harder | | | | right the slow wasting of muscle mass can be |
| time maintaining its muscle. | | | | avoided even into our later years. |
| There is one way to slow the loss of muscle and | | | | |