Our bodies undergo dramatic changes as we get older. It can be relatively simple for a woman in her 20s to lose a few kilogrammes. But when she hits her 30s, the weight doesn't come off quite as easily as it used to, and slimming down can get even more challenging once she enters her 40s.
Weight training is an indispensable part of exercise programmes for women. PHOTO iStockphoto / Thinkstock
"Our bodies start to age from the time we enter puberty," explained Asst Prof Pasakorn Watanatada, a specialist in sports medicine and human-motion analysis at Bangkok's Samitivej Hospital. "And when we hit the big three-oh, the amount of lean muscle gradually decreases, but body fat increases, while our metabolism rate progressively drops. So, as we get older, we can often find it hard to lose weight or even to keep fit."
Apart from weight gain, ageing is also associated with a change in muscle mass and bone density, particularly among females. To help one deal with the changes, undertaking a proper exercise programme can be helpful. The most important thing to maintain good health, regardless of one's age, according to Dr Pasakorn, is to choose a well-balanced regime that includes aerobic exercise, training that tests muscular endurance and strength plus stretching exercises.
Since our bones keep growing until we reach the age of 30 or so, the doctor recommends that people in their 20s engage in activities like skipping as regular jumping exercises can help build stronger bones that will last a lifetime. The body of a 20-something is still strong, so people in this age group often enjoy physical activity, both moderate and vigorous. But while this can boost cardiovascular fitness as well as strength, overly intense training at this age can be harmful, the doctor noted.
"Many young people work out too hard and suffer injuries. Worse, they don't realise the extent of the damage caused until their condition has deteriorated drastically," he said
By the time they get into their late 30s, many people are leading less active lifestyles. Those who do continue to engage in workouts at the end of their working day may find they need a much longer recovery time after each session.
"When people get older, the body may not bounce back as fast as it used to," Dr Pasakorn said. "It's up to you to know your own limits. If you feel really worn out, you should skip that exercise session and take a rest. Pushing yourself too hard can hurt you," he warned
When it comes to exercising, most people think the physical activity they engage in must be strenuous in order to for gain any health benefits. But Dr Pasakorn pointed out that people who lead sedentary lives can improve their health and well-being if they engage in moderate-intensity exercise on a regular basis.
"To stay healthy, they could take a brisk, 30-minute walk five times a week, say. Remember, that starting a work-out programme can be relatively easy, but keeping at it, being consistent, can be toughest part."
And the definition of "moderate-intensity exercise" can differ from person to person. One easy way to measure whether the physical activity you're engaging in is moderate-intensity or not is to do what Dr Pasakorn calls the "talk test".
"If people are running hard and are still able to conduct a conversation with a friend, then that is moderate exercise. If they are exerting themselves to the point where they are no longer able to chat comfortably, then that's a vigorous workout. And if you can sing a song while you're exercising, then that would be termed light physical activity." It's very important to be consistent with one's exercise regime in order to achieve health benefits, the doctors said, explaining that if one has been exercising regularly and then needs to stop for a while for whatever reason (pressure of work, taking a long holiday, etc), one's endurance and strength levels drop as does one's metabolic rate.
"Doing exercise is not like saving money in the bank," he pointed out. "But the good thing is that once people resume the exercise regime, they are usually able to return very quickly to the level they had previously attained.
"Another important thing to remember: if you have to skip sessions for a couple of days, when you resume exercising you should never overdo things in an effort to compensate for lost time; this could just end up causing you an injury," he warned.
When people get into a fitness routine, they tend to use only one particular group of muscles and that can lead them to overdo things. To reduce the possibility of injury, Dr Pasakorn suggests doing a cross-training exercise, a combination of several forms of physical activity that uses many different groups of muscles. If running is the only activity that one regularly engages in, he suggests switching to doing a couple of swimming sessions each week as this mainly uses shoulder muscles and has minimal impact on the joints one uses jogging.
"People can have fun trying out a new activity and they may find that they can go far beyond what they've previously achieved. Be creative. As long as you introduce some variety into your regular activities, you are effectively cross-training."
Strength training like lifting weights is a good form of exercise that can be good for women of all ages, Dr Pasakorn noted. This is because it can help preserve muscle mass that tends to diminish as we get older. Many women are reluctant to lift weights, however, since they are afraid of developing muscular arms.
"Weight training helps tone muscles and make them firmer, but it won't make them bigger as long as you are not taking any performance-enhancement substances. To build visible muscles, the body needs testosterone," he said. "But, you know, the more muscles a woman has, the higher her rate of metabolism will be. Simply put: muscles help burn more calories throughout the day even when your body is at rest."
Weight training is a must, the doctor said, for menopausal women because they are experiencing a dramatic change in hormone levels that is associated with osteoporosis. Women tend to lose a significant amount of muscle strength at this juncture in their lives, he said, so working with weights can help them improve their muscle strength while also protecting the health of their bones.
"Muscle-strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of older women getting fractured bones in a fall," he said. "When your muscles are toned up, the bones will also be stronger, so that will help lower the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Women of this age should do strength training at least twice a week."
It's also necessary for older people to pay more attention to doing warm-ups and stretching exercises prior to engaging in strenuous activity; this, he said, can greatly reduce the risk of injuries occurring during an exercise session.
"And remember that it's never too late to start exercising. Make it a habit to stay healthy and all that effort will pay dividends later on in life."