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Fitness and diet needs become different as you get older. Manage your weight well and you’ll always look good and feel great.
Here’s what you should do in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.
 The key to keeping healthy and staying in shape as you age is maintaining your weight at a healthy level.
This is because excess weight increases the risks for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, breast & colon cancer, osteoarthritis and even a reduced lifespan. Hence, it is necessary for you to manage your weight at all times. In an ideal world, it should be as easy for one woman to maintain her weight as another. However, women of different age groups have different fitness and nutrition needs due to metabolic rate, activity level and so on.
Your metabolic rate is high when you are young, thus allowing you to burn fats easily. As you get older, it slows down and you are unable to process the same energy as easily. This means that a 45-year-old woman has to work harder than a 25-year-old woman to maintain her weight. The first thing to do is to check your Body Mass Index (BMI), a method of determining your healthy weight range (see box). The next step is to follow these age-related fitness and nutrition guidelines.
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The ideal BMI is from 18.5 - 23. To find out your healthy weight range, multiply 18.5 and 23 by the square of your height (in metres). For example, a 1.7m tall woman needs to keep her weight between 53.5 kg and 66.5 kg. A BMI of more than 23 increases your health risks. |
In Your 20s
The 20s are the foundation years for human development and whatever you do at this age affects your health in the long run.
Although lifestyle diseases like atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of the arteries) manifest themselves later in life, the disease process begins much earlier. At this age, it should be about prevention, so there’s no need to cure. This is because by the time diseases set in, it is more difficult to exercise and carry out other weight management practices.
Generally, to maintain your weight, energy expenditure needs to match food intake. In other words, you should have a healthy, balanced diet and proper fitness/exercise routine. Consuming less energy than your expenditure results in weight loss and the converse is true.
This is a general diet guideline: If you hold a sedentary job and weigh 55kg, you need an average of 1700-2000 kcal depending on your level of activity. Generally, the more you exercise, the more energy you need. The suggested energy allowance for this age group, depending on the level of activity, is 1741 kcal (light), 1940 kcal (moderate) and 2039 kcal (vigorous).
To keep fit, start by taking note of these core parameters: Aerobic capacity (endurance), strength and flexibility.
Bone mass tends to drop around the age of 30, so it would be wise to build it up earlier. This is so that any drop thereafter would less likely result in osteoporotic fractures. Optimal bone mass can be achieved by taking adequate calcium, doing weight-bearing exercises and heavy resistance training.
In Your 30s
At this age, it is important to emphasise these weight loss pillars: 1) Dietary restriction, 2) daily exercise in the form of fat-burning aerobics, jogging or power walking, and 3) increased daily incidental physical activities. If, for example, you have a knee problem that limits your physical activity, you will need to compensate by restricting your diet even more.
If you do well in all 3 pillars, you should get a significant energy deficit, resulting in weight loss. Being proficient in these areas also increases your ability to maintain the weight loss. It will also improve your health to the extent that your doctor may reduce or do away with some of your medications.
Diet-wise you need slightly lesser energy intake than in your 20s. The recommended energy allowance, depending on your activity level, is 1702 kcal (light), 1897 kcal (moderate) and 1994 kcal (vigorous).
Metabolic rate decreases with age and there is a tendency for these parameters to deteriorate, so pay more attention to maintaining your fitness level.
In Your 40s & Beyond
Many disease processes can be slowed down, halted, or even reversed when you exercise in your 40s.
Age and disease states should not be excuses not to exercise. People who have had heart attacks undergo exercise as part of their cardiac rehabilitation programme.
There are many exercise modalities to pick from, so if one form of exercise is not feasible, find another that is appropriate. Your dietary requirements remain the same as in your 30s.
| Eat more high fibre items like fruits, vegetables and wholegrain products. |
| Foods high in fats should be consumed in small amounts at all times. |
| Choose food and beverages with less added sugar. |
| Avoid snacking and eat regular meals. Skipping meals may lead to overeating at subsequent meals. |
| Prepare meals with healthy cooking methods like steaming, boiling, roasting or baking. | |