Exercise Habits To Speed Up Weight Loss as You Age

Your body will go through many changes as each birthday rolls around, making your 30s quite different from your 40s and 50s. You can limit the extent or risk of some, and other things that occur can be detrimental to your health. Some of the "pleasantries" of aging? Your teeth can lose sensitivity, some portions of your brain begin to shrink, and your hearing starts to decline, according to UC San Diego Health. But perhaps one of the more frustrating things to deal with is weight gain. Everyone begins to lose muscle mass in their 30s, and if you aren't proactive with exercise habits to speed up weight loss as you age, your fat can actually double by the time you reach 75 (via UC San Diego Health).

We're guessing that caused you to sigh and are now eager to learn everything you can do to prevent that from happening, and we're here with great suggestions. We reached out to Jacquie Smith, a certified integrative nutrition health coach from IIN and fitness instructor specializing in barre, yoga, and pre/postnatal workouts, who shares some healthy, productive lifestyle habits that are important to keep up with at every stage of life—most especially as you get older, since it's really easy to put on extra unwanted pounds.

Smith says these effective habits "will keep you moving, strong, and youthful, which is the key to longevity and living a happy life!" So keep reading to learn more about the exercise habits to speed up weight loss as you age.

Consistency is king.

close-up man's legs walking with dog on nature trail — Shutterstock

"The key to creating a daily movement routine is consistency. This means moving your body every day in some way, shape, or form for at least 10 to 15 minutes," Smith tells us. She explains that as you grow older, your body begins to diminish, and it will become harder to get your body moving if you don't already have an effective regimen you follow. "This is why you need to start NOW to keep your body young, strong, and active," she adds.

So, head outside for a brisk walk, hit up the trails with your pup, opt for the stairs instead of the elevator, and binge-watch your favorite TV show on the exercise bike rather than kicking back on the couch. Bike ride into town for errands, if that's possible, and get in some extra steps while tending to chores around the house. Every little bit counts, as long as you're consistent with your movement.

Prioritize mini workouts.

mature woman doing yoga exercises for chronic migraine pain at home — Shutterstock

Don't overwhelm yourself by thinking you don't have enough time or need to spend hours at the gym in order to lose weight. Smith suggests, "Rather than focusing on long workouts that require a big time commitment and that you seem more resistant to than excited, start with just a short, mini workout that's 10 minutes. First, 10 minutes is totally achievable. Second, you'll feel so good from the endorphins, that you'll want more and 10 minutes turns into 20 or 30 minutes just like that!" Before you know it, you'll be spending more time exercising than you think."

Choose low-impact workouts.

middle-aged fitness woman stretching on beach demonstrating speed up weight loss as you age — Shutterstock

There is room in your routine for many types of exercise. Smith explains, "While there is a place for high-intensity and high-impact workouts like HITT and running, there needs to be an emphasis on low-impact workouts like barre, yoga, and pilates as you age. Why? Most likely, you've spent years burning your body into the ground, and now you need to slow down to restore and work all of those tiny muscles you've been ignoring for years. Plus, these workouts are more approachable (not necessarily easier!) which can lead to doing them more consistently."

Know your body, and find the forms of exercise that work best for you—and one that you will stick with! Soon enough, you'll be on the right path to speeding up weight loss as you age.