5 Best-Kept Secrets To Losing Weight After 60, Trainer Says

Many of my older clients tell me that it gets more and more difficult to not only lose weight, but also keep it off once you hit a certain age. This is due to the fact that as we grow older, our metabolism isn't as fast as it used to be, and we lose lean muscle mass. However, it's not too late to turn things around and get into shape, no matter what age you are.

Key factors to weight loss include exercising regularly and following a diet that consists of lean protein, fruits, and vegetables. Besides eating healthy foods and being in a calorie deficit, you should challenge your body in other ways during your exercise routine, or at least increase the calorie burn.

Many people over 60 should focus on strength training regularly and get into routine aerobic exercise. However, if you're already doing both of these things, here are five helpful tips that can help you continue losing weight after 60. Read on to learn more, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Incorporate power training

trainer does squat with medicine ball — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

As we continue to age, not only do we lose muscle mass, but also power and speed. One of the best training tricks you can do is incorporate power training into your regimen. This means adding exercises that utilize your type I muscle fibers.

Power training is a solid way to kick off a workout. Besides improving your speed, power movements help stimulate your CNS (central nervous system) and will allow you to recruit more muscle fibers during your workout, which leads to more calorie burn.

Some of my favorite drills include medicine ball exercises, such as slams and chest passes. Add a few sets of 8 to 10 reps before your strength workout.

Use cluster sets

trainer working on arms in gym — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Cluster sets is a fun exercise technique you can sprinkle into your training. It allows you to push your muscles harder and helps you recruit and use all of your muscle fibers.

To perform the cluster set, choose an exercise (preferably on a machine), and choose a rep goal (15 to 20 is a good range to start with). Pick a weight that's challenging (yet safe) to finish around 8 to 10 reps, and go through your set. Once you hit that rep range, rest for 15 to 20 seconds, then do as many as you can with good form, then repeat until you hit your rep goal.

Add bike sprints to your cardio routine

trainer cycling in gym — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

If you're used to doing regular steady-state cardio, consider incorporating some bike sprints into your routine. Sprints burn more calories and fat than regular steady-state, and in a less amount of time, too. Start with bursts of 15 to 20 seconds, resting for 20 to 40 seconds, and then repeating for 6 to 10 rounds.

Increase your NEAT

trainer increasing neat — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is basically the energy used outside of our workouts and exercise sessions (in addition to sleeping and eating). A good chunk of calorie burn comes from NEAT, so it's important to get in as much physical activity as possible during the day. This is because even if we do get in our workouts, but we're not really moving during the other hours of the day, we're considered sedentary. So, stay active! Some examples of NEAT could be daily playtime with your pup (which is always something to look forward to), gardening, house chores on the to-do list, and simply moving around as much as possible.

Perform low-intensity cardio during your rest period

trainer jumps rope in home gym — Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.

Another way to increase your calorie burn is to perform a light cardio-based activity during your rest period. You can ride an exercise bike, jump rope, walk briskly, or even perform bodyweight squats. If you do this over the course of your entire workout, you'll burn more fat.