Retirement News

Why 50 is the new 30... but only if you exercise

OLDER women can look years younger and regain a youthful figure simply by making a few trips to the gym, experts claim.

Rejuvenation can take just 12 weeks say experts Rejuvenation can take just 12 weeks, say experts

Those in their 50s, despairing at a thickening waist and wobbly thighs, can reap the same ­physical rewards from an hour-long workout as a 30-something.

A study suggests that older women can even boost the speed at which they burn fat by up to 10 per cent.

Rejuvenation also costs far less than plastic ­surgery or injections, requiring only 12 weeks of regular exercise.

Women who have been through the menopause may think they are too old to become super-fit and toned.

But two studies from the University of California, published in the journal Metabolism and the Journal of Applied Physiology, showed this group gained the same health benefits from doing exercise – such as a stronger heart, lower blood pressure and higher level of fitness – as younger “gym bunnies”.

Professor George Brooks, an exercise ­physiologist, said: “Older women respond much like younger women do to training.

Older women respond much like younger women do to training

Professor George Brooks, an exercise ­physiologist

"The women in our study had the cardiovascular and metabolic capabilities of women 16 years younger.

“The results are very encouraging for exercise without weight loss as an effective means for increasing vigour and controlling risk factors for chronic diseases in older women.”

Many celebrities in their 50s and 60s who work out regularly – such as Lulu and the green goddess Diana Moran – are proof that a trim body is possible whatever your age.

Dr Zinta Zarins, who studied women with an average age of 55, found that the physical and hormonal changes that came with age did not slow down their capacity to get fit.

She said:­ “Post-menopausal women are different because of decreased oestrogen, decreased lean body mass and decreased ­aerobic cap­acity.

“Despite changes in hormones and changes in body composition, they can make significant changes in their cardiovascular fitness without going on extreme diets.”

The tests involved an hour of cycle training, five days a week, but researchers believe other types of exercise would work just as well.

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