Want a younger, feel-good body? How to slash years off your ‘metabolic age’

There's an abundance of research on the benefits of weight training for health and weight management. Photo / Logan Weaver, Unsplash

What do most of us do when we want to shift a few extra pounds? Decrease the carbs and calories and increase the cardio? Despite an abundance of research on the benefits of weight training for better health and weight management, the common wisdom is deeply ingrained and building muscle is an area of fitness that’s often neglected – particularly by women in midlife.

“My clients often take a lot of persuading to start using weights properly,” says Rachael Sacerdoti, a personal trainer whose lifestyle brand, It’s So Simple, helps women get in shape by building muscle.

“Women worry they’ll bulk up in a masculine way, that if they stop lifting weights their muscle will turn to fat and that weights won’t improve their cardiovascular health. These are all misconceptions. I would never advise to drop classic cardio altogether – because it’s important for endorphins and of course it’s great for heart health – but for women over 40, weight training is the most important thing.”

When it comes to muscle, it is a numbers game. “Research shows that post-30, we begin to lose 3-5 per cent of our muscle mass each decade,” explains nutritional therapist Alex Allan. Post-70, the rate we lose increases further. “This can be due to a more sedentary way of life, but also, as our testosterone levels start to decrease [in men and women], we create less lean muscle mass. Increasing levels of resistance and weight training along with increasing levels of protein can help to counteract the loss.”

A decrease in muscle mass goes hand in hand with an increase in “metabolic age” – a fitness buzzword based on your basal metabolic rate (BMR). “In essence your BMR is a measure of how many calories are needed to keep you alive at rest – the energy needed for breathing, circulation and digestion,” Allan says.

Dr Nilanjana Tewari, a consultant surgeon with a specialism in metabolism, explains: “Your metabolic age compares your BMR to the average BMR for people of your chronological age in the general population. Muscle burns more calories than fat so someone who has a high level of muscle mass will burn more calories sitting at their desk than someone with a lower muscle mass. So the fitter, healthier and stronger you are, the lower your metabolic age will be.”

Far-reaching benefits

If you’re interested in finding out your BMR and metabolic age, body analyser scales will do the calculation for you. The health benefits of having a lower metabolic age are far-reaching.

“There is evidence to link lower BMR and metabolic age with health outcomes, such as age-related mortality and diabetes. Metabolic age is also linked to your metabolic health, which is a strong indicator of well-being,” says Sacerdoti.

“Markers of metabolic health include waist circumference, blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Increasing muscle mass can actually turn back time when it comes to your metabolic age.”

But are most of us women really grunting and groaning enough over our dumbbells to be building muscle? Research from the University of Essex last year found women are 34 per cent less likely to do enough strength training and to meet overall exercise guidelines than men. And you only need to peek into a sports or health-food shop to see that building muscle is marketed as a man’s game.

“The rule of thumb is that you should feel fatigued by the end of the exercise – and keep increasing your weights to make sure you keep challenging the muscles you’re building." Photo / 123RF

Making a start

But according to the experts, women can and should be using weights. “The rule of thumb is that you should feel fatigued by the end of the exercise – and keep increasing your weights to make sure you keep challenging the muscles you’re building,” Sacerdoti advises. But, she adds, it’s always important to maintain form and technique to avoid injury. At the point of fatigue, muscle fibres break down, but with protein, calories and rest they rebuild, which is where the growth happens.

If you want to get started and you don’t have weights, you can also use your own body weight. Sacerdoti recommends squats, lunges, push-ups and tricep dips as good starter exercises.

Coupling strength workouts with a high-protein diet is the magic combination. “The amount of protein you need to build muscle depends on your individual body weight, but as a very rough guide, women should be looking at a minimum of 100 grams a day, alongside workouts,” Sacerdoti says.

Chicken breast contains around 35g of protein and a tuna steak approximately 28g per 100g, so consuming 120g a day takes focus at every meal – including breakfast. Greek and high-protein yoghurts or eggs are a great start to the day, and other hero foods include smoked salmon, cottage cheese and lentils. As a rough rule of thumb, Sacerdoti recommends a portion of lean protein like tuna or chicken should be the full size of your hand, while fattier proteins like beef should be the size of your palm.

“It’s not always easy for women to get enough protein in just three meals, so I also advise a 4pm snack of around 20-25g of protein, which also allows you to hold your appetite for dinner,” Sacerdoti says. “It could be rice cakes with salmon and cottage cheese, protein shakes or a high-protein chocolate bar.” It’s worth finding a protein bar that gives you a good dose of protein for your calorific buck – 200 calories could give you 20g of protein.

Carbs are also a necessary part of every meal, according to both Sacerdoti and Allan. “Lots of women find it hard to believe that they can eat carbs at every meal and stay in great shape, but if you’re working out, you should have around 40 per cent protein, 40 per cent vegetables and 20 per cent carbs on your plate,” Sacerdoti says. “I recommend those with lower glycemic levels that won’t cause blood sugar spikes, like quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice or sourdough, but white carbs are also OK in small doses.”

And of course something we find hard to maintain in all areas of life is balance. Sacerdoti says, “I work on an 80-20 lifestyle balance – if you’re in a routine 80 per cent of the time, when you’re out at a restaurant or at a friend’s house for dinner, let go.”

Careece Squires, 43

Lost 3.5 stone (22 kilograms) and five metabolic years

I’ve always been a yo-yo dieter. In my 30s, I had my two kids and put on 4st with each pregnancy. I would do quick-fix diets, but the weight would always slowly creep back on. Aged 43, I was 16st and a size 18. I thought I was heading for diabetes and knew I had to do something. I tried the “Couch to 5K” running app, but I couldn’t manage it. It was my sister who turned everything around. She won a competition to join It’s So Simple’s August programme and gifted it to me.

Instead of just trying to eat less, I started focusing on increasing my protein and doing strength-building exercises. The problem previously has been that I’ve craved what I can’t eat, but even though I’ve reduced my calories, I’m not denying myself any specific foods – and the protein fills me up. I have Fage yoghurt for breakfast with chocolate protein powder and I’ve made switches, so instead of white pasta I’ll have edamame pasta or lentil noodles.

I’ve done all my workouts via an app, so I haven’t had to join a gym. I started with just 2kg and 4kg dumbbells doing mainly squats and lunges and bicep curls, but the exercises have slowly become harder and I’ve upped my weights as I’ve become stronger, so now I use 8.5kg dumbbells.

I do four to five resistance workouts (about 30 minutes each) a week and it took five months to lose the weight. It’s incredible to think that six months ago I would struggle to get up in the morning, I felt so achy. Now, I’m bouncing out of bed to do a workout before I take the kids to school. Looking good in a tight pair of trousers feels pretty great, too.

Kelly Nathan, 42

Lost 2.5 stone and four metabolic years

I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life and tried every diet known to man. Nothing worked until I stopped obsessing about cardio and reducing carbs and focused on building muscle. It’s not just about eating or exercise, it’s about changing how my body responds and reacts to food.

Doing weight workouts has strengthened and transformed my body; my arms are now slim but also muscular. I’ve always done yoga, but nowadays my body is doing things I never thought possible in my 40s. I feel strong and empowered and that has flowed into every aspect of my life – even work.

I do four resistance workouts (about 30 minutes each) and one cardio a week and it took about seven months to drop my metabolic age from 46 to 42 and I’m still working on it.

I see it as a forever journey. If I’m on holiday, and there’s a ton of butter and cream on my food, I enjoy it. If you’re going to friends for dinner, you can’t always say, “Please give me a bowl of lentils and a grilled chicken breast.” I live my life but I feel empowered with the skills to enable me to do that to the fullest.

Sarah Gamsu, 45

Lost 2 stone and three metabolic years

I gained just over 2st in my early 20s but didn’t really notice until a friend pointed it out. I tried WeightWatchers and Slimming World, but would fail and berate myself. I yo-yoed over the years, put on weight when I had kids, and gained a lot quickly in lockdown.

I needed a holistic approach so I tried Rachael’s programme. There’s no meal plan, I just have to make sure I watch my calorie intake and eat enough lean protein, which can be a challenge as a vegetarian. I have a lot of eggs, cottage cheese and tofu, and sometimes eat vegetarian sausages and meat substitutes, plus protein bars if I’m after something quick and easy.

When I was on holiday I ate what I wanted, but I worked out and didn’t gain any weight. I love exercise now, it gives me energy and has changed my life completely. It’s improved my marriage and my relationship with my kids because I set aside time to work out every day, and then I’m ready to go – I’m no longer giving them my time while running on empty. I’ve suffered from severe anxiety and depression and that has also improved a lot.

I do five weight-training sessions a week – at first I thought that was ridiculous and I’d never fit it in, but who doesn’t have 40 minutes? You don’t need a gym, I’ve got dumbbells at home. I’ve put my heart and soul into this and it’s the best gift I’ve ever given myself. It took around six months and I’ve kept the weight off for nearly two years now, since April 2021.