Fat Burning For The Over Forties

First of all, if you're over the age of 40 and yet you are determined to achieve weight loss, then I think some congratulations are in order. However, contrary to what you may believe, doing more cardio workouts is not the magic solution to your problem; but instead, you should begin focusing primarily on the more intense workouts.

In this short article, you'll hopefully be able to discover the truth about weight loss for those over the age of 40. One of the main things you'll discover is that at this stage of your life, quality is more important than quantity with regards to training sessions. Let's start off by taking a look at why cardio exercises fail with regards to weight loss.

According to the results of a study which were published in the journal, Obesity, both men and women were put on intense cardio workout programs, where each subject was required to do one hour of intense cardio on six days of the week for an entire year. If you do the math, you'll see that they each did 300 hours of cardio in total.

Let's face it; most people would quite understandably expect to see a significant amount of weight loss as a result of doing so much intense cardio. However, the results were less than impressive by anyone's standards, in that the men lost an average of six pounds, and the women lost just four pounds. Is it really worth it to do 50 hours of intense cardio simply so that you can lose just one single pound?

To be perfectly honest, there's simply no way I would be able to continue with my job as a weight loss specialist if my clients were only able to shed 1lb. of fat every two months. Now you can see why I use interval training and resistance training with all my clients, irrespective of their age.

The truth of the matter is that even if you are over the age of 40, you still need to follow the same training principles as anyone else who is under the age of 30. For obvious reasons, you certainly are advised to consult with your doctor prior to beginning such an exercise program. Admittedly, because of your age you may have certain muscle areas which will require additional work, but apart from that, you need to follow the same sort of training exercises as what younger people do.

As a weight loss specialist, here are my top with rules for people over the age of 40 who are looking to achieve weight loss, particularly those who want to lose belly fat:

Rule #1

You need to begin eating a diet which is low in calories. In other words, you need to be eating foods which are wholesome and healthy, such as fresh fruit and vegetables for example. Irrespective of what age you are, you should be eating fruits and vegetables anyway. If you're not accustomed to eating sufficient fruits and vegetables each day you can begin by starting off slowly and then gradually increasing the amount until you manage to consume approximately ten servings each day.
The fiber which is present in many naturally healthy foods will also help to keep you feeling full, and as a result, you'll be less tempted to snack on junk food between meals. Also, you'll immediately begin noticing that you have far more energy than you did before.

Rule #2

You need to start doing some resistance training in order to give your muscles some definition. Bear in mind that as you grow older, it becomes increasingly important for you to maintain a certain amount of body strength in order to remain healthy. The bottom line is; if you don't use it, you'll end up losing it, and this is why your exercise program should ideally include strength training at least twice each week. In fact, if you can fit it in then you should try to do it three times each week.

Rule for #3

You also need to begin doing some interval training in order to help you get rid of your excess belly fat. Interval training will without a doubt deliver results in a much shorter space of time than cardio. Interestingly enough, studies carried out in Australia found that women who did just twenty minutes of interval training each week managed to shed more belly fat than those who were doing 40 minutes of cardio.

So, to sum it all up, you need to change your training regimen to include short, bursts of exercise rather than long, slow cardio. This applies to you irrespective of your age.

1. Prev:Lose Weight Fast Naturally With Easy Dieting
2. Next:What Is Weight Loss Hypnosis?