As we get older, a common myth people still believe is that they gain weight because of age. Your age doesn’t cause you to gain weight.

As you age, your body’s production of hormones that help maintain muscle mass decreases. As you lose muscle, more of your weight can be attributed to fat. In addition, as we age we often become less active. Many people still continue to eat the same portions and foods they are back when they were more active and able to burn it off quicker. Additionally, as we age we think we need less sleep or busy ourselves so much that stress causes a lack of sleep. These are factors that cause you to gain weight as you get older. But there are things you can do to work with your body and fight off the excess weight gain!

Exercise: Exercise with weights at least twice a week at a minimum. Lifting weight builds muscle strength. You don’t have to lift heavy weights! Start light/moderate and build your way up in weight and intensity. No gym membership? There’s plenty of at home workouts you can do. If you have a desk job, make sure to get up and move every so often. Do a lap around the office every hour and take the stairs when you can.

Diet: Watch your food intake and be cautious of portion sizes. Figure out how many calories you should consume in a day for your age and size. Eat lots of veggies and lean protein!

Sleep: Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep causes a lack of endurance. So you’re less likely to want to workout or get up and move as much. Ultimately encouraging a sedentary lifestyle which brings on weight gain.

Don’t let aging be your excuse for weight gain! Stay active, eat a healthy diet and get a good amount of sleep each night!