Lacking energy can be one of the biggest hurdles to losing weight, feeling healthier and feeling (and looking) great!

As already discussed (see ‘There’s a reason for that tummy!’) hormonal levels can have a real impact on weight – particularly hormones like oestrogen.

A dominance of oestrogen in our bodies can make us ‘better’ at storing fat, while at the same time, inhibiting our body’s ability to effectively use fat stores for energy.

For energy and weight control we need optimal levels of our energy hormones. These are thyroid, testosterone, DHEA and growth hormones. But as we age, the glands which produce these hormones also get older. The result is a constant decline in our anabolic (building) hormones.

You can determine your hormonal ‘status’ by having your blood or saliva tested by your doctor. If there’s a problem, there are many ways to help restore the balance.

Bio-identical progesterone creams or capsules may be prescribed if there is a progesterone deficiency. Bio-identical progesterone hormones (derived from plant sources) can help decrease abdominal fat and balance oestrogen dominance. This is an important step in achieving weight reduction.

The reality is that to change our body compositions, we need to make lifestyle changes – and not always big ones.

We’ve already talked about the importance of diet (see ‘Fighting fat with food’), but exercise is the other half of the equation. And yes, as we get older, it can be harder!

Our body adapts to the lifestyles that we lead. If we stay active, eat sensibly and exercise properly, our body will respond in the right way to help keep us in tip-top condition.

The first sign of aging is loss of muscle tone and strength. We lose one per cent of our muscle mass per year from our mid 30s. This declining muscle bulk results in a slowing of our metabolism plus a reduction in our energy hormones.
 
The primary aim of exercise, particularly as we start to age, should be to maintain our muscle strength and size.

Then we should focus on aerobic exercise (walking, running, cycling), which do not have the same hormonal benefits, but help us stay fit, healthy and able to be active for longer. In other words, it will help keep us feeling young, even when we’re not.

The perfect exercise programme is a combination of weights and aerobic/cardiovascular exercise. It’s also important to find something we love doing, so exercise is a joy – not a chore.

Talk to the team at Contours about developing an exercise regime that suits you.