Women in our 50s know this truth: When it comes to weight, fitness and overall health, the lifestyle that worked in our 20s and 30s no longer yields the same results at 50 and beyond. We must compensate for the hormonal, cardiovascular and muscular changes we experience as we age.
“Weight gain in aging women is common because of decreases in muscle mass, the accumulation of excess fat and a lower resting metabolic rate,” writes Yahoo! Health. “Hormonal shifts can cause a range of symptoms and increase overall risk for heart disease and stroke.”
When we’re older, it’s more important than ever to be healthy and fit. Here are some tips to help mature women get and stay healthy before, during and after menopause.
Add B12 to daily supplements. “B12 supports healthy nerve and blood cells and is needed to make DNA,” writes Yahoo! Health. “As we age, our stomach acid decreases, making it more difficult to absorb nutrients such as B12.” Adding the vitamin to our diets through a pill or shot can help prevent symptoms before they start.
- Dramatically cut back on the salt. As we age, we become more and more likely to get high blood pressure, which puts us at risk for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Cutting back and preferably eliminating salt-rich processed foods will help hold high blood pressure at bay.
- Check your multivitamin for iron — and toss it if it has it. “After menopause, the need for iron decreases to about 8 mg of iron a day. While the body can’t live without iron, an overabundance can be dangerous as well,” writes Yahoo! Health. “Iron toxicity can occur because the body doesn’t have a natural way to excrete iron; too much can cause liver or heart damage and even death.”
Other tips for staying healthy as we get older are: “Pay more attention to calcium and vitamin D” and “Eat like a Greek.” To learn what it means to eat like a Greek, check out this Yahoo! Health article.