Over 40? 10 Fitness Truths You Need to Know

Age is upon us, and while the morning slump and caffeine fix is more prevalent than not, understanding fitness can mitigate fatigue and have you performing better than ever before.
At NUMEE, it is our goal to enhance your life-work balance and bring fitness to the front of mind. Below are ten fitness truths, according to FAB’s Chief Wellness Officer, Diego Carrete.
1. Evolution wants you to gain weight
Many people have access to unlimited calories. However, it’s easier to avoid consuming 500 calories than to burn them.
2. The fastest way to look leaner is to fix your posture
Athletic bodies have a golden ratio between the shoulders and waist, which is naturally pleasing to the eye. Before thinking about losing weight, focus on walking straight.
3. If you are over 40 and don’t hit the gym, you’ve lost 5% of muscle
After 30, you lose 5% of muscle per decade, and the best way to build muscle, no matter your age, is resistance training.
4. Doing cardio before your workouts makes you injury prone
Research shows that when individuals do cardio before weights, their growth hormone levels are significantly lower than when they start the session with weights.
5. If you are not lifting weights 3 x week, you are aging faster
Muscle strength declines between 16.6% and 40.9% from people aged under 40 to those over 40. With the loss in strength comes the loss in muscle mass, which is a key indicator of aging.
6. It’s all about the muscle-mind connection
Your body is a smart machine that will try to recruit muscle fibers to help you. You want to focus on removing other body parts from the equation.
7. If you start nose breathing, you just doubled your energy
Breathing through the nose allows you to get 20% more oxygen with each breath than through the mouth. Mouth breathing is often used to get air in quickly, but nose breathing heats, filters, moistens, conditions, and pressurizes the air.
8. Delaying your coffee will increase your stamina in the long run
Your cortisol is highest in the morning, which blunts the effects of caffeine and develops tolerance, decreasing caffeine’s effect on your system.
9. Fructose can be your best friend or worst enemy
Excessive consumption of fructose, especially in processed forms like high-fructose corn syrup, can lead to insulin resistance and obesity.
10. Changing how we exercise, eat and sleep can delay death
After 50, those with low muscle mass are at 40-50% higher risk of mortality than their counterparts. Not only the size of the muscle but the functional and effective strength.
Bonus tip: Eat more protein and fat
As you age, you need to increase 2 food groups: protein and fats. Protein helps preserve muscle, and fat helps lubricate joints.