Prevent menopausal obesity by testing your physical fitness and exercising more

"Middle-aged obesity" is a problem for many people, and it becomes more obvious after entering menopause. Doctors say that after the age of 50, the basal metabolic rate decreases by 1% each year. Therefore, even if the amount of food is the same as before, the calories consumed have decreased, which will lead to fat accumulation. It is recommended that people in menopause should check their physical fitness to understand their basal metabolic rate and formulate appropriate exercise prescriptions to increase the amount of exercise and avoid obesity.

The basal metabolic rate decreases year by year

Zhu Nianfeng, director of the Department of Health's Taitung Hospital, who specializes in obesity medicine, said that 70% of a person's body weight consumption comes from basal metabolism, but a decrease in the basal metabolic rate is not noticeable. For menopausal people, a 1% decrease in basal metabolic rate each year translates into a 15-calorie reduction in calorie consumption. In addition, the overall amount of physical activity decreases after menopause, making it easier to gain weight.

Many people will arrange health checks for health reasons when they reach menopause. Dr. Zhu Nianfeng said that health checks mostly focus on "disease" assessments, but it is actually recommended to also do a "physical fitness" assessment to understand one's muscle endurance, flexibility, and basal metabolic rate. If this "report card" is not ideal, it means that the amount of exercise should be increased.

Exercise more to increase calorie consumption

What kind of exercise is suitable after menopause? Dr. Zhu Nianfeng recommends focusing on aerobic exercises that can enhance cardiopulmonary function and consume calories, including walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, etc., which can also help relieve discomfort such as menopausal hot flashes. In addition, some stretching exercises and muscle strengthening exercises can increase the body's sense of balance and flexibility to prevent the risk of falls and fractures.

As for the fact that many middle-aged and elderly people practice Tai Chi and ballroom dancing, Dr. Zhu Nianfeng believes that these sports actually do not consume much calories, but they are also important in providing a form of leisure and social interaction for menopausal people.

Dr. Zhu Nianfeng reminds that the absorption of nutrition by middle-aged and elderly people becomes worse, so it is not recommended to control weight by eating less. Instead, they should increase the amount of exercise moderately, that is, exercise according to the load that the joints can bear, so as to avoid suffering harm before reaping the benefits.