How can you increase your metabolism after 40? Our advice

Wondering how to increase your metabolism after 40 ? You’re not alone. As we age, our metabolism slows down, leading to weight gain due to fat storage and loss of muscle mass. Fortunately, there are solutions to boost your metabolism and keep you in shape.

This can be achieved by adopting a balanced diet, regular physical activity, effective sleep and stress management, or by considering metabolic recalibration. These changes not only promote greater energy expenditure, but also weight loss and muscle strengthening, two key factors for an active metabolism and optimal health.

In this article, discover practical tips for boosting your metabolism after 40. We’ll discuss the essential roles of exercise, diet, rest and natural food supplements for metabolic blockages. Follow these recommendations to regain vitality and quality of life.

Understanding metabolism after 40

Why does metabolism slow down with age ?

As we age, particularly after the age of 40, basal metabolic rate tends to slow down due to a number of important factors. Hormonal changes play a key role in this phenomenon.

For example, reduced levels of hormones such as testosterone and thyroid hormones can directly affect the body’s energy expenditure. Another major cause is loss of muscle mass, often linked to reduced physical activity. As muscle mass is more active than fat, it burns more calories, even at rest.

So, as muscle mass declines, the body consumes fewer calories, contributing to a slower metabolism. In addition, lifestyle habits such as a sedentary lifestyle and unbalanced food choices can exacerbate this tendency.

A diet that’s too restrictive or excessively rich in calories, sugars and fats can also disrupt the basal metabolic rate, slowing it down even further.

The impact of metabolic slowdown on health

The slowdown in metabolism after the age of 40 has significant consequences for health. The most visible effect is often weight gain, mainly due to increased fat storage.

This weight gain can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. What’s more, a slow metabolism can lead to reduced energy and chronic fatigue, impacting daily quality of life.

Loss of muscle mass, combined with an increased tendency to store fat, can also lead to problems of mobility and flexibility, making physical activities more difficult to perform.

Finally, metabolic slowdown can be exacerbated by stress. Indeed, an increase in the stress hormone cortisol encourages the storage of fat around the abdomen. This creates a vicious circle in which stress slows metabolism, which in turn increases the effects of stress.

Summary of essential tips

To increase your metabolism after 40, here’s a summary of key tips to follow:

• Regular physical activity: Incorporate cardio and muscle-strengthening exercises into your daily routine. This includes activities such as brisk walking, jogging and cycling, as well as strength training sessions two or three times a week.
• Balanced diet: Choose protein-rich foods to stimulate thermogenesis, and opt for complex carbohydrates rather than simple sugars. Avoid excess calories, sugars and fats.
• Sufficient sleep: Get enough sleep every night to maintain an active metabolism and better manage stress. Quality sleep has a direct impact on your energy expenditure and overall health.
• Adequate hydration: Drink enough water throughout the day to enable your body to function optimally and burn calories efficiently.
• Stress management: Take steps to reduce stress, as increased cortisol can promote fat storage and slow metabolism. Adopt a positive mindset and practice relaxing activities such as yoga or meditation.
• Natural food supplements: Consider using natural food supplements to boost your metabolism. Be sure to choose them carefully and consult a health professional before incorporating them into your routine.

By applying these tips regularly and consistently, you can significantly boost your metabolism and maintain optimal physical and mental health after the age of 40.

Tip 1: Increase your daily physical activity

Small changes to keep you active throughout the day

Incorporatingphysical activity into your daily routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Simple adjustments in your habits can have a considerable impact.

For example, choose to take the stairs rather than the elevator, or use your breaks at work to take a brisk walk. Simple activities like gardening, carrying shopping bags or taking an after-dinner stroll can also increase your energy expenditure and keep your metabolism active.

What’s more, incorporating regular movement throughout the day, such as standing up and walking during commercial breaks when you’re watching TV, or performing gentle stretches while you work, can contribute to a consistent level of activity. These small cumulative gestures can significantly improve your overall physical activity and support your metabolism.

Why does daily activity count as much as intensive exercise ?

Daily physical activity, even if moderate, plays a key role in maintaining an active metabolism. Unlike intensive, one-off exercise sessions, regular movement throughout the day is continuous and can account for a significant proportion of your total energy expenditure.

Muscle, in particular, burns more calories than fat, even at rest. So, by staying active throughout the day, you increase the amount of calories consumed by your body. Regular physical activity also helps preserve muscle mass, essential for an efficient metabolism. With age, loss of muscle mass is natural, but staying active helps to limit this loss and maintain a higher resting metabolic rate.

As a result, your body will burn more calories, even when you’re at rest, which is particularly beneficial for weight loss and maintaining a fit figure.

Tip 2: Prioritize strength training exercises

The importance of weight training to boost metabolism

Strength training plays an essential role in boosting metabolism, especially after the age of 40. By practicing muscle-strengthening exercises, you build and preserve muscle mass, a key element in maintaining high energy expenditure.

Lean muscle consumes more calories than fat, even at rest. So the greater your muscle mass, the higher your basal metabolic rate. What’s more, weight training helps combat the natural age-related loss of muscle mass known as sarcopenia. By slowing down or preventing this decline, you can keep your metabolism active and avoid excessive weight gain.

Examples of exercises suitable for people over 40

To maximize the benefits, it’s important to choose exercises suited to your age and physical condition. Here are some examples of safe and effective exercises for people over 40:

• Squats and lunges: These exercises target the leg and gluteal muscles. They are essential for maintaining strength and mobility.
• Push-ups and pull-ups: Movements such as push-ups, pull-ups or dumbbell exercises strengthen the muscles of the torso, arms and shoulders.
• Core strengthening: Exercises like the plank, crunches and torso rotations improve stability and balance while strengthening the abdominal muscles.
• Arm and shoulder strengthening: Tricep extensions, bicep curls and lateral raises are ideal for maintaining arm and shoulder strength and flexibility.

We recommend starting with light weights and gradually increasing the load to avoid injury.

Don’t forget to stretch regularly to maintain your mobility and prevent muscle injuries.

Tip 3: Eat more protein

How do proteins affect metabolism ?

Proteins play an essential role in maintaining and stimulating metabolism, particularly after the age of 40. One of the main reasons is that they require more energy to digest than carbohydrates and fats. This process, called food-induced thermogenesis, increases overall calorie expenditure, as your body burns more calories to process the protein you consume.

What’s more, a protein-rich diet helps preserve and increase muscle mass, which is important for an active metabolism. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat, even at rest. In other words, the more muscle you have, the higher your resting energy expenditure.

Which foods to choose ?

To reap the full benefits of protein on your metabolism, it’s important to choose high-quality protein sources. Here are some foods to include in your diet:

• Lean meats: Lean chicken, turkey and beef are excellent sources of protein.
• Fish: Fish like salmon, tuna and trout are rich in protein and healthy fats.
• Eggs: Eggs are a complete source of protein and packed with many essential nutrients.
• Legumes: Beans, lentils and peas are vegetarian alternatives rich in protein and fiber.
• Dairy products: Milk, cheese and yoghurt provide high-quality protein and important nutrients such as calcium.
• Plant proteins: Soy proteins, chia seeds and flax seeds are ideal for vegetarian and vegan diets, offering both protein and fiber.

To optimize your metabolism, make sure your protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day. Including protein in every meal is an excellent way to maintain optimal metabolic tone.

Tip 4: Get enough sleep to boost your metabolism

The link between sleep and metabolism

Sleep plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy metabolism, especially after the age of 40. A lack of sleep can disrupt the hormones that regulate hunger, such as ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is produced in excess when sleep is insufficient. Conversely, leptin, which controls satiety, is reduced. This hormonal imbalance can lead to increased appetite and a preference for high-calorie foods, promoting weight gain and a slower metabolism. What’s more, a lack of sleep can lead to a rise in the stress hormone cortisol, which has a negative impact on metabolism.

Long-term high cortisol levels can reduce glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

Tips to improve sleep quality

To improve your quality of sleep and boost your metabolism, here are a few practical recommendations:

• Establish a regular sleep routine: Go to bed and get up at set times every day, including weekends, to stabilize your biological clock.
• Make sure you get enough sleep: Try to sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. This is important to maintain an active metabolism and avoid hormonal disturbances.
• Create an environment conducive to sleep: Your bedroom should be dark, quiet and at a pleasant temperature. Use blackout curtains, earplugs or a white noise machine if necessary.
• Avoid stimulants before bedtime: Reduce your consumption of coffee, tea and alcohol at the end of the day. And limit the use of screens (telephones, computers, TVs) to at least one hour before bedtime.
• Practice relaxation techniques: Meditation, deep breathing exercises and yoga can reduce stress and improve your sleep.

By applying these tips, you can significantly improve your sleep. This will have a direct and positive impact on your metabolism and overall health.

Tip 6: Eat thermogenic foods

Fat-burning foods

Certain foods, known as thermogenic foods, have the ability to boost metabolism and encourage fat burning. They increase heat production in the body by accelerating the processes of digestion, absorption and metabolization of nutrients, resulting in increased caloric expenditure.

Here are some examples of thermogenic foods to include in your diet:

• Green tea: Rich in catechins, it helps speed up metabolism and burn fat.
• Peppers: The capsaicin they contain stimulates thermogenesis and increases energy expenditure.
• Ginger: Known for its thermogenic properties and numerous health benefits.
• Proteins: They have a high thermal effect, requiring more energy to digest than carbohydrates and fats.
• Coffee: Caffeine acts as a natural stimulant, promoting thermogenesis and energy expenditure.
• Coconut and MCT oils: These fats have a strong thermal effect and can be used in cooking or as a supplement.
• Cinnamon and spices: Gentle yet effective, they stimulate the metabolism while adding flavor.

How can you incorporate them into your diet ?

To reap the benefits of thermogenic foods, it’s essential to include them in a balanced and varied way in your daily diet. Here are some practical tips:

• Drink green tea: Start your day with a cup of green tea, or drink it throughout the day.
• Incorporate chillies: Add them to sauces, marinades or directly to your dishes.
• Using ginger: Add it to drinks such as tea or smoothies, or use it in cooking.
• Include protein at every meal: Make sure you have a source of protein to maintain a constant thermal effect.
• Drink coffee in moderation: One to two cups a day is enough to boost your metabolism without side effects.
• Use coconut and MCT oils: Add them to your smoothies, salads or use them for cooking.
• Add spices to your meals: Incorporate cinnamon and other spices into your desserts, hot drinks or main courses.

By incorporating these thermogenic foods on a regular basis, you can support an active metabolism and encourage fat burning naturally and effectively.

Tip 7: Drink enough water

The impact of hydration on metabolism

Hydration plays an essential role in maintaining an active metabolism. Water is essential for many metabolic processes, such as digestion, absorption and elimination of nutrients. Good hydration supports the optimal functioning of the enzymes involved in cellular metabolism, speeding up chemical reactions and promoting calorie burning.

What’s more, drinking enough water can boost your basal metabolic rate. According to some studies, drinking more water can increase your basal metabolic rate by around 3%. This means your body will burn more calories, even when you’re at rest. Regular hydration also helps to regulate body temperature, which is essential for the proper functioning of metabolic processes.

Perspiration, essential for cooling the body after physical activity or exposure to heat, requires adequate hydration to compensate for water loss. Don’t underestimate the importance of drinking enough to maintain this balance.

How much water should I drink every day ?

The amount of water needed each day depends on a number of factors, including age, gender, level of physical activity and climate. However, a general rule of thumb is to consume around 2 liters of fluids a day for a healthy adult.

This includes not only pure water, but also fluids from food and other beverages. It is advisable to drink water at different times of the day, for example as soon as you wake up to boost your metabolism and eliminate toxins accumulated during the night. Drinking water before and after meals, as well as before and after physical activity, also helps maintain optimal hydration and support metabolic processes.

In short, sufficient hydration is essential for an active metabolism and optimal overall health. Get into the habit of drinking water throughout the day to reap its many benefits.

Tip 8: Natural food supplements

Natural food supplements can be a valuable tool for supporting and boosting your metabolism, especially when combined with a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Here are some of the most effective supplements for boosting metabolism and promoting weight loss:

[MY] ESSENTIAL FEMININE BALANCE

This supplement acts indirectly on the metabolism by regulating hormonal imbalances and the side effects that can slow it down. Here’s how it works:

• Adaptogenic plants (such as ashwagandha): help the body to better manage stress (cortisol), thus avoiding energy spikes or dips that can upset appetite or basic metabolism.
• Reduced fatigue: by improving sleep and stress management, the body has more energy, which promotes better natural energy expenditure.
• Improved digestion: certain ingredients (rosemary, desmodium, nettle…) support the liver and digestive functions, facilitating theassimilation of nutrients, essential for a healthy metabolism.
• Effect on the mind: by reducing mental fog and anxiety, it becomes easier to adopt metabolism-friendly behaviours (better diet, more physical activity, etc.).

[MY] DETOX ELIXIR

This product has a more direct action on metabolism, via hepatic and hormonal detoxification:

• Liver stimulation and drainage (rosemary, desmodium, pilosella, burdock): these plants help to eliminate toxins and facilitate the metabolism of estrogens, thus preventing their accumulation, which can slow down the metabolism.
• Ashwagandha: as an adaptogen, it helps regulate cortisol, which prevents the storage of abdominal fat often associated with stress.
• Vitamins B9, B12 and D: these vitamins play a key role in cellular energy production and the conversion of food into energy.
• Flat belly and anti-imperfections effect: by reducing bloating and toxins, the body can better mobilize its resources for metabolic functions.

Important: Before starting to take dietary supplements, it is strongly recommended that you consult a health professional. This will help you determine which supplements are best suited to your needs and overall state of health.

What you need to know about metabolism after 40.

In short, boosting your metabolism after 40 requires a comprehensive, long-term approach. It’s essential to combine a balanced diet, rich in protein, fiber and healthy fats, with regular physical activity including strength training and cardio.

Don’t overlook the importance of good hydration, restful sleep and effective stress management, which play a key role in maintaining an active metabolism.

As a complement, incorporate thermogenic foods and natural food supplements to boost your energy expenditure. By following these tips, you’ll be able to boost your metabolism, improve your physical and mental health, and achieve your weight loss or gain goals in a sustainable way.

Don’t wait any longer to take action! Discover today the benefits of an optimized metabolism and transform your daily life.

Sources :

1. Hormonal changes and their impact on metabolism in women over 40 (Lola Fit Challenge, Nov. 2024): estrogen decline → metabolism up to 5% slower per decade; impact on insulin and abdominal fat redistribution en.wikipedia.org+5lolafitchallenge.com+5joista.com+5.
2. Impact of stress on women’s metabolism after age 40 (Lola Fit Challenge, Dec. 2024): cortisol’s impact on weight gain and metabolism, especially around the abdomen lolafitchallenge.com+1lolafitchallenge.com+1.
3. Lifelong analysis of human metabolism
4. A study published in Science followed over 6,600 individuals from 8 days to 95 years of age, measuring their total energy expenditure. The results showed that metabolism remains stable between the ages of 20 and 60, then begins to decline after 60, contradicting the idea of a gradual slowdown from the age of 30 or 40. Read the Harvard article, Read the Washington Post article
5. Review of metabolic changes with age. A scientific review has identified that, between the ages of 40 and 66, body weight increases by an average of 0.3 to 0.5 kg per year, then stabilizes. This phenomenon is attributed to factors such as muscle loss, reduced physical activity and hormonal changes. Read the full study
6. Impact of exercise on metabolism in older adults A study has shown that regular endurance exercise in older adults prevents age-related slowing of metabolism. Participants who maintained a high level of activity maintained a higher energy expenditure than those who were less active. Read the full article on Healthline

FAQ

Why does metabolism slow down after 40 ?

Metabolism slows down after the age of 40, mainly due to several key factors. Hormonal changes, particularly those associated with menopause or other hormonal disturbances, play a significant role.

In addition, loss of muscle mass and reducedphysical activity accentuate this slowdown. Indeed, less muscle means that the body burns fewer calories, even at rest.

What is the impact of muscle mass loss on metabolism after age 40 ?

The loss of muscle mass after the age of 40, known as sarcopenia, considerably reduces resting energy expenditure. Muscle consumes more calories than fat tissue, which explains this effect. This loss of muscle accelerates metabolic slowdown, facilitating weight gain and impacting overall metabolic health.

How can physical activity, especially weight training and cardio, help boost metabolism ?

Physical activity, particularly weight training and cardio, helps boost metabolism in a number of ways. Weight training promotes muscle building, which increases basal metabolic rate over the long term, as muscles require more energy to maintain.

Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming or cycling, immediately increases caloric expenditure and improves the efficiency of fat removal. HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions maximize energy expenditure in a short space of time, promoting a more active metabolism.

How important are sleep and stress management in regulating metabolism after the age of 40 ?

Sleep and stress management play an important role in regulating metabolism after the age of 40. Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night is essential for maintaining a healthy metabolism. It helps regulate hunger hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin, and prevent weight gain.

Stress management is just as important. High cortisol levels disrupt sleep cycles and slow metabolism. To avoid these negative effects, we recommend adopting healthy sleep habits and stress management techniques, such as avoiding screens before bedtime or establishing a relaxation routine.