Tubby Tummy, Beer Gut, Muffin Top, Spare Tyre Just to Name a Few

What ever you call it the middle aged spread is a very real problem for most people as we go through our middle aged years the proportion of fat to body weight increases (women more so than men – not surprising since we bear children) and this extra weight shifts to the midline.

Muscle mass increases after we turn 50, making weight gain more likely.

There are 2 types of fat:

• subcutaneous fat (the fat you can grab) or visceral fat which is deep within your abdominals.
• Visceral fat has been linked to increased risks for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and breast cancer.

When your waist line grows so does your health risks.

The hormones that maintain your muscle mass tend to decrease as you get older and generally speaking we become less active, yet the energy intake from your food and drink remains the same.

Decrease muscle – less activity + eating = about half a kilo a year, now this 500g a year might not sound much but over ten or twenty years that adds up.

Good news us you can definately do something about it.
No surprises here that exercise is key!
You need to exercise to build your muscles (no I am not talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger type of muscles, I am talking about exercises to make your muscles work and be stronger) so you must include weight bearing exercises.  Resistance training may help to decrease your risk of fractures as it’s closely related to the decline in bone mass during the ageing process in both women and men.

Aerobic exercises are good for cardio but don’t really help with increasing muscle mass or bone density.

Below are a few studies on the benefits of training on a WBV platform like the Vibrogym.

Effects of training on a whole body vibration machine to increase bone mass
Effects of training on a whole body vibration machine to increase bone mineral density

I do recommend that you seek expert advice when starting weight or resistance training to help you do it safely and effectively.