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As a 50 year old woman you need to understand what your body fat percentage is in order to determine if you are on the right track or need to make some lifestyle changes. As you go through menopause, your metabolism slows and you may begin to gain weight. If your body fat percentage is too high, you may face health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke or sleep apnea.
Body Fat and Aging
Your body is made up of fat, lean muscle, bones, water and organs. Essential fat is necessary on your body to help your body function. However, stored fat is made up of adipose tissue used for energy but can also be a health problem in high amounts. As you gain weight, your body may store fat as "belly fat" around your internal organs. This belly fat puts you at risk of a variety of obesity-related health conditions. As you age the distribution of your body composition will begin to be altered. The National Institutes of Health explains that as you age your fat tissue may increase and your lean mass and bone mass may decrease.
Body Fat Percentage
The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that the optimal body fat percentage is between 21.6 percent and 25.6 percent for you as a 50 year old woman. The average body fat percentage for 50 year old women is between 30.1 and 33.4, which is considered overweight. A body fat percentage above 32 percent is considered to be obese. Even if your weight is within a normal range, you may have a high percentage of body fat, due to a lack of exercise or yo-yo dieting, which reduces muscle mass with each cycle of losing and regaining weight.
Measuring Your Fat
You can have your body fat measured to determine if you fall into the optimal range. Have your body fat tested in a clinical setting using methods such as the hydrodensitometry, which is an underwater weighing device. The dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is also recommended and uses an full body scan to determine your body fat and muscle mass, along with bone density. Skin fold tests can be done at most gyms, but are not always accurate.
Maintaining a Healthy Level
Maintaining a healthy body fat or reaching an optimal body fat percentage can be done by adding exercise to your lifestyle. Cardio training will help to melt fat and burn calories. Choose activities like running, hiking, swimming or dancing that involve the entire body. Strength training is essential because as you continue to age, you want to keep the lean muscle mass you have. Weight training two to three days a week will help you keep your muscle and burn calories to lower your body fat. Because fat is lost over your entire body, losing weight also reduces belly fat and decreases your risk of developing health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
SOURCE: Livestrong.com
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