What is Your Metabolic Age and 7 Ways to Improve It

You are probably familiar with chronological age, but what about metabolic age? Basically, metabolic age is all about the calories your body is capable of burning while at rest and how that compares to others your chronological age. While you can’t do anything to change your chronological age, there are several ways to improve your metabolic age. 

What is Metabolic Age

It’s a little difficult to define metabolic age (MA) without first defining your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is how much energy, specifically, energy in the form of calories, is burned while your body is at rest. If you were to lay on the couch all day, it’s the energy your body would need to continue functioning. Your BMR is based on several factors that include weight, height, muscle mass, and age. The higher your BMR, the better your MA.

How to Calculate Your Metabolic Age

In order to know your metabolic age, you must know your BMR. To get an idea, the most common formula is:

• For Men: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5
• For Women: BMR = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161

Now that you know your BMR, you can compare it to a MA chart.

What Does This Tell You About Your Health?

There are many factors that can play into your MA. These factors include:

• Age
• Hormones
• Biological sex

For most people, our BMRs are highest when you are young and begin to drop in your late 20s. Some research shows a link between low BMR and some health issues, such as age-related mortality and diabetes. Additionally, MA can be linked to overall health, which is an indicator of overall well-being. This is known as metabolic health and includes indicators such as:

• Waist circumference
• Blood sugar
• Triglyceride
• Cholesterol
• Blood pressure

7 Ways to Improve Metabolic Age

There are several ways you can help to improve your MA. So, if you find that your BMR is low, here are some things you can try:

• Be more active
• Lift weights
• Incorporate high-intensity interval training into your workout
• Get your Zs
• Make sure to eat enough
• Eat nutritious foods
• Manage your stress

Looking to Improve Your Fitness Over 60? Learn how with this easy to download eBook!