Nearly everyone at some point has been told to "just wait", to see what happens to their bodyweight, metabolism, fitness, flexibility, body fat percentage once they hit a certain age.

We are interested in putting these claims into context and backing them up with a little science. There is no one age where the metabolism comes to a screeching halt. If a person is eating healthily and maintaining a regular program of cardio and strength training, it can help slow or lessen the impacts of some of the aging process. Weight gain with age is often times due to a decrease in caloric expenditure (less exercise) and/or the wrong kinds of exercise - for example, all cardio and no strength training to help maintain that muscle mass. But weight gain with age can also be due to injury, a slowed healer health conditions - many of which smart, gentle exercise can help. As a person's needs change, it's important to take workout intensity, training style and focus into consideration. Your workout program is something that should change with and for you over the years, to accommodate your body's needs.

In a vastly oversimplified, quick explanation; your body operates off of a "use it or lose it" principle. If you don't use your muscles, your muscle mass will diminish, which will in turn slowly lower your metabolism over the years. Putting in the effort to stay active and maintain muscle mass, will be helpful to stay at a healthy body weight.

We are not completely helpless when it comes to influencing these factors. The decisions that we make on a daily basis - particularly the foods that we choose to fuel ourselves and the exercise that we do or don't commit to each day - are enormously powerful in how they can positively affect the body.

You should always maintain responsibility for your body. Yes, time gets to all of us in the end and someday, if we're lucky, we'll all be wrinkly, softer, and less inclined to want to do HIIT workouts. Hormones will change and joints require less impact, healing rates might slow and energy levels might waiver, among a hundred other variables, but don't think that you are ever without the power to better your situation or your health. Your choices matter and they go a long ways towards the way that you feel on a day to day basis, so don't put your locus of control on something that you have no impact on - something vague like "metabolism" that might just be significantly affected by your choices after all. 

How to get or keep a fast metabolism
- Do consistent strength training
- Add HIIT or tabata style intervals to your cardio training
- Implement multiple training styles (we've got you covered)
- Don't wait to start, maintain an active lifestyle
- Try to avoid long breaks in activity
- Eat clean and eat often - try to avoid long periods without at least a snack
- Avoid crash/severe/starvation diets
- Don't be afraid of carbohydrates - All three macronutrients are important for good health and good energy