Woman, 54, reveals 3 things she does to have “metabolic age of 36”

Annie Murray, a 54-year-old personal trainer, has achieved an impressive milestone in her fitness journey. Despite her chronological age, her metabolic age is that of a 36-year-old.

Murray, from Brighton, England, credits her remarkable achievement to three key lifestyle changes she adopted after turning 50. She recently shared these changes on Instagram (@anniesfitnesssteyning), racking up 2.3 million views.

“I am fitter now than I have ever been through food choices and exercise,” she told Newsweek during a phone interview.

Research has shown that strength training can lower your metabolic age. A study titled Strength Training Improves Metabolic Health Markers in Older Individuals Regardless of Training Frequency, published in Frontiers, found that adults ages 65 to 75 can improve their metabolic health through strength training, regardless of how often they do it.

The study observed benefits such as reduced body fat and improved cholesterol levels in all participants. More frequent training led to greater fat loss. Those with higher initial inflammation and blood pressure experienced the most significant improvements. Thus, any amount of strength training is beneficial, but more frequent sessions yield better results.

The video posted by Murray shows the mom of two standing in a gym with her hands on her hips. Her arms are defined and her stomach flat. In the caption, she shared three things that help her “keep on track.”

Strength Training

Before transitioning to a career as a personal trainer in her late 40s, Murray was a software and website designer. She shared her previous perspective on health with Newsweek.

“For years, I believed that being healthy meant being skinny, doing lots of cardio, and keeping my calorie intake low,” Murray said.

Now she trains three times a week, targeting all muscle groups and employing a progressive load technique to steadily increase the weight while ensuring proper form.

Muscle tissue grows when subjected to increased resistance or weight, a process known as strength training. This method is crucial for maintaining and enhancing muscle mass.

Newsweek spoke with Dr. Gareth Nye, senior lecturer of endocrinology at the University of Chester, who confirmed the benefits of exercising as we age.

“Metabolism is a combination of many factors which can change as we grow, develop and age,” he said. “Your Basal/Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic life-sustaining functions or essentially the calories you would burn staying in bed.

“As we age, your body performs less of these functions as we reduce our ability to repair and regenerate cells. Despite this, our metabolic rate remains fairly standard until the age of 60. Exercise and maintaining your muscle is a good way of keeping your metabolism going strong, but declines will happen to everyone. Exercise and healthy diets can only slow the speed of the decline in metabolism.”

Eating Protein at Every Meal

“I have finally found the right combination to make myself stronger and fitter,” Murray said. “I eat plenty of the right foods, including meat, fruit and eggs to fuel my body with the right nutrients, and my weight stays the same because muscle burns more energy than fat and requires more calories to maintain. This means I need to eat more, which is great because I love eating.”

Protein is crucial for building and maintaining muscle. When consumed, the body breaks down protein into amino acids, which are then used to repair and grow new muscle fibers. Murray increased her protein intake to 100 grams per day. Her main sources of protein include chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish, eggs, quinoa, natural Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, legumes, seeds and nuts.

She hasn’t had a drop of alcohol in six years and cut sugar out of her diet before her 50th birthday.

“For me, giving alcohol and sugar up has helped me massively deal with menopause and strength training,” she said.

Nye also discussed low-carb diets during menopause with Newsweek. While this is not Murray’s diet, he cautions against such approaches.

“There isn’t any specific data showing that low- or no-carb diets are beneficial during menopause,” he said. “However, maintaining a healthy diet and reducing weight if overweight can help alleviate symptoms. Low- or no-carb diets are often associated with increased cholesterol and blood vessel damage. Since menopause already raises the risk of heart problems, this combination can be particularly dangerous.”

Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is vital for muscle recovery and growth. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises adults to sleep for at least seven hours per night—during this time, the body releases human growth hormone, which is essential for repairing muscle fibers and building new muscle tissue.

“Waking up early has become part of my daily routine,” Murray said. “To counteract this, I make sure I have a good bedtime routine and get enough sleep by going to bed early. I used to stay up late and go to bed between 11:30 p.m. and midnight.

“Nowadays I’m in bed by 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. and sound asleep by 10:30 p.m. I wake around 5:30 a.m. I have fallen in love with going to bed early and prioritizing my sleep. It makes me feel good, rested and have more energy for the day ahead.”

Murray’s journey wasn’t without its challenges.

“I started to experience perimenopause when I was 42,” she said. “I thought it happened much later on in life.”

Her symptoms included low moods, anxiety after alcohol, and sleep deprivation. By the time she was 49, she sometimes didn’t sleep at all. She then went on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and began lifting weights.

“I could see the benefits of weight training—it helps in processing blood sugar and makes you feel stronger, fitter and healthier,” Murray said.

According to a cross-sectional study published in BMC Women’s Health, as physical activity increases, the severity of menopausal symptoms decreases. The findings suggest that engaging in moderate to high levels of physical activity can help reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms.

“My sleep improved with HRT, but weight training gave me a head start in preventing more age-related issues like brittle bones,” Murray added.

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