A Diet and Exercise Plan for a 60-Year-Old Woman
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Stay Fit at 60: Boost Female Health With Diet and Exercise

Stay Fit at 60: Boost Female Health With Diet and Exercise
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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Some say 60 is the new 40, and one way to accomplish that younger look and feel is through a challenging workout for a 60-year-old female. Even though people are living longer, the human body goes through changes every decade. A 60-year-old woman no longer has as much of the protective effects of estrogen she once had, and estrogen appears to influence where body fat is stored.

Lifestyle Changes Work

There’s clinical evidence that people can make lifestyle changes after menopause that result in better fitness and weight loss. An older study looked at 11 previous research studies on postmenopausal women who had obesity. It found that women who combined diet with exercise lost an additional 2.7 pounds (lb) compared with those who only made dietary changes.

Women who focused only on diet or exercise — but not both — also lost weight, but not as much. Those who dieted lost an average of 14 lb, while those who only exercised lost an average of 7.7 lb. So the biggest bang for your buck comes from doing both.

Keep in mind that as you lose fat you might also gain muscle. While they both weigh the same, muscle is denser than fat. Your weight may not truly be the best reflection of your fitness level, so try not to put too much focus on the scale.

Weight Gain With Age

The likelihood of gaining weight increases as women age.

 The prevalence of obesity is 43 percent for women between the ages of 40 and 59 and 43 percent for women over 60.

 Lack of estrogen may play a role in women gaining weight.
Many women gain an average of 5 lb after menopause. The cause may be lower estrogen levels and a slower metabolism. Losing muscle mass, which can happen as you age, will cause your metabolism to slow down.

 Note that this is not true of all women: If you exercise and go through resistance training, it is possible to gain muscle after 50.

Other reasons may be genetics. If your parents carry weight around the midsection, you’re also more likely to gain fat around your belly.

 Then there’s the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) — the rate at which you burn calories. BMR starts to decline around age 47 (an average for both men and women combined), and total energy expenditure (TEE) starts to decline around age 63.

How Many Calories Do I Need?

The guidelines for your calorie intake fall as you get older. The average number of calories a 60-year-old woman needs depends on her activity level. If you’re inactive, 1,600 calories a day is a good number to aim for, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA). These guidelines use an average woman, who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 126 lb.

For a woman who is moderately active, the guidelines suggest that 60-year-old women consume 1,800 calories a day. A moderately active woman is one who walks 1.5 to 3 miles a day at a rate of 3 to 4 miles per hour in addition to her daily living activities. An active woman, or one who walks more than 3 miles a day at a rate of 3 to 4 miles per hour, should take in about 2,200 calories per day.

A Good Diet Plan

As you age, focus on eating well. Eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. Practice portion control, and eat foods in moderation. The Mediterranean diet can be a good choice for many.

The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.8 grams per pound (g/lb) of body weight, which is approximately 60 grams (g) for a 165-lb woman. Some studies show that adults who do resistance training twice a week may benefit from slightly higher protein portions of approximately 75 to 98 g for the same 165-lb adult.

 Focus on high-quality proteins, such as a 3.5-ounce (oz) serving of chicken, which provides 32 g of protein, or 8 oz of nonfat or low-fat milk, which provides 8 g of protein.

One cup of cooked lentils includes 18 g of protein.

 Other good protein choices are legumes, eggs, fish, and lean meat.
The Mayo Clinic suggests women 60 and older try to keep their waist measurement below 35 inches around. A higher waist measurement means more belly fat, which can lead to more health problems. Achieve this by emphasizing a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains along with the lean protein and low-fat dairy foods suggested above. Get your fat from fish, nuts, and olive oil. And replace sugary beverages with water.

If you’re trying to lose weight, do not attempt to lose a lot of weight at once. Try for 1 to 2 lb a week, and check with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program.

Exercise for 60-Year-Old Females

Getting older doesn’t mean you need to slow down. Consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program to make sure that it’s a good fit for you.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle and gain fat. There are ways to counteract that, however. One way is to lift weights. You don’t have to lift a lot — just enough to challenge your muscles.

When you’re in your 60s, it’s a good time to do resistance training. Moving away from free weights and using weight machines allows you to use heavy resistance with less stress on your joints. That’s especially good if you have arthritis. If it’s within your ability, do weight training that challenges your major muscle groups: the chest, back, arms, and legs.

This is also a good time to try interval training. Instead of a steady run or bike ride, try alternating one to two minutes of intense activity that causes you to breathe hard with one to two minutes of an easier activity. Do this one to two times a week along with your weight training.

Exercise classes allow you to combine socializing with physical activity. Water aerobics is easy on the joints and allows you to get an excellent low-impact workout. Try different cardio, weights, interval training, yoga, golf, and anything else that keeps you moving within your limits. Whatever you do, keep adding challenge and variety to your workouts. This will help your body stave off age-related declines.

More Exercise Is Better

Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week to avoid accumulating belly fat as you grow older. That’s 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you exercise at a higher intensity, try to get 75 minutes of exercise a week, or 15 minutes per day, five days a week.

Interval training is an efficient workout not only for those short on time, but also for anyone who is getting older. Researchers found that age-related decline in muscle cells actually reversed when doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT appeared to improve the muscle’s ability to produce energy and triggered the growth of new muscle. Changes were most dramatic in people over 65, so this is an excellent type of exercise to add to your routine.

And for those of you who’ve exercised since you were young? You’re already ahead of the game. A study found that at age 75, those who had exercised since young adulthood have heart health similar to a 40- to 45-year-old.

 And more recent research supports this finding.

The Takeaway

  • As women enter their 60s, losing muscle mass and gaining weight can become more common. But adopting a balanced diet and regular exercise routine can help mitigate these changes.
  • Weight training can aid in retaining muscle mass and alleviating joint stress, which is particularly beneficial if you have arthritis.
  • High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective workout that not only challenges muscle endurance, but can also help reverse some age-related muscle declines.
  • Regular physical activity of at least 150 minutes per week, combined with a nutrient-rich diet, offers numerous benefits, though you should consult a healthcare professional before beginning new exercise regimens or diets.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain. Mayo Clinic. July 8, 2023.
  2. Cheng CC et al. Effects of Dietary and Exercise Intervention on Weight Loss and Body Composition in Obese Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Menopause. July 2018.
  3. The Difference Between Muscle Weight Versus Fat Weight. Cleveland Clinic. April 12, 2024.
  4. Overweight and Obesity Statistics. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases. September 2021.
  5. Menopause and Your Health. Office on Women’s Health. March 12, 2025.
  6. Khalafi M et al. The Effects of Exercise Training on Body Composition in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology. June 13, 2023.
  7. Visceral Fat. Cleveland Clinic. September 12, 2022.
  8. Pontzer H et al. Daily Energy Expenditure Through the Human Life Course. Science. August 13, 2021.
  9. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.
  10. Nowson C et al. Protein Requirements and Recommendations for Older People: A Review. Nutrients. August 14, 2015.
  11. How Much Protein Do You Need Every Day? Harvard Health Publishing. June 22, 2023.
  12. Chicken, Broiler or Fryers, Breast, Skinless, Boneless, Meat Only, Cooked, Braised. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  13. Milk, Nonfat, Fluid, With Added Vitamin A and Vitamin D (Fat Free or Skim). U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 16, 2019.
  14. Lentils, Mature Seeds, Cooked, Boiled, With Salt, 1 Cup. University of Rochester Medical Center.
  15. Belly Fat in Women: Taking — and Keeping — It Off. Mayo Clinic. June 28, 2023.
  16. Robinson MM et al. Enhanced Protein Translation Underlies Improved Metabolic and Physical Adaptations to Different Exercise Training Modes in Young and Old Humans. Cell Metabolism. March 7, 2017.
  17. Lohman T et al. High-Intensity Interval Training Reduces Transcriptomic Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Aging Cell. June 2023.
  18. Ransford M. Study: Regular, Lifelong Exercise Keeps the Body Young. Ball State University. November 26, 2018.
  19. Lerchenmüller C et al. Restoration of Cardiogenesis in Aged Mouse Hearts by Voluntary Exercise. Circulation. August 2, 2022.
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Tara Collingwood, RDN

Medical Reviewer

Tara Collingwood, RDN, is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer, and a media spokesperson. As a sports dietitian, she has worked with the U.S. Tennis Association, the Orlando Magic, World Wrestling Entertainment, runDisney, the University of Central Florida, and numerous professional and amateur athletes. Collingwood is the author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies and a coauthor of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies.

She appears regularly on national and local TV, and speaks around the world to business teams on how to manage energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. She previously served as a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Collingwood double-majored in dietetics as well as nutrition, fitness, and health at Purdue University and earned a master's degree in health promotion from Purdue University. 

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Karen Gardner

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Karen Gardner is a professional writer and editor based in Maryland. She has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland. She is an experienced Health Writer and Editor. She has also chronicled her personal experiences in endurance sports, including marathon running and long-distance cycling.

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