Exercising in your 30s

You may not have run since your last school sports day, yet, you managed to hang onto your fitness in your twenties. But all that could change past 30 - and fast, if you don't take action now. ‘Muscle mass starts to decrease from the age of 25, and, from 30, your metabolism slows by five per cent each decade,' says Leon Almashan, physiotherapist and fitness consultant (www.bodybelief.com). ‘In your thirties you'll see a change, weight goes on more easily, and you look less toned. Add on post-baby fat and stress incontinence, and your self esteem can take a big knock.'

Time can be a big issue at this age, with every minute seemingly consumed by work and family chores, you'll have to be dedicated to squeeze in exercise. ‘But it can be done,' says personal trainer Anne Elliott (www.itsnotrocketscience.info). ‘If you were offered £1000 a week to exercise, you'd probably manage to find the time!

‘Start by going back to exercise you used to enjoy - join a netball or hockey team, play tennis with friends, or go dancing. If you're not sporty, find a class to follow. Group cycling (done on an exercise bike, and sometimes called ‘spinning') is great for burning fat, and Body Pump (lifting weights to music) tones the body. Both classes are easy to follow if you feel uncoordinated in an aerobics class.'

A good way to burn fat is by running. ‘If you're a novice, join a local running club, or hire a personal trainer,' says Leon. ‘Start with "interval training" - running fast for two minutes, then walking for an equal time, increasing your run time as you improve. Do this for 30 minutes, three times a week. If you prefer to cycle, you can adopt this on your bike, alternating speed work and gentle pedalling.' If that sounds too daunting, walking can be good exercise, but you'll only burn fat if you reach a pace that makes you breathe faster than usual. Buy a pedometer and count your steps. The Government says we should walk 10,000 steps a day - that's the equivalent of five miles, or 75 minutes' walking at the average of 15 minutes a mile (but you don't have to do it all in one go).  

Try this...

Work towards at least 30 minutes of exercise most days (an hour ideally). Cardiovascular training includes fast walking, running, cycling and body toning - (such as body balance, which mixes t'ai chi, yoga and Pilates) on alternate days - with a day off a week.

For home exercise, try a good DVD - we like Super Body Workout by Davina McCall (£12.99 from www.play.com). Or try the new Wii Fit Plus programme from Nintendo - customise your routine to combine 30 exercises, and monitor calories (£19.99 for the disc, £89.99 including the balance board).

Tip

Don't punish yourself with an aerobics class if you've got two left feet. You'll be too busy concentrating on your moves to get the cardio (fat burning) benefits from the class.

Be fit and fabulous in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond...