Exercising in your 40s

This is your big chance to do a major challenge - walk through the Gobi desert, climb Kilimanjaro, or run the London marathon. ‘Your body is more than capable if you follow a good training regime, so, if you feel the urge to do something amazing, do it now,' says Anne. ‘It's great to have a goal to motivate you, but what you can realistically achieve will depend on how much exercise you've been doing to date, and whether you have any health or weight problems, so always talk to your GP before embarking on something major. And discuss your project with a personal trainer to make sure you get the right exercise to suits your body type.'

Even if you're relatively fit, you'll probably notice your weight climb in your forties. ‘Women tend to gain 10lbs in this decade as their loss of muscle mass kicks in,' says Leon. ‘But don't try to crash diet - this will just exacerbate your weight problem, by further diminishing your muscle mass and slowing your metabolism more - so that you end up gaining weight on a very low-calorie diet.'

Now's the time to add weight training, such as Body Pump, into your routine to strengthen your muscles. ‘This will help to alleviate any burgeoning stiffness from the start of osteoarthritis,' says Leon. ‘The other health problems you need to counter this decade are your loss of flexibility and balance, and the hormonal changes that will be affecting your mood and self esteem. All exercise will help balance your mood, hormones, and energy levels - and, for flexibility and balance, try taking a yoga class. Look for a gentle class - such as beginners' Iyengar or hatha yoga. Avoid ashtanga (a favourite of Madonna) if you're completely new to yoga as you could injure yourself without prior training.'

If you're very overweight, avoid any high-impact exercise - anything that means both feet are off the ground at the same time, such as jumping, aerobics and running - because it will be painful. Instead stick to a low-impact exercise such as walking, step classes or cycling, advises Anne. ‘Swimming or aqua-aerobics classes are particularly good if you're overweight, as the water supports your body while you tone your muscles. A good aqua class will also help you burn calories in a fun way, along with brisk walking.'

Try this...

Working out on a wobble board (in many gyms) will help your balance, or try using a medically certified vibrational plate (such as Fitvibe - see www.fitvibe.com for your nearest one). These enable you to get a full workout with minimal effort, in a very short space of time (as little as ten minutes) as the machine sends vibrational waves through your
muscles, doing much of the work. It will help to strengthen your bones as you approach menopause, when loss of oestrogen will make osteoporosis a threat to your health.

Tip

To lose just 2lbs a week, you need to shift 500 calories a day through a combination of diet and exercise (so that you're using up 500 more than you're consuming). You burn 100-200 calories for every 30 minutes of aqua or walking, and the heavier you are, the more you burn.

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