How to Sweat Smart at Any Age

Hear this: How much you move is one factor you can control when it comes to aging well. Learn the simple habits that make a difference in every decade in this excerpt from Strong & Fit After 40, a Women's Health+ book.

- Ashley Nicole, CPT

GETTING OLDER comes with many positives: wisdom from years of experience, a greater appreciation for the little things, and tons of unforgettable memories, to name a few. But each decade can also bring health challenges, like decreased mobility and flexibility, muscle loss, weakened joints and bones, slower metabolism, and various illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, and chronic pain.

While some parts of aging are unavoidable, many issues we associate with getting older can be offset by something within your control: how much you move. Studies show that regular workouts can protect you from heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and diabetes. Exercise lowers blood pressure, reduces body fat, improves blood flow, keeps intestines and the colon healthy, regulates key hormones, and raises “good” cholesterol and can lower “bad” cholesterol. In other words, regular sweat sessions can help reduce age-related ailments.

Even better? You can supercharge those positive effects if you calibrate your routine (and the unique fitness hurdles that can accompany it) to wherever you're at in life. Here’s a breakdown of how to adapt your movement habits so you can feel your best in every decade.

In Your 40s The Busy Decade

THE CHALLENGE

Lack of time for exercise

► This may be your most hectic time of life yet—and, as a result, you might put other important things ahead of physical activity. But without regular exercise, your strength and cardiovascular fitness can begin to decline rapidly.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Make workouts short but effective