| ng 40 can be a powerful and transient event even | | | | good one. |
| though many women believe that everything starts to | | | | If yoga isn't really your speed, pick something that is. |
| change or even fall apart at 40. This doesn't have to | | | | Maybe you enjoy spinning, or a step class or |
| be so! Women can stay strong and competitive, | | | | kickboxing. Whatever it is, don't stop now just because |
| healthy and fit well over the age of 40. There may be | | | | you've reached that dreaded age. Keeping active now |
| some changes you need to make, but it is an | | | | is just as important as it was when you were twenty, |
| important time for you to make these changes so that | | | | if not more so. If your aches and pains feel like they |
| you can continue to stay in shape. | | | | are preventing you from doing what you like to do |
| Some basic dietary changes can help you to | | | | best, it probably means you need to stretch more. |
| supplement your workouts and keep you strong. | | | | Stretching can be a wonderful tool to keep you young |
| Calcium, for example, has always been important in a | | | | and keep your muscles supple and strong. It can help |
| woman's diet, but it is critical to start supplementing | | | | prevent muscle tears and help you reach new levels |
| calcium now if you haven't already. Bone density | | | | of fitness by warming up the muscles and ligaments, |
| begins to decline and if this gets really bad, it can lead | | | | but it can also just feel great after a nice, long bout of |
| to osteoporosis later in life. Ginseng is an herb that can | | | | exercise. If you run or bike, be sure to stretch the |
| help to give you energy when you start to feel fatigue, | | | | calves and quadriceps muscles as well as the |
| and some people swear it is what helps keep them | | | | hamstrings. If you like to partake in a class at your |
| young. Consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables is | | | | gym and there is a lot of jumping involved, make sure |
| crucial to keeping yourself young. Not only is it very | | | | to stretch the ankles as well. Simply adding ten or |
| healthy for your body, it is quite beneficial for your skin | | | | fifteen minutes of stretching to your daily routine can |
| as well. Natural foods, especially fruits and vegetables, | | | | make you feel years younger if you are faithful about |
| are full of antioxidants, and these help keep free | | | | it. |
| radicals from destroying that youthful appearance of | | | | Staying in shape doesn't just mean looking good or |
| your skin. Also good are salmon and other foods such | | | | staying in good shape on the outside. Once you reach |
| as almonds, flax and fatty fish which provide a strong | | | | the age of forty, keeping up with regular doctor |
| source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Again, this is good for | | | | appointments becomes more important than it was in |
| your heart health but also for your radiant skin. | | | | days past. Make sure to get a mammogram and |
| Staying in shape also means getting - or staying - | | | | screen for early detection of breast cancer. Make an |
| physical, of course. You may discover aches and | | | | appointment with your general practitioner for a |
| pains that you haven't noticed prior to turning 40. It's not | | | | complete physical. Consult with a dermatologist, and |
| because 40 is some magical age, but rather a useful | | | | keep regular full-body skin checkups once or twice a |
| timeline to gauge when women tend to start feeling | | | | year, which can help screen out skin cancer and |
| less energetic, more rigid, or have tighter muscles than | | | | suspicious moles that may crop up. If you used to see |
| they used to. A fun and relaxing antidote to this is | | | | the eye doctor once every couple of years, cut that in |
| yoga. Yoga has been said to be the true fountain of | | | | half and see him once annually. Unfortunately, the eyes |
| youth! A good, long yoga session a few times a week | | | | are quick to deteriorate as you age, and you will want |
| or a simple practice of ten to twenty minutes daily can | | | | to keep up with these check-ups for safety reasons, |
| relax, tone and lengthen your muscles as well as your | | | | to be able to keep reading, and to check for signs of |
| spirit. It also helps to de-stress your mind, which has | | | | glaucoma and other age-related diseases. |
| been shown to have an effect on cortisol levels in the | | | | Nobody said getting older was fun, but it does not |
| body. By reducing cortisol, you can help reduce the | | | | have to be painful. The age-old adage that an ounce |
| belly fat that may be more stubborn to remove these | | | | of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies to the |
| days. Any time of stress-relieving mechanism you use | | | | aging process very well, and if you take these |
| will help keep you young, but yoga is an especially | | | | measures you too can age gracefully. |