LOOK AND FEEL 10 YEARS YOUNGER

  Bone Density

  Aerobic Fitness

What Happens With Age...

More than one in four women suffer from osteoporosis. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, or have had your ovaries removed, had early menpoause, suffered an eating disorder or taken corticosteroids for long periods, your risk of osteoporosis is increased.  Anyone in this high-risk group should have a bone-density test

Test your aerobic fitness - howefficiently your lungs and heart get oxygen to your muscles - by climbing a flight of stairs quickly. At any age, you should be able to climb 20 stairs without stopping or becoming breathless. Or try skipping; you should manage at least one minute without having to rest.

... in your 20s

Your bones are still developing, so capitalise on this with a calcium-rich diet and regular exercise.  The stronger your bones become now, the less likely they are to become dangerously fragile in later years.If your mother or grandmother suffered from osteoporosis your risk is higher, so it is essential that you work to protect yourself.

You are at your peak aerobic capacity now - even without exercise. If you do exercise, you’ll be noticeably fitter and have more stamina than people who don’t.

... in your 30s

Your bones keep getting stronger until your mid-30s, with peak bone denisty at around 35.  This is followed by a gradual decline.  There are two kinds of bone cells - osteociasts, or demolition cells, which clear old tissue; and osteoblasts, or building cells, which create new tissue. From the age of 35, the demolition cells work harder and bones start to thin.

Aerobic capacity declines slowly, but without exercise the decline is far more rapid. Regular exercise should enable you to maintain the levels of aerobic fitness you had in your 20s.

... in your 40s

Bone loss is still quite gradual, unless you reach menopause early an the consequent drop in oestrogen leads to bone deterioration. If this happens, you should consider Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Work to conserve your bone strength by paying attention to diet and exercise.

Living a sedentary life will start to take its toll. The average woman is 11 per cent less aerobically fit now than in her 20s.  But if you have never exercised, the deterioration may be much greater.  Maintaining your activity levels will mean you can fight off all but a slight decline.

... in your 50s and beyond

Once menopause sets in, the demolition cells start working overtime and bone loss accelerates - plummeting oestrogen levels cause calcium to leach out of the bones and you can lose up to five per cent of your bone density every year for up to seven years after menopause. Replacing lost oestrogenthrough HRT has been provenm to conserve bone density.

Couch potatoes will pay for their inactivity now. The average woman in her 50s has lost 20 per cent of the aerobic capacity she had in her 20s , incrasing the strain on her heart.

What you can do now

Look carefully at your diet whatever your age. British experts recommend that women consume at least 1000mg of calcium a day. Include calcium-rich food such as milk, low fat yogurt, spinach and tinned fish in your diet. Stop smoking and cut down on alcohol. Do weight-bearing exercise - brisk walking, jogging, dancing or step classes - at least three times a week.

Do three 20-minute sessions of aerobic exercise every week -jogging, swimming, cycling or aerobics classes are ideal, or start with walking, gradually increasing the pase and the length of walks.  Build aerobic exercise into your life - walk rather than drive, walk up stairs rather than taking the lift.