Fitness at 40

Studies have shown that our metabolism begins to slow between the ages of 35 to 45. In your prime, your body typically burned 10 to 15 calories per pound daily with only moderate activity.  By age 50, this total decreases by more than 200 calories daily and continues to decrease throughout the rest of your life.  Here are some tips from Women's Health Magazine to crank up your metabolism:

Tweak your fitness routine.  Add variety to your workouts to help break through plateaus so you continue to see results.  

Increase the intensity of your workout.  Exercising harder promotes the growth of lean muscle, which burns more calories during and after your workout.

Fat-trimming trick:  Busting out an explosive move after a strength move trains your body to recruit more muscle fibers.  Researchers at UC Santa Cruz found that this type of workout (also called concurrent training) increases lean muscle mass while it decreases body-fat percentage.

Fitness Tips for Women Over 40

How to feel and look younger for the rest of your life...

Walk. Lift. Stretch. Move.

It's that easy to look years younger than your chronological age after you hit 40.

After age 40, women are significantly more prone to contracting high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and obesity. They are also more prone to losing muscle mass and bone density. Exercise helps slow these unhealthy outcomes of your body's natural aging process.

Just four (or more!) 30-minute workouts per week can lower your risk of contracting these life-threatening and quality-of-life-diminishing diseases. You'll increase your good cholesterol, reduce your bad cholesterol, boost your immune system, burn unhealthy fat, build healthy muscle, shed unwanted pounds and radiate a healthy glow.

When you're going through menopause, exercise can reduce the symptoms of hot flashes, joint pain, mood swings, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Staying fit has positive effects on every physiological system in your body. For optimal results combine:

Aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise. Power walk, dance, jog, spin--take your pick. Your heart beats faster, your blood vessels widen, more oxygen is delivered to your muscles and it carries away toxins. Your brain releases endorphins (chemicals that enhance your mood) and you burn calories and fat.

Weight training. Lift hand weights to build muscle and strength, increase bone density, improve posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury and tone your arms. Did you know that building muscle can increase the metabolic rate as much as 15 percent? Your faster metabolism will burn more calories throughout the day.

Stretching. Practice yoga or Pilates to improve flexibility, core body strength and balance. Stretching also helps your joints maintain their range of motion.

Even small amounts of exercise contribute to your health. Carrying grocery bags, climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator--they all add up. But before you begin a fitness routine, talk to your doctor about any risk factors you may have.

Of course you need to eat right, too. Drink plenty of water. Eat several small meals a day (instead of the traditional three meals) to boost your metabolism. And follow a heart-healthy diet that's rich in foods with vitaminsand minerals, especially Vitamins A, C and E, and selenium and zinc.

Nutrition in Your 40s

"This is when women start to find some time for themselves again," says Hill. "They're really anxious to improve their health and fitness." To conquer your biggest diet dilemmas:

Beat your belly bulge. If your belly seems a little rounder, blame it on estrogen withdrawal. "In her childbearing years, a woman puts on weight in her butt, butt, hips, and thighs to fuel breastfeeding," says FITNESS advisory board member Pamela Peeke, MD, author of Fit to Live. "The fat cells in those areas have estrogen receptors. As you go through estrogen withdrawal, those receptors aren't being activated anymore." That signals your body to sock away the fat in your tummy. Dr. Peeke's solution: cardio five days a week and resistance training on the other two.

Cut just 100 calories a day. "For every decade after 40, there's roughly a 1 percent decrease in calorie requirements," says Bonci. "That's the equivalent of one extra cookie." Eating every three to four hours to keep your metabolism revved can also help keep off the weight.

Key Nutrients You Need Now

Calcium: As you approach menopause, bone-building estrogen starts to decline and calcium becomes more important. Ironically, you absorb less calcium from the food you eat because your stomach doesn't make as much of the acid necessary for absorption. Aim for 1,000 milligrams a day from low-fat dairy, supplements, or a combination.

Vitamin D: This nutrient helps your body absorb calcium, keeps your immune system strong, protects against breast and colon cancers, and even prevents hearing loss. But by the time you reach your 40s, levels of D quickly start to plummet. "There's no way to get enough vitamin D from your diet because very few foods contain it," says Bonci. Your best bet: a daily supplement of 600 to 1,000 international units.

Fiber: It reduces bloat and makes you feel fuller longer. Plus, "fiber helps decrease cholesterol and your risk for colon cancer," says Dr. Peeke. Aim for a mix of soluble (from fruits, vegetables, barley, and oats), and insoluble (from whole wheat bread and bran).