'The only way to boost your metabolic rate is to prevent muscle depletion by strength training,' says Dr Miriam Nelson, professor of nutrition and a specialist in physical activity at Tufts University, Massachusetts, who conducted a study of 40 post-menopausal women, encouraging them to follow a programme of strength training twice a week for 30 minutes.

It's an easy rhythm to get into, but you may find it a help to do it with a metronome or a mobile app that provides beeps at set times - try Interval Timer or Seconds Timer, both free from iTunes, set to 24 beeps per minute (one step up, one down, per beep.)

Warm up for ten minutes by marching on the spot swinging your arms, then start a stopwatch and simply step up on to the step and off again, one foot at a time, for three minutes. This is a step-up exercise - you will need a high step that's 12 in above the ground. This is the decade of the triple whammy: hormonal decline, gravity pulling everything south and as the reduction in muscle mass accelerates, your metabolism slows - because muscle burns more fat as fuel. Make activity part of your life - stand instead of sitting, take stairs not lifts, never stand still on an escalator and pay attention to your posture.Īs well as doing at least two-and-a-half hours exercise a week, Sammy Margo recommends speeding up your mile: start by walking fast, break into jogging intervals as your fitness increases, then run when you can. If you take longer than ten minutes (12 minutes for women), you have a 30 per cent greater risk of developing and dying from heart disease in 30 years' time. Try to run 1.5km in nine minutes for a woman, eight for a man this puts you well into the top 50 per cent for your age group.Ī study by the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, showed that the speed you can run a mile by the age of 40 could become a spooky prediction of your risk of heart disease years later. This includes damage to the cartilage which cushions the joints. However, men and women who are active could be at risk of over-use injuries in this decade, says Dr Mark Hamer, an exercise physiologist at University College London. 'I see an increasing number of pregnancy-related back pain problems from women who have lived sedentary lives,' warns physiotherapist Sammy Margo. For many women, this decade is dominated by pregnancy and young motherhood, and hormonal changes can throw up problems.

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