I know there is supposed to be some rule that women never divulge their age. But I have never believed in that—or perhaps it’s just that I tend to have a rebellious side in me.
I have no problem letting people know that I am 43 years old. In fact, when I turned 40, I felt terrific. It felt like the best of my years were just beginning.
Apparently there is something else about the 40’s that could make a significant difference in your later years…your level of physical activity. In a recent study, there was strong evidence that those who exercise during their middle years can significantly reduce the chance of developing some cancers, cognitive conditions and chronic diseases.
While experts have always known that those who are physically active live longer, this is the first time they have been able to say that you can also be healthier. You can have a better quality of life overall.
The study specifically looked at the risk of developing pulmonary disease, lung cancer, heart failure, colon cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, chronic kidney disease and diabetes. If individuals in their middle years would increase their fitness by 20 percent, they could reduce their risk of developing these diseases by the same percentage.
So clearly exercise has not only temporary advantages but long-term ones. The experts also say that if you want to prevent the development of chronic diseases, start to take off your extra weight before it happens.
The problem is once you already develop a chronic disease, losing weight becomes much more difficult. So do something about it while you can.
Believe it or not, it wasn’t until I hit my 40’s that I actually started to take exercising more seriously. I wish I would have started sooner in life but clearly, what I do now could make a huge difference later on.
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Photo by mikebaird on Flickr