ThirdAge Staff
If you want to get in shape but don't know how, guess what? It may be easier than you think. General requirements for the average person to maintain a minimum of overall fitness are quite achievable -- and often easily so -- even for those who've lived sedentary lives.
If you're over 40 and starting an exercise regimen after living like a couch potato, first see a physician to get a fitness evaluation and take a treadmill stress test that measures your heart rate, says certified personal trainer and yoga teacher Nancy Minges, M.A., director of restorative fitness at The Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley, Calif.
"There are many components to fitness," Minges explains, and some of the most important ones for people over 40 include cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, bone density and body mass index (the relationship between your weight and height).
Body mass index (BMI) is used by health professionals to screen individuals for their degree of obesity.
For postmenopausal women, decreased estrogen levels cause bones to become more brittle and vulnerable to breakage. Get a bone density test to check bone health so that you, your physician and your personal trainer can tailor your exercise and nutritional supplement regimen accordingly, Minges suggests.
