Your 20s

In your mid-20s, bone density and cardiovascular capacity peaks – and your fast-twitch muscle fibres (used for speed and acceleration) – are functioning at full speed, explaining why most sporting world records are set then.

“But it’s now that real life starts to impact on your available time to exercise,” says Prof Cooke.

You’re more likely to spend hours stuck behind a desk, leading to postural issues, and with fitness levels waning thanks to fewer available exercise hours, you’re more prone to injuries.

Prof Cooke says: “Bone density and lung capacity are at their highest now, but you must still work at them with weight-bearing, higherintensity exercises to slow down the natural deterioration. Social activities like football, rugby or netball are obviously fantastic for fitness and should be fully enjoyed in your 20s, but some of the extra-curricular drinking can undo any good you’re doing, so still focus on a full range of other activities from walking to cycling.”

And combat your increasing time behind a desk with some posture-focused work, such as yoga, Pilates, or ‘core’ work on a fitness ball, says Andy Wadsworth, founder of My Life Personal Training (mylifept.com) and author of The Encyclopedia of Fitness Training (Anness Publishing). “Anything involving balance that makes all the smaller, supportive muscles in your abdomen work in a full range of motion helps support your back and helps you hold posture better when seated,” he says. “You’ll open your airways better so you’ll feel less tired and slump less – it’s a virtuous circle.”