Daily Mirror

Your 40s

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You have more control than you think over naturally declining fitness factors in early middle-age, such as muscle mass and body fat.

“You can offset the natural drop in your aerobic capacity in your 40s with strength training and speed work,” says Wadsworth. And you have a secret weapon: “People underestim­ate the cognitive part of endurance. And mental toughness isn’t genetic – it’s honed through experience.

“Look at any running club and you’ll see some of the best, most consistent marathon runners are in their 40s because they’re mentally stronger and know how to push themselves without causing themselves physical damage.”

One element that determines your aerobic fitness is beyond your control: Your heart’s pumping ability naturally slows, Prof Cooke says. And, post-40, your kidneys are less able to conserve water as you dehydrate, and the nerves in your mouth and throat that signal you’re thirsty don’t function as well. “Your body becomes less efficient at telling you what it needs,” he says.

Your bones are also deteriorat­ing, which means joint pain and instabilit­y. US researcher­s at Cornell University found bone density in older athletes decreased around 1% a year. YOUR IDEAL WORKOUT

If your trainers have been gathering dust for several years, go slow. “Start exercising too fast or too much and you’re inviting injuries,” says Wadsworth, who recommends two years’ regular running before tackling a marathon. As you progress, introduce high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to remind your muscles you still have a top gear, and slow the natural decline. “Whatever your chosen exercise, push as hard as you can for a minute, go easy for three, and repeat five times,” he says. “Do this twice a week and you’ll see benefits in just a few weeks. And do at least one 30-minute weight training session a week, with fullbody moves like squats, lunges and free-weight exercises like deadlifts to maintain lean muscle mass and joint strength in a controlled environmen­t.”

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