HEALTH SECRETS FOR PEOPLE OVER 40:WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW
1) Muscles and joints— a little loss of muscle strength occurs between 35 and 40, but after that, strength tends to decline gradually for both men and women. By the age of 60, a man may lose up to 20 percent of his maximum strength and a woman may lose even more. Medical experts say that the decrease occurs because more protein is being broken down and less is being synthesized. The result is atrophy and loss of muscle fiber. The protein that has been lost is, in large part, replaced by fatty tissue.
Stiff joints also seem to be a fact of life for many people, beginning at about age 40. The health of joints depends on the strength of the muscles supporting them. Regular exercise—walking or running, weightlifting—is essential if you are to hold your own in the battle with aging muscles and joints.
Lower-back pain is also more common among people in their 40s and 50s. Researchers say that a slow, natural degeneration of the disks that cushion the vertebrae and stress can both contribute to back problems in middle-age people. But most people can overcome the pain and prevent further problems by strengthening the lower body and abdominal muscles through exercise.
2) Bone deterioration— strong bones are essential in order to prevent osteoporosis, a health problem which often afflicts older women. Osteoporosis causes bones*to become thin and porous enough to fracture or break easily. The condition accelerates at menopause and affects about 25 percent of women older than 65.
Studies have shown that the stronger a women’s bones are before menopause, the better her chances of avoiding osteoporosis. Adequate calcium intake and regular weight-bearing exercise—walking or running—are recommended to all women to ensure dense bones.
3) Sex— for most women, the hormonal shifts of menopause have little or no effect on desire or responsiveness. Many women at menopause, however, find sexual intercourse painful because of a drying and thinning of vaginal tissues. Many experts agree that the best treatment is to remain sexually active. Studies reveal that postmenopausal women who keep sexually active— with sexual intercourse at least once or twice a week—have considerably less vaginal atrophy than sexually inactive women.
As for men, evidence indicates that older men who keep in good physical condition can apparently maintain their output of sex hormones at the levels of young men. In fact, studies show that both men and women can enjoy sex into their eighties and beyond.
*197\27\8*
Random Posts
Categories: General health |
