I have seen countless people who, for one reason or another, get to be in their 40's and older, and just give up. It's as if they are saying, "the time to be healthy is passed, that's for younger people". Well I think just the opposite. Younger people's bodies are functioning like a new car, they can treat them badly and dump in low quality fuel, and yet they seem to run OK. Unfortunately, that type of treatment catches up to you, and the old body starts to show signs of wear and tear. So instead of getting more lax on what you eat and how active you are, I believe you should pay more attention to these things than ever before and keep yourself functioning properly.

I have seen so many people, including my parents, fall into the trap of going to the doctor, getting prescriptions for what ails them, and thinking that will solve the problems. Then they go on with their life as always. Medications have their purposes, but in the end all that they are doing is creating a result. More often than not they do not address the source of the problem whatsoever. For instance, diabetes medications can get your blood sugar into a specific range, but do they solve the problem of why your body's insulin isn't working like it should? Statin drugs can get your cholesterol down to a certain level, but they do not address why it was up at a high level in the first place. The point I am making is that your body is a wonderful mechanism. When you cut the skin, it heals. When you break a bone, it mends. When you are infected with sickness, your body fights it off. I am not saying that medications should be shunned. If you are in real need of medication, take it, but don't use it as a replacement for taking the right steps to healthy living. Create the proper environment for your body to function correctly in the first place, and odds are you won't have to rely on drugs to resolve the issues.

My point is simple. What are some of the most common effects of aging? Well, you can suffer loss of bone density, and you lose muscle mass. We also have a tendency to gain weight and have less energy. Perhaps most seriously, with age we can develop heart disease, and diabetes. Many people just accept this as a reality of age, but it doesn't have to be so. Weight training and aerobic exercise, along with proper nutrition and a generally active lifestyle can fight both the loss of bone density and the loss of muscle mass, as well as to help your metabolism perform at a high rate.

You can also look forward to keeping your body weight down, helping to keep your arteries clear and better regulation of blood sugar levels. Expending energy creates energy, that is something I firmly believe. I also believe that these basics will help a plethora of other problems that are associated with age. Yes, we all get old, there's no avoiding that, but we don't have to just sit back and deteriorate. Maintaining healthy habits will enable us to enjoy life instead of just enduring it.

You do need to take age into consideration, but don't use it as an excuse. A 50 or 60 year old man is obviously not going to do the same workout as a 20 year old. Still, older people should exercise. Since your body is not really in the "building" mode anymore, you should use resistance training at lower weights and higher reps, say 15-20. This will help keep your muscles toned as well as help prevent muscle loss, (remember to get plenty of protein in your diet). As you get older, barbells may not be the best choice all of the time, but you can definitely utilize dumbbells and weight machines.

As far as cardiovascular exercise goes, I often see people who are getting up in years jogging. Treadmills and exercise bikes are good ideas, and there is always the old standby... walking.