45 plus: Exercise for your ageing body

1. Cardio to strengthen your heart and lungs.

Walking is the best activity and will significantly reduce your risk of heart attack. Walking briskly for three hours a week - or just half an hour a day - is associated with a 30 to 40 per cent lower risk of heart disease in women. (Based on the 20-year Nurses' Health Study of 72,000 female nurses.)
2. Toning to improve your muscles strength and improve bone density.


3. Balance and mobility work to improve agility, posture and flexibility, all important as these are associated with ageing.

Walking ideas
Following a regular walking programme can boost the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL), known as 'good' cholesterol.

Physical activity helps reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL or `bad? cholesterol) in the blood, which can cause plaque buildup along the artery walls - a major cause of heart attacks.

However consistency of your actions is crucial for your heart health, but getting started can be daunting.

So here is a simple way to success: Invest in a good pedometer - I would only recommend my own one - which has been awarded a gold standard for accuracy available from www.joannahall.com.

Establish your average daily baseline number of steps (record your daily number of steps for four days and work out your average).

For the first week you must match your baseline number of steps every day.

For the next five weeks, add 1,000 steps to your baseline. Match that new baseline each day of each week. In week two, introduce four minutes continuous brisk walking on four of the seven days, adding a further two minutes each week.

This approach allows you to get fitter gradually, feel in control and with a little creative thought, should easily fit into your life.