Be Well: Fitness in Your 40s

My fourth decade started gently enough. I was a couple years in before the text on the drink menu started to blur ever so slightly. Nothing some colorful cheaters couldn’t fix. By 44 (bam!) the computer screen was a glowing mess. Next came the lower back attacker, a sneaky devil who would strike after particularly unpleasant tasks like laundry, toilet scrubbing, or a morning commute on 35W. Nothing like being punished twice.

What next?

Turns out at precisely the moment your kids are able to survive without you for 30 minutes and you consider trying to get back in shape, your knees start to wear out.

Be not discouraged, 40-something comrades! Dr. Greg DeNunzio, DC, BSME, from Northwestern Health Sciences University Sweere Clinic and Biomechanics Lab in Bloomington, says there are some things we can do to remedy the cruel realities of this first stage of old age. Grab your cheaters.

Start strength training. Now.
There is so much evidence pointing to the benefits of strength training these days, but you may not see the urgency in it until you throw your back out or experience the rude awakening of a knee or hip injury. DeNunzio offers these pro tips for pre-empting the pain.

Read the full article from Minneapolis.St.Paul Magazine online here.