Bodybuilding Can Help You Look and Feel Young Again

If you are 40 years of age or older and don't exercise, you stand a good chance of developing a variety of ailments that could plague you the rest of your life: cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. But the good news is that a simple workout routine and a good nutritional program can prevent - even halt - some of these health crises. Even walking and other everyday activities like yard work can be lifesavers.

By the time you reach 40, you become more concerned about living longer. You don't drive as fast, and you worry about health insurance. You try to avoid fights, and your contempt for your expanding midsection increases. At 40, a man or woman with no history of exercise may begin displaying the telltale signs of premature aging.

For the unexercised body, the erosion of muscle sets off a chain reaction that undermines physical abilities and functions that many take for granted. Suddenly, a flight of stairs makes your heart race; you cramp when you run; three push ups are your limit; your blood pressure rises and metabolic rate falls; your heart works harder because the blood vessel muscles lack the necessary tone to pump your blood; your bone mass declines; your flexibility diminishes causing injuries to sneak up on you; and you need reading glasses (eyes have muscles too).

If you are crossing that threshold into middle age and have never worked out, you are on your way to becoming a patient. You need an exercise and diet program. See your physician to get the go ahead for a fitness regimen. A basic physical examination might uncover symptoms or illnesses that could have an impact on your exercise program.