Own Every Decade Exercise And Eat Right Through The Ages

Own every decade—exercise and eat right through the ages.

- Sheree Gomes Gupta

I turned 40 last year, and while the ageing jokes didn’t get to me, what did was the way my body started responding (or rather, not responding) to diet and exercise regimens that once held me in good stead. It should not have come as a surprise—if the twenties had me battling acne and PCOD, the thirties saw me struggle with sluggish metabolism and hypothyroidism. Every decade comes with its set of physical, mental and emotional challenges. The trick is to tweak your health goals every decade. Fitness guru Samir Purohit and nutrition expert Dr Vishakha Shivdasani show you how.

20s THE TWENTIES BUILDING & EXPLORING

Your twenties are the best years to lay down the foundation of good health for life. What you do here is what will finally pay rich dividends (dependent, of course, on how good you’ve been) in the decades to follow.

WORK IT

“Building muscle and bone density are most important for this age group,” says Samir Purohit. Pilates, weight-training and cardio exercises like zumba and aerobics are ideal workout options. He suggests including compound exercises that work more than one muscle group at a time. “For example, when you do a chest press you are working your chest, shoulder as well as the triceps—this is a more efficient method of training,” he adds.

EAT RIGHT