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Want to stay strong and flexiblewell into your later years? Startexercising according to your age,says Lauren Murdoch-Smith``````20s: ANYTHING GOES“You are at your physical peak – strongand fast with rapid recovery, ”says LaraMilward, co-founder of the south Londonoutdoor training programme BlitzFitness. NHS guidelines state thata healthy adult aged between 19 and 64should do a minimum of 150 minutes ofmoderate aerobic activity a week, plus twoto three strength sessions. She continues,“In your twenties you should lay downgood eating and exercise habits for life,and enjoy many and varied trainingexperiences.” Lee Mullins, founder of theWorkshop Gymnasium in Knightsbridge,agrees. This is the time to “create leanmuscle and strength, which will makeit easier to retain as you age”, he says.Consider spinning, running and boxing.``````30s: FLEX APPEALStretching is crucial in this decade, sointroduce yoga or Pilates. “At this stageof your life, choose a dynamic form ofyoga such as Vinyasa or Jivamukti,” saysMullins. “These challenging styles willimprove your cardiovascular system aswell as your flexibility. Yoga is also agreat reliever of stress, which inevitablyincreases in your thirties.”``````40s-50s: POWER UP“In your forties, HIIT training is a time-efficient way to reduce body fat andimprove hormonal health – you can geta workout done in 20 minutes,” explainsMullins. Milward adds, “In your fortiesand fifties you start to see changes in sexhormones and muscle mass, and somedecrease in cardiovascular function. It isthought that in your forties you may losehalf a pound of muscle a year, increasing60s: STAY IN THE FLOW70s+: THE NEXT MOVEto a pound in your fifties, so weightliftingand body weights are highly beneficial.”So think about switching your spin classfor kettlebells.``````“There’s noreason whyyou can’trun well intoyour nineties”``````“In your sixties, the focus should be onmaintaining strength, flexibility andbalance to remain functionally active asyou age,” Milward explains. You shouldweight-train more often than a youngeradult to maintain muscle, and increaseexercise that helps with balance andflexibility, such as Pilates, dance andyoga. Swimming is also an excellent wayto train, using the resistance of the waterto work your cardiovascular system.”``````“Low impact, low-intensity training isthe perfect exercise in your seventies,”says Mullins. “I’m a huge fan of t’ai chifor joint health and balance, which aretwo of the main causes of injury in theelderly, and brisk walking is an easy,underrated form of low-intensity cardioexercise.” Milward adds, “If you’vealways been a runner, there’s no reasonwhy you can’t run well into your ninetiesand beyond – the stronger your musclesare for longer, the less discomfort youwill feel in your back and knees. Regularexercise is making you bullet-proofagainst ageing.”Blitzfitness.co.uk; Workshopgymnasium.comExercise bynumbers