Men and women become less fit as they age, according to a new report in the October 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

This should come with a big "duh". But it also comes with some good news.

First the not-so-good news. "The U.S. population is aging and is becoming more obese and sedentary", the authors tell us. No surprise there. But it's a vicious circle. Cardiorespiratory fitness of both sexes declines with age: two of the best indicators of cardiorespiratory fitness are body composition (fat vs. muscle) and physical activity.

The more fat you've got and the less active you are, the higher the chances of disease, not to mention the ability to function independently.

And by the way, the decline gets worse after age 45, and it's worse for men than for women.

What to do, what to do?

Researchers from the University of Houston studied about 20,000 women and men between 20 to 96(!) in a study called the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study between 1974 and 2006. The 30 years of data collected on such a large group of people offer some strong take home messages for anyone who wants to age well. (Here comes the good news.)

Photo: Corbis

It's a fact that as we age, our bodies don't make muscle as fast as they used to. However, a team of researchers from the University of Nottingham now believes that people over 65 may experience a "double whammy" effect that can lead to even greater muscle loss.

In young adults, insulin -- a hormone released while eating -- slows muscle breakdown between meals and while resting. According to the study, as we age, not only are our bodies less capable of building enough muscle using protein from the food we eat, but insulin fails to shut down muscle breakdown that occurs between meals and while we sleep. Researchers suspect that a weaker blood flow in older people may blunt the delivery of the hormone and nutrients.

But it's not all bad news. In a follow-up study, researchers found that muscle breakdown can be reversed through strength training. Over the course of 20 weeks, three weekly 20-minute sessions of weight training helped increase and even rejuvenate blood flow in seniors. The result was so profound that the blood flow in the study participants became identical to that of younger people.

Menopause. It's the rite of passage that no woman wants. Or is it? Changing hormone levels, hot flashes, moodiness -- the symptoms certainly aren't the stuff that dreams are made of. And since it marks the end of child-bearing years, it's often considered a time of loss.

But menopause is, thankfully, losing the stigma it once had. It can be considered the beginning of what is arguably the most free time of a woman's life. Besides, women can still be hot and sexy well into their post-menopausal years.

Hot, sexy and period-free ... gooood. But actually hot and kind of sweaty? Not so good. Never fear! Exercise can help manage some of those less-than-desirable symptoms of menopause.

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There's got be to be nothing better than fighting fat and aging at the same time. Now, I don't mean actually stopping the aging process. That would be weird, and I don't really want to stay 38 forever. What I mean is that it would be great to fight fat and feel younger all at the same time.

"Good Housekeeping"' Editor-In-Chief Rosemary Ellis told Ann Curry on Tuesday's "TODAY" show that she knows how we can tackle this double-whammy. Armed with six tricks for blasting fat and bolstering youth, Ellis spouted all sorts of wisdom. Check out her secret six:

• Produce: Eat your leafy greens with their vitamin K to reduce bone loss. Blueberries are tops too -- they help retard memory loss.
  
• Protein: Consume lean meats to preserve muscle mass, because you lose one percent a year starting at age 40.
• Whole Grains. Suppress your appetite with these fiber-filled goodies.
  
• Exercise: Aim for 30 minutes, five days a week. Be sure to do some strength training too.
  
• Wine: Drink one glass (five ounces) per day, says Ellis. It's one of the most potent anti-aging drinks around.
  
• Coffee: Ward off all sorts of disease with this drink. Tea works too. Just not the herbal stuff.

Ellis shares more detail in the video that follows, and she features a seven-day anti-aging diet (complete with menu and recipes) on the "Good Housekeeping" website.

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Besides the occasional dance session, you won't find Sienna Miller working out -- she doesn't go to the gym, despite having an enviable figure. But curiously, she recently told reporters that the reason she doesn't pump iron at her local fitness centre is because she wants to age gracefully. "Recently I found myself thinking, I'm getting wrinkles and things are wobbling -- I should go to the gym'. Then I was like, 'f*** it'," said the petite star. "It's not where the focus should be right now ... I say, let people be young and then be old. I can't wait to be seen as a woman."

Hm. I must have missed the study that found that running on the treadmill was akin to getting a face lift. Call me crazy, but I wholeheartedly think that exercise helps you age more gracefully. You too?

(via Fit Celeb)

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I called my sister to wish her a happy birthday the other day, and she changed the subject as quickly as possible. She was born near the end of the baby boomer generation and, I guess, she's reached a point where she'd like to deny that she even has birthdays.

If, like my sister, you'd like to reverse the effects of aging, just step on board with a healthy lifestyle. Positive changes like quitting smoking, eating healthfully, and exercising regularly can have a big impact on health ... they can even help reduce your risk of conditions associated with aging.

Even if you haven't been leading a healthy lifestyle, it's never too late to start. U.S. News and World Report has an article detailing how healthy habits can lower your risk of conditions including Peripheral Artery Disease, Osteoporosis, and varicose veins.

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We all want our workouts to be fun, but in order to get a senior citizen without much of a fitness routine interested in fitness, you'd better have something really interesting. And, one group of senior citizens in Miami definitely got an interesting workout from the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus clowns.

The clowns came to the YMCA's Silver Sneakers program and showed the group of grandparents how they could use circus tricks to stay fit. They balanced peacock feathers (for improved alignment) and juggled scarves (to improve hand/eye coordination and balance as well as mental fitness). They also used the hula hoop -- something "kids" of all ages can enjoy.

Smartly, it sounds like the gray-haired group avoided a few tricks, such as the unicycle, but they all went home with some great new views on staying fit as seniors. For other fitness tips (that don't involve creepy clowns), be sure to check out America Takes it Off!

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The secret to thin legs. How to plump up the appearance of a flat fanny. How to stay trim. What exercise does and doesn't count. Carol Burnett shared superb advice on all these topics.

I just saw the legendary funny woman last night and was fortunate enough to ask her a couple of questions. At 73 years young, she really does have a body most women would dream of at that age (including me). In fact, she's always had an amazing physique; just check out her old pics from The Carol Burnett Show!

Burnett is starring in Laughter and Reflection with Carol Burnett: A Conversation with Carol Where the Audience Asks the Questions and besides answering my questions, she answered some from the audience as well.

On the topic of how she keeps her legs so thin: "I shave off loads of excess hair each day."

-The ape woman population will benefit greatly from doing this.

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Unless you believe that old fountain of youth legend, there really isn't any way to turn back the time. But Madonna's personal trainer-to-the-stars Tracy Anderson thinks she can keep the Material Girl looking like she hasn't aged a day since the first time she sang Like a Virgin.

"I want to keep her body looking like it's 20 years old," says Tracy. "Because you don't have to have saggy arms, or poor skin tone in your 50s, or not have cute hips. It just doesn't have to happen. [A superfit body] should start being your standard when you're young - and after that, why should you ever want less?"

Though I can get behind the whole "age gracefully" movement, I like Tracy's line of thinking. We can't all have our 20-year-old bodies back, but growing older doesn't have mean giving in to gravity. Fitness is just important at age 50 as it is at age 20 ... why let those kids have all the fun?

Has your workout routine helped you defy the effects of aging?

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So you bought a healthy gift for your boyfriend, your sister, your mom ... why stop now? Resist the temptation to buy Grandma yet another holiday sweater and give her something that will contribute to her overall fitness instead.

Why? Because when it comes to fitness, age is just a number. Just like you need to get out and move at least five days a week, so do your parents and grandparents. Staying healthy and fit is a lifelong goal, and balance and flexibility become especially important as a person ages.

So when you go shopping for Gram and Pop-Pop, keep your eye out for one of these fit gifts.

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Occupational Therapist and uber fit mom Wendy Alexander knows her stuff and shares a simple strategy for staying strong and fit! Who knew it could be so easy?

To learn if yoga is right for you, the top 10 things a wellness chef wouldn't eat if you paid her, and to check out more health and fitness videos ...

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We all know Courteney Cox Arquette is beautiful. She's a former model and once landed on the cover of People magazine's Most Beautiful People issue. But what might surprise you is that even a stunner like Cox Arquette is feeling the effects of time marching on. So what does she do to fight Father Time? She exercises.

Cox Arquette isn't unrealistic about her looks. She said, "People who read a magazine can look at the picture and go, 'She looks great for over 40!' But guess what? That's not what I look like. Lighting is everything. When you're in your car and you look in the mirror and the sun's beaming in, you're like, 'Wow, times are getting tough.'" Personally, I think it's refreshing to hear celebs state the problems we all have. I certainly don't have make-up artists and professional photographers snapping shots of me -- but I know I've had days when things looked pretty good in my bathroom mirror, but then all the age lines and pores showed up in the light of day.

Cox Arquette fights back against the natural signs of age with cardio and weight-training five times a week. She enjoys running, hiking, and doing total-body exercises.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. My sister lost a bunch of weight recently. She's thirty years old and the weight loss was necessary, but now she looks closer to forty. She's not smoking or sunning, so why does she appear older? Rachel

A. I've heard this before Rachel, so you're not crazy. I've also seen people look decades younger due to major weight loss as well. For the most part, I think people just associate a fuller face with youthfulness. Know many angular -faced children? Probably not. Know any gaunt elderly folks? Yeah ... we all know a lot of them!

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Not too long ago, I wrote about a workout More Magazine had specifically for women over 40. Now, some More Magazine readers have stepped forward to show that they're over 40 and fitter than they were in their 20's.

Some of their tips:

• Manage stress eating by making healthier, conscious choices.
• See a trainer to develop a strength training routine.
  
• Limit red meat and eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise daily.
• Shove self-doubt to the side and don't shy away from a challenge.
• Try a new activity.
• Even if you have a hectic schedule, be sure to take time to focus on yourself. Treat your health like the priority it is.
• Practice weight-bearing exercises to maintain healthy bone density.

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When people think about muscle, they think biceps, triceps, glutes, and abs. But beyond the muscle you can gawk at see, there's a lot of muscle that's in action all the time inside your body -- like your heart, for one. So, even if you're not trying to build rock hard abs, it's important to remember to feed the muscles you can't see too.

Protein is important to muscle health, because it contains amino acids necessary for growth and repair. According to MSNBC, most Americans get plenty of protein in their diet, but tend to eat less of it as they get older. But not only is the amount of protein you eat important, so is it's quality. Choose high-quality proteins like eggs and fish over fattier meats like ground beef.

Protein isn't the only nutrient necessary for strong muscles. Find out what else you need over at MSNBC and in the gallery below.

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