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Page 57 Sedentary Lifestyle
Our bodies work best when we are physically active, and they break down when we are not. As we age, our sex hormones decrease (even before menopause in women), and we have a tendency to lose muscle and bone. Since muscle and bone require more calories for maintenance than fat does, even at rest, when this deterioration happens, our metabolism slows down, and muscle does, in a sense, turn into fat. To prevent bone and muscle loss and to maintain your metabolism, exercise becomes even more important as you become older.
When you have a sedentary lifestyle, a number of undesirable changes can follow. Your blood pressure goes up, your triglycerides increase, your level of good HDL falls, and you are more likely to gain weight, especially around your middle. This is a picture of a heart attack in the making. Currently only 25% of Americans get enough exercise. The solution, of course, is to get up and move. . . . .
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