Anti-Aging Secrets For Women 40 +

More Magazine's Peggy Northrop Shares Advice

(CBS) 
In the latest issue of the magazine, anti-aging secrets are outlined. Northrop shares them with The Early Show:

Exercise

She says, "Exercise really does seem to be the fountain of youth. The fitness experts we photographed and interviewed did everything from yoga and Pilates to weight lifting and aerobics. But what mattered wasn't what they did. It was their commitment to keep moving. All of these fantastic-looking women had learned to look at exercise as time spent nurturing themselves. That seems to be the key. You can't think of it as stealing time from your family."

But she points out that you should not expect to be able to exercise the way you did when you were younger. Northrop says, "Our experts confessed that they needed to spend more time recovering after a hard workout, and more time stretching, especially doing yoga. And Pilates really is great for tackling the midlife tummy. But More just sponsored a marathon for women 40+, in which 3,600 women ran or walked, and our oldest runner was 81. So saying you're too old to exercise really doesn't cut it."

Follow Health Pyramid
The article offers a "health Pyramid," which describes several things we can do every day, week, month, even every year to stay healthy. Daily, Northrop says, "Eat More, Gain Less."

She explains, "Lifestyle changes can prevent 80 percent of heart attacks and diabetes, so our pyramid is aimed at helping you make those changes easily.

The daily prescription is going to sound familiar, but we tried to make it easier to remember. Exercise for as many minutes a day as you've had birthdays. So if you're 41, exercise for 41 minutes should be your goal. Remember walking counts. But find a way to lift a little weight or do resistance training; you need it.

Also, you need to increase your veggie intake if you haven't already done so. The new government health guidelines say you need 9 servings a day. How to do it? Start dinner with a big Mediterranean salad with a rainbow of vegetables. You'll take in fewer calories overall; that's how you can eat more and gain less.

Have Sex
Sexual activity is important, and Nortrop says you either "use it or lose it" when it comes to keeping vaginal muscles in tone, just like with other muscles and adds, "Regular sexual activity boosts estrogen and if you're starting to fluctuate, this can be very helpful."

Take Stock
Monthly, Northrop says it is important to look at what you've done and see what needs improving.

She says, "Maybe your gym bag is spending way too much time under your desk. So, instead, start a walking group with a friend. Sometimes reassessing just means crossing things off your calendar; it's so easy to get overscheduled."