Belly Fat Over 40 Is Not Inevitable

How many times have you been told that middle age spread—the weight gain that comes with hitting 40 and beyond—is unavoidable? Well, next time someone starts going on about the inevitable metabolic slowdown, know this: You can turn the ship around. It's not even that hard.

Metabolic slowdown is a real thing. It's due to your muscle mass declining—by up to 8% each decade after age 30 and up to 10% after the big 5-0. "You lose about a half pound of lean muscle every year in your 30s and 40s, and once you hit your 50s, you lose roughly a pound a year," says Wayne Westcott, an exercise physiologist at Quincy College in Boston. Although researchers aren't exactly sure how this

Little Ways To Look Younger On A Budget

When money's tight, it may seem that beauty indulgences should be the first things to go. But just because your budget calls for some belt tightening, that’s no reason not to look better than ever. The trick is to bolster your beauty routine by making no- or low-cost moves that deliver maximum impact. From hiding dark circles to boosting hair’s shine, here are experts’ top tips for trimming costs—and a few years, to boot!

Simple Moves For Knee Pain

The jury is in: "Bad knees" aren't sidelining your workout; your hips may be the guilty party. According to a review of 28 years' worth of research on common exercise injuries, hip strength is the biggest predictor of knee pain. So grab a resistance band and do these moves daily, working up to 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Side Swing: Anchor band on left side at floor height and loop band around right ankle. Balancing on left foot (hold on to something if   needed), raise right leg out to side; lower.

The Only 4 Exercises You Really Need

I do my best to exercise 5 to 6 times a week, but there are days when I simply cannot pull myself out of bed in time to sweat before work, or when I'm traveling and my normal routine is completely thrown off track. Instead of completely scrapping my routine, I’ll try and squeeze in a few bodyweight exercises—namely squats, planks, chair dips and pushups—throughout the day. These four moves give you a full-body toning and strength session in just a few minutes. I find that they also boost my energy and mood on days when I'm feeling tired, stressed or overwhelmed, too.

The Age When Life Finally Starts To Open Up

The flowers, a cluster about the size of his hand, had sprung up near the woodpile, stopping him and the lawn mower in their tracks. A delicate blue, a shade darker than a robin’s egg, the blossoms had four petals, each no longer than a baby’s fingernail. A squadron of polished sentries, they proudly saluted the sky as they stretched above the short grass for the warmth of the spring sun. A few years ago, he probably wouldn’t even have noticed them and mowed them down. Today, they invited—commanded—close inspection. Plus, he didn’t want their beheading on his conscience. Everything is connected, he had been thinking lately.