"We now know that the changes once thought of as 'inevitable aging' are actually the result of inactivity and disuse," says Lawrence Golding, Director, Exercise Physiology Laboratory, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Contemporary wisdom holds that exercise, food and attitude ensure that blood pressure and cholesterol levels don't rise, muscle strength and bone density don't erode, and mental sharpness doesn't fade.

The 20s

It is too soon to be seriously gymming, right? Wrong, says Dr. Mariam Nelson, Director Centre for Physical Fitness, Tufts University. "Your 20s are your last chance to maximize bone health and reach peak bone mass."

Exercise: cardiovascular rowing cum cycling with strength weight training builds tough bones and greater muscle mass.

Food: Calcium from dairy produce, protein (sprouts) and iron rich foods (beans, greens, figs) reinforce bones, muscle and blood.

Attitude: More than your physique, take pride in going that extra mile. Winners win because they hang in there when others quit.

The 30s

The good news: Bone-density continues peaking-up to age 35. The not- so- good- stuff. Lungs can lose 10 percent elasticity, muscle mass reduce by 3-6 per cent, and couch potatoes pack about 5 kg per decade with decelerating metabolism.

Exercise: Keep-up the cardio-cycling. It burns fat and increases lungpower. Use weights to boost muscle metabolism. Do abdominals to tighten lax muscles and prevent back-problems.

Attitudes: Responsibility is also response ability. Guard your exercise-hour possessively - it gives stamina, strength and will for everything else.

The 40s

If you are not into a fitness life style yet, you may find a bout of flu lingering and weakening your dynamismand will. It is a sign of an inactive immunity system with sluggish white cells. Get well, then get going immediately.

Exercise: Half hour walks / stationary cycling rev up immunity. Torso twists with a rod across the shoulders restore posture and correct an imbalanced physique. Flexibility may have dropped. So, include stretches to prevent injuries from any sudden jerky movements like grabbing your loaded briefcase to rush off for an appointment. Weight training, too, as the bones now need insurance. The cheering news is that bone-density

can be increased by as much as 2 per cent in 12-18 months. Any load on the skeleton releases hormones that trigger bone cells to multiply. -1

. Food: What you eat now will really make a difference between being diabetic/ hypertensive and not. Soya and diary products pack calcium into exercised bones. The lower the fat in your food, the easier your digestion and you won't suffer from the 40s' fat-liver syndrome.

Tip: To make an apple more digestible, stick two cloves in it and stew it in cinnamon dissolved water. The spices kill the E-coli bacteria that bring on the heaviness.

For Women: An Australian study recommends yam as a natural progesterone replacement. It helps regulate menstruation.

Attitude: Remember, you can't run around like you did in your 20s, not because experience has changed your priorities. Use that experience to create a healthful environment, where you feel whole and live fully.

The 50s onward

If you have not been exercising regularly, your memory may be dull. Not because you are aging, but because your brain is not receiving sufficient oxygen and nutrients.

Exercise: Walk / cycle to boost oxygen rich blood to the brain. The cardio-bonus: It strengthens the heart and primes muscles so that they don't ache. Blood vessels widen, allowing more immune cell soldiers to surge through your circulatory system and zap all gems. Check with your doctor and do weight training. It ensures that a slip need not end in a hip fracture.

Food: Breakfast to feed glucose to the brain at the start of the day. Antioxidants - vitamin E, C and zinc - are great pick-me-ups. Absorb vitamin D from the sun. Nibble on six smaller meals instead of two big ones to continually nourish blood and brain. Ease off salt. Increase fluids as the body tends to dry up.

Attitude: Start a self-renewal cycle. Think 'Healthy' and , quality' instead of 'young' and 'old'. A healthy self-rating makes you reach out and relish a fitter, better quality of life. This is the self-renewal cycle. Above all, each decade should have you feeling more complete and wanting to be more active - physically and mentally.

6 to 10 years

For children of this age group, we need not prescribe any specific exercise pattern as they themselves will involve in their own way of playing and being healthy. Their natural way of adopting into playing situations is sufficient for them. Only thing that we have to take care of is that they take proper food and sufficient quantity of water. They must be constantly told of the dangers of rash way of playing. At the same time if any child is not playing, it is also a matter to be worried with. Such children are to be taken to a doctor for their poor peer relationship. They will take care of themselves

10 to 14 years

Growth and development of the children play an important role in their physical, intellectual and emotional achievements and accordingly their implications for sports also differ. It is to be remembered that age is not the only one factor when determining which level a child should fit into. Children move through developmental stages of different rates. They need to move through the skills progressions in a planned, sequential manner according to their individual development. The principles of motor learning with reference to the age of the children also should be considered very seriously. At the age of 6 to 13, the children are supple, and speed and skill could be developed. The years from 7 to 11 are known as the skill hungry years. It is important that skills are well taught right from the outset as it is virtually impossible to correct some technical faults later. Practice will make perfect but the skill may be perfectly wrong.

14 to 20 years

This is the age of specialization. It is the age of excitement and experimentation. Here they are almost mature and know what they are doing. What is learnt in this age is retained for life. Hence we have to streamline the activities. Most of those who choose the careers in Medical or Engineering colleges have always in their minds the opportunity to go abroad and work. They do not know that the working conditions there demand a very great physical fitness to travel daily for a long distance to their vocation places and to work for extended hours. But in their institutions where they study, the process of building up academically heavy heads are intense but the progression of production of stronger physique is left out. It is a very great matter of grave concern and something is to be done about it immediately. The people under this category must be involved in multivarious activities like athletics, ball games, weight training, bodybuilding and grooming. Aerobics, dancing and vigorous exercises will attract them.

20 to 25 years

This group may complete are undergoing college studies. They will choose their own game or events of their choice. Now they will look for help in doing correct things at appropriate level. They need guidance of their workouts according to their event of choice. There are others who need guidance in just keeping their health without getting into the various circle of smokers, drinkers and drug users. They are excited and spend more time after the opposite sex. Hence, they should be counseled properly for doing regular exercises like jogging, playing games and the like. Regular cycling, yogasanas and the like will do them more good.

25 to 35 years

This group might have decided their marital future and employment. Most of them will get involved more into earning money and sex. They need to do more exercises. They should have stopped doing exercises what they were doing as students in colleges. They will look at the lower group and tell that they were very active at that time. We have to make them think what they are doing now. It is necessary that they understand that doing exercises is a life long process. They have to involve themselves into regular jogging, cycling, running, and sometimes walking. Yoga is also good.

35 to 50 years

Hectic activities are at the end in this period. They would have been tired of their job, educating their children and finding partners for their wards. Yoga is a perfect way of life for them. If they are still resilient and youthful, they can go for jogging, cycling and walking. They can take their life partners along with them. Meditation, Suryanamaskar and the like would free them from the mental agonies and stress. They will feel comfortable if they do callisthenic exercises at home.

50 years and above

This is the time to have a peaceful and relaxed way of life. They have to fully engage in walking, yoga and meditation. Also, they have to instruct and guide their children to have exercises for a healthy life. They should act as a spiritual guide to their children at home. Heavy exercises should be stopped and mild calisthenics may be done at home.