It is "vital" for women over the age of 40 to put on their women's gym wear and exercise regularly, according to a fitness expert.

Speaking to the Sun, Nicki Waterman, one of the UK's foremost fitness experts and co-presenter of GMTV's Inch Loss Island, said: "It's especially vital to keep exercising … in your forties and onwards when levels of the female hormone oestrogen drop and you are more at risk of heart disease."

She recommended that, if you can afford it, joining a gym is an excellent way of increasing the amount of exercise you fit into your week.

According to Ms Waterman, your muscle mass naturally peaks at age 25 and gradually reduces from this point on, lowering your metabolic rate so putting on your women's gym wear and hitting the treadmill grows ever more important.

The NHS said that people who exercise regularly are likely to live longer and enjoy a better quality of life.

It said studies have shown that being physically unfit is just as dangerous as smoking in terms of lowering life expectancy. ADNFCR-2569-ID-19415899-ADNFCR

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