Mary,

It's good to hear that others have experienced a noticable decline when reaching the mid-40's. For me, the 45th trip around the sun brought a granddaughter as well. The combination of many new aches and pains along with the notion of being called "Pop" took a bit of getting used to. To fight back, I'm planning on running my first marathon this year and trying to work my way back to my 30-year-old weight. The additional 25 lbs really takes its toll on aging muscles.

As for weight training, I do a little bit a few times a week during the winter. In the warmer months, I get my fill by loading sea kayaks on and off trailers on a regular basis.

Now, if I can only get my neighbor, a Ben & Jerry's employee, to stop bringing over four pints of ice cream every week!