As we age, staying active and healthy becomes increasingly more important. “A recent Swedish study found that physical activity was the number one contributor to longevity, adding extra years to your life”.  https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/exercise-and-fitness-as-you-age.htm

Staying healthy and active helps with energy levels, keeps you independent, can help protect your heart, helps prevent illness or pain and will likely help with weight reduction. Other healthy benefits are helping your mind, mood, and memory. So, search for ways to increase exercise, activity, mental stimulation, and other active engagements!

It seems like time goes by faster each year and with age. However, our metabolism naturally slows down making it even harder to maintain a healthy weight. Exercise helps increase metabolism and burn more calories. It may slow the aging process, but it sure does not slow down time!

Exercise has shown to improve the immune system, digestive functioning, better blood pressure, increased bone density and lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. It also increases strength, flexibility, and posture which helps with balance issues that can cause a serious fall.

Here are a few other benefits to exercise! My wife can certainly confirm that getting enough sleep helps with mood, better energy throughout the day and helps with the feeling of being refreshed. It reduces stress, depression, anxiety and helps with self-confidence.

Putting off exercise because of feeling bad, having aches and pains, feeling too old or too weak are only excuses not to get active. These are all very good reasons to get active because sometimes the pain or mood goes away with exercise.

Start with something very light like maybe walking around the park or block in your neighborhood. Look up your local senior center. They have lots of games, activities, and things to do to stay active. Join a club, bird club, book club, history club or some other club that interests you. Make it fun!