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Senior Fitness and Exercise:

It’s important that seniors get some form of daily exercise. It improves circulation, increases flexibility and mobility, decreases chances of injury and sickness, and it makes you feel better, too. All in takes is 20-30 minutes a day for 5-days a week. There are many easy and fun ways to exercise!

Why should I exercise?

Are you one of the many seniors out there who knows you should be exercising, but you aren’t sure where to begin? Do the tools of fitness -- exercise bikes, nautilus machines, treadmills, exercise balls and free weights -- intimidate you? Or maybe you find exercise boring? If any of the above apply to you, you are not alone. Although many older people are well aware of the importance of physical fitness, 85% of seniors do not exercise on a regular basis. Many older people don't exercise for the same reason that people of all ages resist physical activity – they think of it as too hard, too boring or they are disappointed by the lack of immediate results.

If you are finding it hard to get moving, a reminder of the benefits should spur you to action. Regular physical activity, in addition to making you look and feel good, lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. In fact, exercise and strength training can help you look and feel younger. According to Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University scientist and specialist in aging, “Biologically, we can reverse the aging process by 15 to 25 years. We can do that by becoming stronger.” Exercise can also help you maintain your mobility and independence. Regular activity helps keep bones and muscles strong, promotes good balance and combats frailty.

Why aren’t seniors exercising more?

One of the most common reasons seniors (and others) don’t exercise is because they think of exercise as a chore, rather than an enjoyable pastime. If you think of exercise that way, challenge yourself to think differently because it can have a profound effect on all aspects of your life. Recognize that regular physical activity can provide more than just physical benefits. Feeling involved, connected and passionate about things will also help you live a longer and healthier life. Exercise (in all of its many forms) can be just one of the ways that you keep yourself actively engaged in the world and do things that you really love to do. You are more likely to make a lifelong commitment to good fitness if you shift your focus and decide to do things that you enjoy.