Young at Heart ...

Whatever your age, it doesn’t have to get in the way with being healthy and leading an active lifestyle. In fact, research proves over and over again that exercising regularly and remaining physically active is the true secret to “living the good life”. Back in the day, getting older was the time to slow down and take it easy. Today, taking it too easy can be associated with increased risk such as hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes.

If you have not been physically active, now is the time to get started again. It is never too late to start! Staying physically active has been referred to as the “fountain of youth”. Physical activity may be as close to it as we can get.

Many times weight gain is associated with aging; due to muscle loss and a decrease in metabolism. Muscle loss and subsequent loss of metabolism is lost at a rate of 3-5 % for every decade from your 20’s -50’s. This rate almost doubles in your 60’s-80’s. The good news, you can reverse this through strength training. As we age, our bones become fragile and falling is more prevalent but you can do something about it. Adding strength training will also increase your bone density so that you have strong bones.

The days are long gone for the old saying “No Pain No Gain”. Starting slow is very important in your exercise program, including all components of fitness (cardiovascular, strength & flexibility training) and seek professional help to get you started. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you exercise at least 30 minutes a day throughout the week. This can be three 10 minute intervals of exercise daily.

A strong body, strengthen posture will enhance your ability to get around, do the things you once did and stay young at heart!