Keep Active - Get Movin' at 50 Plus
Session 1 - Getting Started
What's the key to finding a fitness plan that can keep you healthy and independent? Choosing activities you can do regularly—even every day. Workouts don't have to be physically punishing (Remember when "no pain, no gain" was the order of the day?). They can be activities you enjoy with friends, with your family or by yourself. Fitness can even provide an opportunity to learn new things and have fun, like taking golf lessons or learning to kayak or ballroom dance. It doesn't matter what activity you choose as long as it gets you moving!
The key to achieving your fitness goal is to accumulate at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity, at least five days a week. If that sounds like a lot, think again. There are plenty of activities you already do that can contribute to your daily goal of 30 minutes. Cleaning the house, walking, gardening, even grocery shopping can rev up your heart rate and breathing if you do them at a brisk pace. You won't even feel like you're exercising. How many of the following activities do you currently do on a regular basis?
Thinking Point
How many physical activities do you do in an average day? Try making a list.
- Clean the house
- Mop, sweep or vacuum the floor
- Garden
- Go grocery shopping
- Climb stairs
- Mow or rake the lawn
- Walk the dog
- Wash the car
By engaging in regular physical activity, you'll experience many of the benefits, which include:
- Having more energy
- Strengthening your bones
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Improving flexibility and mobility
- Having stronger toned muscles
- Discovering enjoyable new activities
Fitness in Four
According to "Exercise: A Guide From the National Institute on Aging," four areas of fitness are key to your health and well-being. They are endurance, strength, flexibility and balance.
Endurance comes from aerobic activity—anything that increases your heart rate and breathing. Examples of fun activities that build endurance include walking, swimming, dancing, biking and running. These activities improve your stamina and reduce your risk of certain diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Strength training builds muscles and strengthens bones. According to the NIA, activities that build even a small amount of muscle can make a big difference in strength. A slight muscle increase, invisible to the eye, can be all you need to improve your ability to do things like get up from a chair or climb stairs.
Strength training usually refers to weightlifting, but activities such as cycling, hiking and bowling also strengthen muscles. An added bonus: building strength increases the body's metabolism, which in turn keeps weight and blood sugar in check.
Flexibility comes from stretching exercises. Although stretching doesn't burn as many calories as aerobic exercise, it increases your freedom of movement, helping to prevent injuries and improve your posture. Stretching is especially good for people with arthritis, other joint pain or weak backs.
Balance and strength are closely related—in fact, one exercise often serves both purposes. For instance, strengthening your leg muscles can improve your balance. Good balance helps prevent falls, a major cause of injuries that can lead to a loss of independence.
It's Never Too Late
When fitness experts say it's never too late to get active, they're serious. "It's not that you are too old to exercise, it is that you are too old not to exercise," says Walter Michael Bortz II, a professor of medicine at Stanford University and a 70-year-old marathoner (as quoted in Sally Squires, "In It for the Long Run: Exercise Is Key to the Prescription for Healthy Aging, No Matter How Old You Are," Washington Post, April 23, 2002, p. F1). In recent years, study after study has backed him up, indicating that people who are physically fit—regardless of age—live longer and feel better.
If you've never been active before, don't worry. Even modest activities—like those listed above—can make a major difference in your overall health when done regularly.
Glossary
Balance training: Closely related to strength training, balance activities build up leg muscles and provide greater stability.
Endurance training: Aerobic activities that increase heart rate and breathing.
Flexibility training: Stretching activities that increase freedom of movement, preventing injuries and improving posture.
Strength training: Activities that build muscle and strengthen bone.
AARP Resources
AARP on Physical Activity
AARP's tips sheets on everything from getting motivated to working out.
Get Fit on Route 66
Convert your exercise minutes to miles on this free virtual journey.
Step Up to Better Health
Clip on a step counter, choose an Internet trail, and start walking in this 10 week program.
Additional Resources
These organizations provide an overview of information about exercise and aging:
National Institute on
Aging
1-800-222-2225
Contact this government agency for free publications on health
and fitness for older adults, including "Exercise: A Guide
From the National Institute on Aging," a booklet that
includes a series of home-based exercises with illustrations and
clear instructions.
Shape Up America!
Support Center
Read inspiring real-life success stories or post your own.
Download a physical activity log to track your progress. A
maintenance center helps you keep track.
