KEEP MOVING – EVEN IN WINTER MONTHS

It’s No Secret

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your physical, and mental, health. But let’s examine some facts about exercise for seniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the loss of strength and stamina attributed to aging is in part caused by reduced physical activity. And by age 75, nearly 1 in 3 men, and 1 in 2 women, don’t exercise. But there is good news!

Exercise helps you live independently, plus it reduces your risk of falling and fracturing bones. Even more, it reduces your risk of dying from coronary heart disease and of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. There’s a lot to be said for exercise.

Yet how can you get your “moves” in during the winter months? Take a walk! But it’s cold outside, you say. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get your walk—and your steps—in every day (or every other day). Just how many steps? A healthy older adult averages 2,000-9,000 steps per day. Many fitness experts and doctors recommend that you try to get in 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week.

Today, there are many walking videos online—for free! Check out Leslie Sansone’s walking videos. Here’s a video made many years ago (skip the ad at the beginning) that she created especially for seniors. Here’s another walking video you may enjoy. And another.

Don’t like walking alone? Get your partner or best friend to join you in your living room. Make it a party! Together, you can walk your way into good health even when it’s freezing, snowing or raining outdoors. Of course, you’re also welcome to join your friends at the community center at Summit Pointe for group exercise classes. After all, staying fit is the name of the game!