Get Fit! A Guide from the National Institute on Aging

 

An active lifestyle is important for people of any age, but as you head into your senior years it becomes a vital tool for battling and preventing age-related health issues. A regular program of moderate-intensity exercise can help control blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. Working your muscles, tendons, bones, and joints helps to fight osteoporosis, lower your everyday risk for injury, and helps to manage back pain and arthritis. Exercise truly can add years to your life, and people who follow a regular exercise plan report feeling happier and experiencing less stress.

If you’re like most people, the biggest obstacle to their fitness goals is simply getting started. It can be difficult to know just where to begin, with what exercises, how to do them properly, for how long, etc. That’s where this guide from the National Institute on Aging comes in, entitled “Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide,” it is a comprehensive online book that covers all aspects of engaging in exercise as a senior. From evaluating your current ability levels to setting goals and finally to implementing an exercise plan and getting moving, this guide is a great resource–and its free!

Check out the guide here, and check back on the blog later for more fun, beneficial exercises.