No matter what your age, exercise and physical activity are good for your mind, body and spirit. Getting regular exercise through your senior years can help you:

• Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent.
• Have more energy to do the things you want to do.
• Improve your balance.
• Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
• Lift your spirits and reduce depression.

There are many ways to become more active, but your chances of sticking with it over time are better if you choose activities you enjoy. As with any lifestyle change, start slow and gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your exercise. You can begin by building more physical activity into your daily routine. Try parking the car farther from the store entrance when you go shopping or raking the leaves instead of hiring someone to do it.

The Fab Four
To get maximum benefits of physical activity, try to incorporate these four types of exercise in your fitness routine:  endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.

1. Endurance exercises build stamina. Try to build up to at least 30 minutes of activity five days a week that makes you breathe hard. If you can do this every day, that’s even better. You don’t have to be active for 30 minutes all at once. Three ten-minute bursts of activity are fine too. To build endurance you need to be sure you’re pushing yourself a little-- but not too hard. Here’s a test:  if you can talk without any trouble at all, you are not working hard enough. If you can’t talk at all, it’s too hard.

Strength exercises build muscles and help prevent bone loss. Strength building exercises utilize weights, resistance bands or the body’s own weight to make the muscles work harder. Strong muscles are not only important for everyday activities like lifting a laundry basket or carrying groceries, they can also reduce the risk of many types of injuries including sprains, strains and falls that may result in broken bones.

1. Good balance increases mobility and helps prevent falls. Examples of exercises that improve balance are:  standing on one foot, then the other or getting up from a chair without using your hands or arms. Another exercise is to walk heel-to-toe putting the heel of one foot just in front of the toes of your other foot.  
2. Stretching can help you be more flexible and prevent injury.  Moving more freely will help you do everyday tasks like tying your shoes or looking over your shoulder when backing the car out of the driveway. Stretching your muscles before exercise helps you warm them up and reduce the risk of a muscle strain.

A Word of Caution
Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of physical activity. You can still exercise even if you have a health condition like heart disease or diabetes. In fact, physical activity may help. For older adults, brisk walking, riding a bike, swimming, weight lifting, and gardening are safe, especially if you build up slowly. But, check with your doctor if you are over 50 and you aren’t used to energetic activity. And if you are serious about getting back in the exercise game, here are ten tips to consider before starting your new fitness program.

Sources:
http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/exercise.htm

http://www.nia.nih.gov/AboutNIA/BudgetRequests/FitnessNutrition.htmv