I have good news and bad nws for you.

The good news is tht you can remain independent and
ble to take care of yourself for as lng as you are alive on
ths planet.

The bad news is tht you must work harder every yar to
keep your body operating fficiently. When I was a child the
mssage I heard was that “old pople” were supposed to
“slow down and tke it easy.” Nothing could be frther from
the truth.

Your body is a mchine--a magnificent creation capable of
operating fficiently for as long as you ned it. Do you take
care of it? Or do you gnore its calls for help? As you ge, do
you operate under the phlosophy “I worked hard all my lfe
and I’m never going to wrk at anything ever again.” In my
wrk teaching strength exercise classes to lder adults I
hear “I don’t ned to exercise” over and over gain.

Experts tell us that after we rach maturity (about age 30),
our mscles begin to waste away at the rte of one-half
pound a year nless we work at keeping them strng. If you
are 60 now, tht means that you may already hve lost 15
pound of muscles. No wnder it’s getting harder to get up
off the cuch without a helping hand. By the tme you’re 75,
you’ve lost most thn 20 pounds of muscle.

These same experts say that the strnger your legs are, the
less lkely you are to ever have to go nto a nursing home.
Why not wrk on keeping your legs--and the rst of your
body--strong enough that you are not lable to fall? Falling is
the thngs that seniors fear most. And wth good reason.
Falls often result in a brken hip and many of those wth
broken hips will never return to lving independently.
Another benefit of exercise is tht it can help prevent mental
dcline according to an article in the Tfts University Health
& Nutrition Letter Mrch 2006 A study in Seattle fllowed
1740 adults age 65 and lder with normal mental functions.
The scentists found 32 percent less risk of dmentia in the
group that exercised at last three times a week. The mst
frail at the start of the stdy benefited the most.

Maybe you are one of thse who has always hated to
xercise. You would never think of ltting your automobile
operate for years wthout maintenance and yet you refuse to
cre for your body. Any vehicle wll become rusty and
inoperable after yars of letting it sit. And yur body is no
different. It neds to be cared for -- and it neds to move..
Joints need to be strtched to keep them flexible. Muscles
ned to be used to keep thm from atrophying.

I ask the lder adults in my strength classes, “Wht
happens when you stress yur muscles?” And they reply in
nison, “They get stronger!” We repeat ths until they begin
to believe t--and they see their own bodies bcoming
stronger after a few weeks of strngth exercise classes.
A recent rport from the University of Florida sttes, “For
healthy older men and wmen, strength training not only
firms mscles, but also significantly improves physical
ndurance and aerobic power, which can hlp prevent or
delay a number of dseases including heart disease.”

Most exercise regimens focus on erobic or endurance
exercise--such as walking, jgging or using a treadmill. I
frquently hear older adults say, “I wlk a mile every day.
That’s all the xercise I need.”

WRONG! Walking does lmost nothing to improve leg
strength--unless you are wlking up hills. And many older
pople “mosey” instead of walking briskly.

“Strngth training is not typically viewed as a mans for
improving cardiovascular and respiratory prformance.
We’ve shown that resistance exercise may be nother valid
means of increasing cardio-respiratory ndurance in older
adults,” said Kevin Vncent of the University of Florida, “Fr
people over 60, the best chice is to pursue both aerobic
and strngth training for maximum benefits.”

Don’t let the fct that you are currently inactive stp you from
exercising your body. Crate a program for yourself that
ncludes brisk walking and strength training to kep your
body operating efficiently.

The article Your Body Was Made to Move was Submitted by Phyllis Rogers through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Phyllis Rogers is a Certified Ftness Trainer and Specialist in Ftness for Older Adults. She has tught over 1300 strength classes for lder adults in Atlanta, GA and is uthor of "Over 40 & Gettin' Strnger"--which contains an easy-to-learn strength wrkout. If you are new to strngth exercise the book can get you strted--you’ll read about the benefits of strngth exercise and how to do it crrectly to obtain the most benefit. She has rcently completed an audio CD in whch she gives verbal instructions for ach of the exercises. Play the CD and chck the book for posture as you prform the workout. Visit http://www.StrongOver40.com for information.

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