Maybe I should get serious

Do you sometimes feel as if you are being targeted by specific commercials for your age group?  Well, you probably are.  I am in that age category that still watches the evening news at 5:30, just like my parents did, and it seems to me that there are a particularly large number of commercials regarding health. For example, fruit and vegetable capsules for those of us who do not eat enough fresh vegetables and fruit.  

Yet, the AARP magazine that also targets us warns that it is impossible to replicate what real food provides by taking a supplement, which lacks not only the full complement of nutrients but also the fiber that fresh produce provides for what the gut needs to keep us healthy.  

Not only what we eat but also what we do is important to our health. I have friends who obsess over getting 10,000 steps a day, wearing a watch that counts their steps to make sure they are meeting their goal.  Good for them!  AARP reported that research  found that walking 3,865 steps a day "can reduce your risk of dying from any cause" and "500 steps was linked to a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease."  The article also emphasized the benefits of even lessor amounts as well.

All of us need exercise, even as we age. including Aerobic exercise, Strength training, Stretching, and Balance. We may no longer be able to do what we once did, but if possible, we should try to find less stressful substitutes.  For example, Aerobic exercise speeds heart rate and breathing, which helps relax blood vessel walls, lower blood pressure, burn body fat, lower blood sugar levels, and when practiced long-term, other benefits.  Such things as brisk walking, swimming, jogging, cycling, dancing, step aerobics and marching in place are examples.

Strength training helps build back muscle mass, which might help with such things as carrying groceries, gardening, and climbing stairs.  It can improve balance and posture, reduce stress and pain in the lower back and joints, and improve balance.  A physical therapist might be needed to design a strength training program.

Age leads to loss of flexibility in muscles and tendons, and Stretching may help maintain flexibility and reduce the risk for muscle cramps and pain.  Before overdoing, warm up your muscles with things like arm circles and marching in place, then moving to static stretches.  But, always be careful not to push a stretch into the painful range.

Finally, Balance exercises help you feel steadier on your feet.  As we age, we certainly want to avoid falls!  You may need to consult a physical therapist to help you determine your current balance abilities and to prescribe specific exercises for areas of weakness.  

What I need to do now is take my own advice! 

P.S.  It is not just those of us with gray in our hair that need to exercise.  Even young children are getting less exercise than they need, as well as those between the young and the old.