Wiregrass Seniors Magazine February Issue February Issue | Page 12

Page 12
WiregrassSeniorsMagazine.com
Overcoming Obstacles To
Getting Active As You Age
Starting or maintaining a regular exercise routine can
be a challenge at any age—and it doesn’t get any
easier as you get older. You may feel discouraged by
health problems, aches and pains, or concerns about
injuries or falls. If you've never exercised before, you
may not know where to begin, or perhaps you think
you're too old or frail, can never live up to the stan-
dards you set when you were younger. Or maybe you
just think that exercise is boring.
While these may seem like good reasons to slow
down and take it easy as you age, they're even better
reasons to get moving. Becoming more active can
energize your mood, relieve stress, help you manage
symptoms of illness and pain, and improve your over-
all sense of well-being. And reaping the rewards of
exercise doesn’t have to involve strenuous workouts
or trips to the gym. It’s about adding more movement
and activity to your life, even in small ways. No matter
your age or physical condition, it’s never too late to
get your body moving, boost your health and outlook,
and improve how you age.
Five myths about activity and aging
Myth 1: There's no point to exercising. I'm going
to get old anyway.
Fact: Regular physical activity helps you look and feel
younger and stay independent longer. It also lowers
your risk for a variety of conditions, including
Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes,
certain cancers, high blood pressure, and obesity.
And the mood benefits of exercise can be just as great
at 70 or 80 as they were at 20 or 30.
Myth 2: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down.
Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and
stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves
balance, actually reducing your risk of falling.
Myth 3: It's too frustrating. I’ve gone too far.
Fact: Changes in hormones, metabolism, bone den-
sity, and muscle mass mean that strength and perfor-
mance levels inevitably decline with age, but that
doesn’t mean you can no longer derive a sense of