ORLANDO, Fla. – Helpguide.org says that physical activity is the best way to add years to your life, along with maintaining weight and reducing illness.
Carol Storey has been working with her trainer, Dan, for over 20 years. She works on strength and balance, because of what she’s seen in her friends.
Storey told Ivanhoe, “I see a lot of my friends that are falling, and I think that has been the most devastating.”
The American Council on Exercise says that balance, muscular fitness, and flexibility are an essential part of exercise for those ages 50 and older.
For people in their 50s, Dan Taylor, personal trainer, suggests jump squats:
“Something that causes the body to catch its own weight, it helps in ways of strengthening the joints as well as the muscles,” Taylor says.
Jumping lunges, side planks and burpees are good options, too. For your 60s, try squats, planks and tai chi. In your 70s, do wall squats and split squats, and for those 80 and over, stick to chair squats, overhead reaches and wall planks.
Over 300,000 participants were looked at in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Researchers found that people who maintained physical activity throughout their life and people who started exercising later in life had similar health benefits and decreased risk of death. That means you’re never too old to start exercising!
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Hayley Hudson, Writer and Robert Walko, Editor.