Activity and Aging

After the New Year, many people of all ages make the commitment to exercise regularly. Exercise and fitness are important regardless of how old you are, but they become even more important as you age. Regular exercise, no matter how light, is essential to keeping muscles healthy, including the most important muscle, the heart. 

A generally active lifestyle, even one without regular exercise and fitness sessions, promotes heart health and longevity. A recent study reported by Reuters found that "background activity" – the things you do and the wear and tear your body undergoes as you go about your day – has been too often ignored by clinical studies of the importance of exercise and physical fitness in older people. This "background activity," slight though it may be, makes a significant difference for long term health.

The study found that avoiding long periods of sitting and inactivity was more important to overall health than the actual type of exercise you engage in. The good news about this is that it means even if you aren't able to go to the gym regularly, just being active in small ways can make a difference. Long periods of sitting near-motionlessly, like when watching television, reading, or working on the computer, contribute to an excessively sedentary lifestyle which is the link between aging poorly, both physically and mentally.

Sitting is problematic because it prevents muscles from contracting and causes decreased blood flow, which allows muscles to atrophy and reduces the efficiency of many body functions. As you age, this can put you at greater risk of falls and decreased independence. Even moderate exercise, like walking up stairs, cleaning the house, or carrying grocery bags across a parking lot can have a positive impact on muscle and heart health.

If you feel like it's too late, don't despair--the study found that increasing one’s activity level can happen at any stage, so if you’re living a mostly-sedentary life right now, all you have to do to immediately begin improving your health is to get up and get moving!egin improving your health is to get up and get moving. Whether it’s just a wander around your home, a trip out to get the mail, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, now is as good a time as any to get the blood flowing, the heart pumping, and your body moving towards a healthier, more active future. Just be sure to consult your doctor before you begin any new fitness routine.