The evidence says it all. You are never too old to exercise.

In my last post I wrote about a recent study out of Israel that demonstrated you’re less likely to die if you exercise. Titled the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study, the researchers also followed 2000 people for 18 years who were studied from age 70 to age 88. What was learned from this age cohort was that seniors who started physical activity between ages 70 and 78 and even between 78 and 85 improved their odds of survival.

The test results also showed that seniors who exercised were more likely to maintain an independent lifestyle than those who didn’t exercise. The researchers also claim that because exercise helps to maintain cardiovascular health, it also improves immunity, and suppresses chronic inflammation.

The Israeli investigators concluded that the difference between physically active and sedentary participants actually increased the older the seniors. Walking appears to me the favorite of physical activities especially because of its low risk of injury.

Walking works even if you’re trying to lose weight. If your weight held fairly steady for some time, but when you hit 55 you started to gain weight, you can gradually increase your physical activity level or eat less and take in less calories. Or you can do both restricting calories and increasing exercise.

You may want to think of taking the stairs rather than the elevator or adding short periods of walking during the day. Once you make your mind up you probably can come up with a few ideas of your own to burn a few more calories.

If you do have some ideas for burning calories, let the rest of us know.  We all could use help when it comes to losing weight especially if exercising is helping us to live longer.

To your successful aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Fitness and Nutrition

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