I’ve known for a long time that when I’m in a funk, down in the dumps or just in a lousy mood, a quick 20 minute walk/jog or even 10 minutes on the treadmill or running up and down the stairs 5 times will help get me through the temporary blues. (I do admit, however, the stair piece doesn’t work so well.)  Now the experts are saying the mood boost associated with a moderate aerobic workout can last a long time ever after you take off your walking shoes.

I’m smiling to myself as I write this post because I’m thinking of all the time, money and energy spent on arriving at this conclusion and they could have just asked me!

But now it’s official, friends. But here’s something I didn’t know. I never really thought about it but I assumed that this boosted good feeling only lasted for a short time. Now we’re being told that rather than fading after an hour or so, the beneficial effects of physical activity on mood begin as soon as a person exercises and may last as long as 12 hours afterwards. “Post-exercise glow” were the words in the report presented May 2009 at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting. The research was carried out at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Depression Clinical and Research Program.

Apparently, exercise helps to relieve stress by releasing endorphins and other good hormones that elevate our mood. What is of particular interest is that even in moderate amounts, exercise can be very helpful in preventing emotional problems. All of which is a very good thing because we face enough physical and mental challenges as we get older and can certainly do without the emotional glitches.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

There is no rule that says getting older means getting sick, being weak and frail, and not having your wits about you. The fact is we are living longer than ever because of advances in medicine and technology. Even so, it still takes some effort on our part to make choices about how we live, what we eat, and what we do to be productive and meaningful and live with good health as we age.

I’ve written these 18 best tips to healthy aging for 2009 because I am participating in a group writing project, “2009 in Review” for Daniel Scocco at http://DailyBlogTips.com and will post them for his project.

1.    Choose a produce rainbow because brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients than paler ones.  I suggest dark-colored spinach for a salad rather than iceberg lettuce. Read the rest of this entry

You and I know that exercise is good for us.  I admit to being very good about doing aerobic exercise on a regular basis but not so good about strength training. I need to set aside time for longer workouts at least a few times a week. Read the rest of this entry

Keeping your bones and muscles strong will give you a better quality of life as you get older. There is no doubt about the results of the research on this topic. Read the rest of this entry

Gym memberships cost money. If you don’t need a gym or do need a gym but don’t use the gym, you’re wasting your money. Plain and Simple.

If you’ve never been to a gym they probably all look the same to you; they are not. And selecting the right gym for you is not as trivial as it seems. Many of the things you should be looking for are obvious and others are more subtle and may be overlooked. For example, how qualified are the instructors? Read the rest of this entry

My mother was very depressed as she aged. I suspect

It started in her sixties but I really didn’t notice it until she was in her eighties. The problem is that depression is difficult to identify because it usually develops gradually and its symptoms are mistaken as symptoms of other conditions or reactions from medication or being tired because someone is older. Read the rest of this entry