by M C Kiggins

Created on: April 08, 2010

How do you keep fit despite your age?

In a word?

Move.

The human body needs to move in order to regulate its bodily functions. There are many ways to move or exercise and the best choice takes into consideration a person's age and current level of fitness. The most basic and perhaps the most underrated of all forms of exercise is just plain walking. A person derives almost all of the same physical and mental benefits from walking a mile as he or she would were they to run the same distance. Walking is a safe place to start if you have been inactive for a period of time or are encumbered by health issues.

It is important to make it a priority to move every day. Try to regularly increase the distance you walk at first and then as you begin to feel stronger, increase the intensity by walking in a brisk manner or incorporating sections of running or jogging into your routine. By increasing the intensity you increase and maintain cardiovascular health. Your heart and lungs grow stronger, making your fitness level higher. You will find that your fitness level will increase exponentially once you add the aerobic component. A note of caution, however, don't overdue it! Learn to be attuned to your body's cues and let it tell you what it is able to accomplish.

If walking is not an option, perhaps cycling or swimming is. The idea is to begin slowly and build progressively. Find an exercise that is enjoyable enough for you to continue. Purchasing a heart rate monitor and learning to use it can help you discover what various exercise efforts feel like, and that information is very helpful in judging intensity and fitness levels.

Once a basic level of fitness has been achieved, other activities can be added that will enhance your physical and mental well-being. Even though walking is considered a weight bearing exercise, weight training will target specific muscle groups and increase your fitness level by leaps and bounds. Everyone at almost any age can derive some benefit from lifting weights. It strengthens muscles which in turn, strengthen bones and joints. Strength in bones and joints are critical in thwarting debilitating and disfiguring conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, whereby the body robs itself of necessary minerals or the cushioning cartilage between joints painfully deteriorates, respectively.

Building muscle through weight training will increase your metabolism which helps to burn excess stores of fat. A pound of lean muscle mass is denser, more metabolically active, and takes up only 1/7 of the space in your body as a pound of ugly dormant fat. The longer you continue your exercise regimen, the better you will feel and the more fit you will become, inside and out.

Making exercise a necessary part of every day will keep you fit and feeling well for many years to come.

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