Health and well-being can be considered among the more important factors of living a happy life.  As there are many reason, out of our control, where we’re not able to have it the way we’d like.  Can’t you agree that we would all prefer to be healthier?  As we reach our 50’s & 60’s Senior Health and Fitness becomes a necessity for quality of life.

Senior Health and Fitness Day

In the essence of promoting better health, this day was created to do just that.  Senior Health and Fitness Day is held annually on the last Wednesday in May.  

Keep it moving

What I’m learning as I age is the saying “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is gaining much more validity.  You just have to keep it moving to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that approximately 30 minutes of cardio per day can substantially increase the health of someone 65 or older.  This doesn’t have to be done all at once, it can be split into 3 – 10 minute exercise routines. The action should be vigorous enough that you can’t sing a song, but you should still be able to talk.  Senior Health and Fitness activities don’t need to be that far out of reach.  Choose simple activities like water aerobics, walking at a pace that challenges you, gardening or riding a bike.  You can make this fun and family motivated.  Grandchildren are really great motivators for activities too, just trying to keep up with them.

Stretch it out

We can’t all be as flexible as our favorite yogi, but Senior Health and Fitness can be much more successful with a little stretch now and again.  Our friends at Silver Sneakers write about the importance of a good stretch, often.  It takes some time, but it’s totally worth it.  You’ll relieve pain, stress, circulation, ease of movement, among many other things.  Imagine all of your daily physical tasks seeming much easier.  Fluent motions and pain free bending is all you have to say to get me on board.  I don’t question my wife any more when she tells me I need to hit the yoga mat and stretch it out.  Check out the techniques used by professionals to get limber with some stretching.  VeryWellFit – Stretching for Seniors

Don’t Stop

We can agree that the hardest part of a fitness routine is making the time to do it.  Sometimes we unconsciously find other things to do instead of getting in a “workout”.  Senior Health and Fitness is an ongoing lifestyle change.  If you want the benefits, you have to put in the time.  I’m guilty of this quite often myself.  I always conveniently find more work for myself instead of taking that walk, riding that bike or pushing the floor away with my hands.  The one thing I can guarantee, if you do it, you’ll feel so much better.  You get all the benefits in the short amount of time it takes some coffee fanatics to grab a cup-o-joe.   Start a simple regimen, then don’t stop.  Get Friends and family involved to keep you accountable.