Unless you take urgent action, your quality of life will deteriorate rapidly as you approach your sixties.

Keep fit routines have been shown to slow down the effects of aging and to promote health and independence as we advance into our senior years.

Gymnastics for geriatrics is an alternative to golf and taking the dog for walks, those familiar ‘stand bys’ that crop up when elders are trying to persuade their loved ones that they are paying attention to their health.

More like paying lip service to avoid the consequences of their lack of focus on their fitness levels.

Of course there are many who continue to resist the lure of a golf buggy when they play their weekly round of golf so that they can persuade themselves that their 3-4 mile amble round the course with frequent stops is doing them the world of good.

Others also live in the land of make believe that they are keeping fit by walking the dog and throwing the occasional stick.

Forget all that, Fido can look after himself a lot better if his owner can run, and sometimes sprint, with him for a few daily miles!

Lets face it golf and walking the dog for some of us can be a non-starter.

Whether it is because we find golf frustrating and give it up because we seem unable to hit the ball with anything but a disastrous, and sometimes embarrassing, effect or simply find the game as boring as going for the same old walk every week end.

So what are the alternatives?

If you are fortunate enough to have a reasonable eye and reflexes, playing doubles tennis a couple of times a week against opponents who of a similar standard is a great keep fit and very enjoyable activity but it should be supplemented with other, less competitive, even solo, regimes.

We know of eighty plus year old tennis players who will have slowed down in both their physical and reflex reactions but can still give their twenty year younger opponents a good game and often beat them by using their guile and experience.

A word of warning, doubles tennis at local club level gives players plenty of time to think, it need not be the fast game as seen on the professional circuit. Do not be tempted to take up Squash or Racquets or similar.

Even if you have played in your youth these are ball games that trigger near instant reactions and that can result in heart attacks even amongst the fittest, so stay clear.

It is likely that tennis will not appeal to the majority of elders for a multitude of reasons so what should the oldies do?

The first thing to understand is that your comfortable home is also a well equipped gym ideal for performing a physical fitness regime that can help you stay healthy and independent, and slow down the signs of aging, both physically and visually.

An added bonus in these “credit crunch ” times is that it comes at no extra cost other than the will and desire to stay as young and as active as possible.

Keep that body moving with these exercises which use your household furniture as a free alternative to a costly gym and still get good results.

Stay young, keep fit and keep ‘Old Father Time’ waiting as long as possible.

It is never too late to start exercising but most of us, unless actively involved in sport, don’t really bother until we see or feel the signs that our bodies are deteriorating.

The aging process becomes noticeable in our thirties and, unless addressed promptly, accelerates at each passing year.

It simply is not good enough to think that a weekend round of golf, an hour or so of tennis, or a brisk walk to the office every morning is going to lead to an everlastingly trim body.

The older we get the more we have to work at staying in shape and you will never be too old to exercise providing you have the use of your legs and /or arms!

What makes some people look far older than their years while others seem to stay eternally trim and young?

The answer is in the genes coupled with the determination not to let the years get the better of them.

If you haven’t got into a good exercise regime by your early thirties, it is going to become increasingly difficult to retain natures blessing of a good body and vitality. You will begin to feel old and once that happens you will begin to behave old!

No-one is going to expect you to participate in extreme sports but to avoid playing catch up organize yourself a good exercise program with some emphasize on muscle building and strength improvement. This will help maintain or improve bone density so that you will be less likely to suffer from osteoporosis in your sixties plus.

Of course as you get older you must be careful not to be tempted to overdo the training, particularly if you have been something of a couch potato for several years.

The key to leading a long, healthy and active lifestyle and enjoying those envious looks you get from people who cannot believe how young and virile you look for your age is exercise and a good diet.

If you are already in your fifties, sixties or seventies and haven’t been actively exercising the chances are your body and level of vitality have visibly deteriorated, however it is never to late to halt and even reverse the downward spiral.

Determination not to give in to aging and to do something about it is the first step. Next devise your own training program or better still take the advice of a qualified professional and get started.

Most importantly of all, have the tenacity to keep up the exercise regime regularly and, using your common sense, try to move on to a higher level of activity as you progress.

Do this successfully and you can be the object of envy to your friends and colleagues, your family will enjoy your renewed enthusiasm for living and you are likely to be around for longer.

As always, good health and happiness does not come as a right, it has to be worked for.

Your 30s

• Now is the time that you will begin to lose muscle tone and gain fat.
• Start strength or resistance training and work up to fairly intensive aerobic activities.

Your 40s

• Age is creeping up and hormone levels begin to decrease.
• Every year from the age of around 40 women lose about a ¼  kilo of muscle and gain up to ¾  kilo of fat.
• It is essential to include a combination of aerobic and strength training exercise.
• Even walking  up the stairs instead of the elevator, taking the dog for a decent walk  can help towards reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
• Start doing some stretching exercise to keep your self supple.

Your 50s

• Your bone density can drop rapidly in the years immediately following menopause.
• This is the time for major weight gain due to hormonal changes and loss of muscle mass, especially round the middle area.
• Stomach exercise should be a regular part of your exercise regime.
• Swimming is a good choice for those who suffer from arthritis as the water will take the pressure away from your joints.

Your 60s +

• Its never too late to start even if you have lived a sedentary life.
• Just take it more easily than you would have done in your earlier days.
• Walking, swimming gentle stretching are all recommended.

This is a difficult one as much will depend on whether and how much exercise or sport has been part of everyday life or if the previous years have been spent as a couch potato.

Many over fifty age group will fall somewhere either side of involvement in some element of exercise during their adult life, be it golf, gardening or just regularly walking the dog.

Others will have sat at a desk all day and come home to sit in front of the TV every evening and the computer at weekends before sitting down to a heavy meal and then down to the local bar.

Exercises at the desk are seriously needed.

OK you guys, so you are getting to that time of life when you want to stay trim and attractive, but the hair is receding and there are signs of a beer gut coming.

Us ladies are becoming aware that our bums are sagging and our upper arms seem to have lost weight at the top and doubled in size underneath, every thing seems to be succumbing to gravity.

What every over fifty year old has to realize is that the feel good factor will be a thing of the past unless remedial action is taken and taken today.

That weekly round of golf and walking the dog or going to the gym for a thirty minute workout and an hours gossip with the girls over coffee ain´t going to do the trick any longer!

Now is the time to get your act together, don’t leave it another day. Every delay is going to make it harder to stay feeling young and vital so lets get down to it right now!

No need to worry, unlike a lot of information on this site that is aimed at the dedicated keep fit addicts, this article wants only to encourage those who would like to stay looking and feeling good without exercise taking over their lives so that they are neither patronized or respected by their juniors!!!

Lets start off with basics of over fifties exercise

Number one respect your stomach and digestive system. You want to enjoy your food – who doesn’t? There is no reason not to pig out once or even twice a week on your favorite meals but and this is the big but (or it will lead to the big butt!) go easy on every other meal and just eat healthily and modestly for the rest of the week.

Right that’s out of the way so we are moving on to the next step, and that is to keep our hearts pumping vigorously.

Exercises to keep the heart up to scratch are called cardio exercises and these workouts can vary from the comfortable to the extreme. The object is to get the heart rate and breathing up for an extended period. Depending on our level of fitness when starting a regular routine of cardio exercises the duration and intensity is easily controlled using common sense.

If you are a regular walker then up your pace, put in a burst of power walking for a while every ten minutes or so but don’t overdo it. The best way is to keep your breathing steady and not get out of puff

For beginners just start out with a stride rate you feel comfortable with but please don’t make it an amble and try to get in two or three miles three times a week and build up pace and distance as you progress. Try and maintain a pace that lets you feel that your heart rate has increased.

These tips apply to whichever of the cardio vascular exercises you opt for but they will all benefit your general health and fitness and help to increase your metabolism which will be some help in controlling your weight.

Swimming, jogging, running, tennis, hill climbing, golf and any other similar activities that you can regularly find time for and enjoy will all be of benefit.

Regular stretching routines can be carried out almost anywhere and at any time.

Just because they seem easy do not underrate their importance.

In the first place you must start each stretching session with a gentle warm up, it only takes a minute or two of extending your arms and legs, bending slowly and twisting your torso to feel the muscles loosening up and then you can really get into the swing of things.

Once or twice a day for 5-10 mins will help in maintaining your mobility through the years. Overstretching can damage muscles and joints and can result in lasting pain so once again take it easy and build up to a comfortable level.

Finally the most misunderstood of all basic exercises for those of advancing years-weight training. Muscles take time to regenerate and if you forget this then you are begging for trouble.

Never exercise the same groups of muscles with weights on consecutive days, always leave at least a day in between.

The best route to take is to exercise only the upper body muscle groups one day and the lower body muscles the next. Getting into this routine will help to avoid any painful problems cropping up and will be a greater benefit in building up strength.

Try to avoid the temptation of starting with weights that are either too heavy or too light.

As a rule of thumb if you can’t lift the weight for more than eight consecutive times without having to rest it is too heavy, and if you can lift it for more than sixteen times without a rest then it is too light.

Using the correct weights go for eight to sixteen repetitions and then pause for 1-2 minutes and either repeat or move on to the next weight exercise.

Use steady lifts and avoid jerking, inhale as you exert and inhale as you return to the rest position all the time keeping up a steady rhythm. At no time should you hold your breath as blood pressure could be affected.

Minor aches and pains and some tiredness can occur after weight exercises and are normal but be concerned there is pain in the joints or muscles and a feeling of total exhaustion, these are warning signs that you are overdoing it so ease up.

Twice a week for 30-40 mins is a minimum while 3-4 times a week is better.

Weight training exercises build up muscle strength that helps to ease up pressure on the joints and aids resistance to the onset of osteoporosis.

A stronger lower body muscle group improves balance.

Try to combine all three types of exercise each week to get and stay looking good and not feeling your age.

Remember to get the best from exercise try to keep it fun and not a chore and bear in mind the old saying “all things in moderation”

If you have any health doubts whatsoever you should consult your medical advisor to be on the safe side before getting into any exercise program, otherwise enjoy.

Osteoporosis Can Strike at Thirty

Although osteoporosis is generally thought of as an older persons disease, the fact is that it can strike at any age. Millions of people are at risk, again most associate the disease with women but men also suffer from this debilitating condition.

However, women are four times more likely to develop the disease than men.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes the bones to become brittle and more likely to break. There are no warning signs, symptoms or pain to signal the onset of the disease, the first indication being a minor fall, bump or strain causing a break or fracture. Any bone can be affected but in many cases fractures occur in the hip, spine or wrist.

Spinal fractures are serious, severe back pain, permanent loss of height and deformity are often the outcome. Hip fractures, more often than not, will require major surgery. Both are likely to impair the ability to walk without assistance.

One in every two Caucasian women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis related fracture at some time in their remaining lifetime.

Up to 20% of bone mass can be lost by some women in the first 5-7 years after menopause increasing their susceptibility to the disease.

Factors that can lead to the onset of the disease include a thin/small frame, anorexia nervosa, advanced age, post menopause including early or induced menopause, a family history of the disease, low testosterone in men, low calcium diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Osteoporosis Prevention

You are never too young to prepare yourself to fight osteoporosis.

Building strong bones from early childhood and the teen years lays the best foundation for prevention in later years.

The average woman will have acquired 98% of her skeletal mass by the age of twenty.

Starting at any age there are three fundamental steps you can take to minimize the chances of suffering from osteoporosis.

• A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
• A healthy lifestyle with no heavy alcohol drinking and no smoking.
• A regular routine of weight bearing exercises.

Those of advancing years or those who feel they may at risk, are advised to seek medical opinion on the size of weights and intensity of the routines, as there is a danger that overdoing it may result in a fracture if the disease is already present.

The critical years for building bone mass in women are from childhood to age thirty.

A balanced diet and regular exercise can increase bone mass by as much as 20% in women by age thirty according to some medical experts.

Bone density measurements can be taken in various parts of the body without any pain, discomfort or invasive procedure.

The tests

• Will establish your rate of bone density loss and monitor the effects on a regular basis.

• Will detect the disease before suffering a related fracture so precautionary steps can be taken.

• Can predict your future chances of suffering a fracture due to the disease.

It is a wise precaution to consult your medical adviser and request bone density tests if you think there is a chance that you are at risk.

Regular exercise, a healthy diet and lifestyle will help prevent and fight virtually every disease.

Remember, with osteoporosis there are NO warning signs or symptoms to put you on your guard. This is why it is often referred to as “the silent disease”.

Why is physical fitness so important to the body? Think of the body as like an auto engine.

The correct octane fuel, regular servicing and tuning are necessities to achieve maximum performance and reliability.

It is the same with the human body; a good regular diet and attention to fitness will make us perform up to our potential.

It will help us look good and feel good, it becomes easier to do our best in our work and have energy left over to enjoy an active leisure time.

The performance of the heart, lungs and muscles are dependent upon our level of physical fitness, as it is to an extent upon our minds.

A fit body is better able to cope with stress, mental alertness is increased, and our emotions are easier to keep under control.

There are four basic components or functions of the body that can respond to a fitness regime to improve the quality of life.

Cardio-respiratory endurance

• This is the capacity to sustain delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and remove wastes over a period of time.

Muscular strength and endurance

• The power of a muscle or group of muscles to exert either repeated contractions or a sustained force over a period of time.

Flexibility

• A pliant, supple body with a full range of movement in the joints and muscles.

Body composition

• The proportion of lean to fat mass.

Exercise helps to obtain an optimal ratio of lean to fat mass. The ratio is a guide to physical fitness and bodily well-being.

The most obvious indication of [tag-tec anti aging]advancing years[/tag-tec] common to both sexes is an increase in girth.

Some say that for every inch that the waistline exceeds the chest measurement takes two years of life expectancy.

The causes of an expanding tummy are eating too much and not taking sufficient exercise to burn of the excess of fat and keeping the abdominal muscles from becoming slack.

Slack abdominal muscles and an enlarged stomach adversely affects the proper functioning of the liver, kidneys, pancreas and the stomach itself.

The muscles act as support and protection for these vital organs as well as being involved in the movement of the legs, trunk and lower spine.

80% of all lower back pain is estimated to originate from lack of abdominal strength.

Sitting for extended periods is a major cause of loose abdomens.

The more we sit the less our stomach muscles and other muscle groups have to do so not only do they weaken but our bodies are using less energy so we get fatter and less inclined to expend more energy.

This becomes a vicious circle and the longer it lasts the more damage it is doing to the body and the harder it is to break out from.

So first priority is to keep physically active.

A regular daily walk should not be beyond the ability of all but the disabled and is a good start.

Virtually all outdoor activities require a degree of physical effort and the use of the legs.

Taking part in keep fit classes or dance classes are typical favorites for women whereas men prefer hunting, shooting and fishing, not forgetting hiking, tennis and golf as middle age advances.

Make the effort to engage in vigorous sustained exercise that raises the heart rate at least three times a week.

Hard road work or running on the spot, or whatever makes you breath hard and exerts your body is important but do not drive yourself beyond a sensible limit particularly to start with.

Wait an hour or two after a meal depending on its size, before exercising and if you begin to feel sick or faint stop immediately and rest.

Getting the heart rate up means that you are breathing in more oxygen and the heart is working harder.

Ideally you should keep this type of exercise up for 15-30 minutes, depending on how vigorous the session is, to obtain a significant contribution to cardio-vascular fitness.

Heart rate monitors are widely available and most will have a table of recommended heart rate objectives according to age.

Any form of aerobic exercise undertaken three times a week at the recommended target heart rate will prove of tremendous benefit to all four body components.