Strive To Add Years To Your Life

1 min

Want to add years to your life and make those years as enjoyable and functional as possible? Make regular, moderate exercise part of your healthy lifestyle routine. Physical activity is good for the body, mind and spirit; helps maintain and improve the health of your heart; reduces the risk of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s; promotes energy, quality rest and a healthy weight; helps manage unhealthy stress; and may alleviate mild to moderate depression.

So why isn’t everyone exercising? People can always find excuses not to exercise, but really – there is no good reason. To reap all these benefits, all most people need is 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least four days a week, including at least two days of strength training, and ideally a stretching routine.

Be certain to keep it simple to begin: join a gym, take online classes (there are thousands to choose from, and many are free to stream or download), make an appointment with a personal trainer or simply get some friends together for daily walks. Strength training does not have to be limited to weights. There are a number of inexpensive exercise band options or straps that can be mounted or hung in a doorway for using your bodyweight to get a full body muscle workout. Try a variety of exercises to see what excites you and has you coming back for more. As you progress in your routine, make sure there are plenty of sessions where you are truly challenging the body to get the best benefits.

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