With all the achy joints, knees and hips, it’s no wonder that many seniors don’t enjoy or participate in physical activity. However, by doing a little bit of exercise every day, seniors can actually increase their mobility, well-being and quality of life. With May 25^th being National Senior Health & Fitness Day, we thought we would talk in today’s blog about some of the ways you can stay fit in your Golden Years:

• Consult your doctor. This will alert them to pay extra attention to your heart, lungs and bones. You don’t want to overstress your heart, and you want to make sure osteoporosis hasn’t started to set in and risk breaking a bone.
• Start slow. You may feel like you’re miles behind everyone else at the gym, but it’s important you go at your pace. If you overdo it, you may find yourself back at the doctor’s—and not for good reasons!
• Remember that you’re not 20 anymore. While you may remember the thrill of running 5 miles in 45 minutes or less, doing so now could put you in a lot of pain. It’s okay to not be in the same place as you used to be.
• Stop if you feel pain! It’s your body’s warning signal that you’re overdoing it. Again, you’re not 20, so recovering from a hard workout now will take much longer than it used to.
• Warm up. This is something you may not have had to do as a young adult, but as an older adult, not doing so can lead to injury.
• Experiment with a variety of different exercises. Find one that you enjoy and that doesn’t overstress your body or put you in pain. Biking, walking, swimming and yoga are good things to consider.

Young or old, there’s no denying the benefits of regular exercise. We carry a number of products that can help you become more active, even if it’s difficult.