Any time is a good time to start. Being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight is good practice for all age groups. Make it a practice to get some exercise every day. Children, teens, adults, and seniors - all can improve their health and well-being and have fun by including moderate amounts of physical activity in their daily lives. Start easy - there’s nothing to be gained by rushing things. The real benefit is a life-long routine of physical fitness.

There are many different ways to go about it. Try for exercise routines that are varied. Try for a variety that will benefit all major muscle groups. Doing the same thing every day can be boring and is less beneficial. A good bench mark is about 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise. Less is ok - better than being sedentary. Exercising longer will reap more benefits.

Senior health fans choose walking because it builds strong bones and slows the progress of osteoporosis. It also tones your muscles and helps you move about more easily by keeping joints, tendons and ligaments more flexible. Walking also contributes to senior health by getting people “out and about”…walking in new neighborhoods, for example.

The First Step
Workout programs, even those with modest fitness goals, do put a strain on the body. That’s why it’s important for senior health fans to tailor a walking exercise program to fit their personal level of ability and special needs. Seniors heart rate and other “vitals” should be checked by a physician in order to set realistic goals and safe workout parameters. Seniors new to the world of fitness, should be especially careful. To avoid injury, they should pace themselves and look for slow and steady progress. The biggest boost to seniors heart health is to do some walking daily, regardless of time and intensity.

Doing What Comes Naturally
Senior health and heart rate are naturally connected. And one of the most natural ways to raise seniors heart rate is by walking. Studies show that more than one-third of Americans age 55 and older who follow a fitness or workout program include walking as a daily exercise. In fact, walking is the #1 choice for raising senior heart rate, followed in order by swimming, bicycle riding, bowling, aerobics, calisthenics, jogging, and tennis. Walking outdoors delivers the additional benefit of being in the sunshine and that’s important for helping the body create Vitamin D. But indoor walking is also valuable.

Healthy and Happy Heart
Regular exercise will help protect seniors from chronic disease, reduce the chance of injury, and aid the body in repairing itself. The older you are, the more you have to gain from a workout program that includes walking. All it takes is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week to lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. For seniors whose health challenges include hypertension, exercise can be an important tool to lower blood pressure. And the good news for senior health just keeps getting better. Walking lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer.

Healthy AND Happy
Senior health fans that take a whole-body or ‘holistic’ approach to wellness appreciate that walking elevates mood as well as heart rate. Physicians who recommend walking to seniors who want to exercise, highly endorse it because it has proven so effective in helping seniors help relieve bouts of stress or depression. Walking at a brisk pace releases chemicals in the brain called endorphins - the body’s natural "get happy” drugs. Walking workouts generally involve a change of scenery which in combination with the release of endorphins is a good way to forget about problems and get into a more positive state of mind.

Walking Groups – Fitness and Fun Are Free
Senior health is booming! Tens of thousands of aging baby boomers are learning that fitness and longevity can be achieved through an exercise program with walking at the centerpiece and an easy-to-follow workout regiment that only requires that they exercise three times a week for 30 minutes. Senior walking groups are springing up all over the country. Fast and slow walkers are both welcome, since most groups emphasize both the fun and fitness aspect of group exercise. Older fitness seekers can be seen at malls, state parks, and on the go in suburban neighborhoods enjoying brisk walks that raise their heart rates without putting a bite on their wallets!

Fitness - Let’s Get Going
A couple of thoughts on fitness and how to go about an exercise routine. The decision to take up an exercise program is the first step but how important is step 2?