Exercise Guide for Seniors

All too often, the fitness industry focuses on youth: advertisements for gyms commonly show a number of skimply-clad twenty-somethings prancing around.

This makes the exercise advice published by the National Institute of Aging (NIA, one of the Institutes that makes up the NIH) a welcome breath of reality.

People of all ages can, do, and should exercise. In the introduction to the new guide, Senator John Glenn says:

I am pleased to recommend Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging as an excellent manual for anyone who wants to take those first steps toward an active lifestyle. … This guide contains valuable information about how exercise and proper nutrition are crucial for staying healthy as we age and provides useful tips on establishing and maintaining a regular exercise program.

The guide is written in everyday language by doctors and experts at the institute. There are five chapters in the guide, and it’s available for free online, from the NIA: Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging. It covers:

• What Can Exercise Do For Me?
• Is It Safe For Me To Exercise?
• How to Keep Going
• Sample Exercises
• How Am I Doing?
• What Should I Eat?

The authors of the guide emphasise how exercise contributes to a better quality of life:

Research suggests that growing older does not mean you have to lose your strength and ability to do everyday tasks and the things you enjoy doing. But an inactive lifestyle does mean that you probably will lose some of your strength and ability, and that you will be at higher risk for diseases and disabilities.

If you find that most exercise advice is tailored to people younger than yourself, or if you know someone older who might appreciate this guide, check it out.