Like most people, you’ve probably heard that activity and exercise are good for you. The frailty and decreased energy often associated with aging is largely due to muscle loss. (Here’s where I can’t resist adding the old adage “Use it or lose it”.) So true.
Being physically active on a daily basis is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. As a matter of fact, exercise is THE key to maintaining your mobility and prolonging your INDEPENDENCE! It is central to daily functioning…think about it. Your daily activities like getting out of bed, rising up out of a chair, standing in the shower, carrying groceries, walking down the hall. They all require strength and energy, and one of the best ways to keep muscles healthy and strong and to increase the body’s vigor is with mobility-enhancing exercises. Also called strength training or resistance training, these exercises are among the best ways to fight weakness and frailty that can come with age. If done regularly they will build bone and muscle, and help preserve your INDEPENDENCE.
So, let’s make our founding fathers proud, take back our freedom of movement and refuse to surrender to the tyranny of aging! We may be born into a life of liberty, but we must not ever remain idle. After all, the key to INDEPENDENCE (and therefore happiness) lies in the pursuit.
Susan S. Covey is the Director of Community Center for Health and Fitness at Bayleigh Chase-Acts
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