If you are finding it hard to get moving, a reminder of the benefits should spur you to action. Regular physical activity, in addition to making you look and feel good, lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. In fact, exercise and strength training can help you look and feel younger. According to Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University scientist and specialist in aging, “Biologically, we can reverse the aging process by 15 to 25 years. We can do that by becoming stronger.” Exercise can also help you maintain your mobility and independence. Regular activity helps keep bones and muscles strong, promotes good balance and combats frailty.

One of the most common reasons seniors (and others) don’t exercise is because they think of exercise as a chore, rather than an enjoyable pastime. If you think of exercise that way, challenge yourself to think differently because it can have a profound effect on all aspects of your life. Recognize that regular physical activity can provide more than just physical benefits. Feeling involved, connected and passionate about things will also help you live a longer and healthier life. Exercise (in all of its many forms) can be just one of the ways that you keep yourself actively engaged in the world and do things that you really love to do. You are more likely to make a lifelong commitment to good fitness if you shift your focus and decide to do things that you enjoy.

Exercise can be fun and it doesn’t have to be the traditional walking, swimming or biking. You can try different sports or traditional exercise programs if you wish, or you can take up an active hobby like gardening. Even better, make a regular fitness routine sociable by forming a birdwatching/hiking club or a “walking before shopping day,” a time for you and your friends walk the mall for 30 minutes before the stores open. Making sure your activities are fun is the most important step in your decision to be healthy and fit over the long term. Doing a variety of enjoyable activities will enrich all aspects of your life and be easily maintained; the side benefit will be a strong and healthy body.