Move It or Lose It

We’ve all heard it many times — exercise and movement are important for our health, both physically and mentally. It often feels like just one more thing to do on a list to be healthy, but it is so much more than that. The benefits of regular movement are vast, and the sooner we begin to incorporate more movement in daily life, the more benefit we will reap.

As our bodies age, physical decline is inevitable. However, regular exercise combats the effects of aging in several ways.

Flexibility

Whether it’s from slowing down as we age or a job/lifestyle that requires a lot of sitting, joint flexibility suffers from lack of motion. Lack of flexibility stresses the rest of the body and can eventually lead to injury. Moving your body through the full range of motion with simple movements and stretches keeps your cartilage and tendons in top shape and less prone to injury.

Balance

Challenging your body to redistribute its weight and maintain balance is an important part of overall health and wellness. Increased balance prevents falls and helps your body maintain overall coordination. Exercises that slowly improve balance are vital to protecting your body as you age. Regular walks are a good place to start to increase lower body balance, as are gentle exercises like yoga.

Strength

Strength training puts stress on your body. Though we normally try to minimize stress, the stress put on your body with light weight training causes your body to increase bone density and reduce osteoporosis. That means weight training is especially important for women to combat the risk of osteoporosis. Strong muscles are also efficient muscles that burn more calories and help maintain a healthy weight.

Cognitive strength

Regular exercise also helps the mind in many ways. Staying physically fit keeps your brain in top condition and ensures that your body can provide your brain with the right nutrients it needs. Regular movement also keeps your memory sharp and helps you think more clearly by stimulating new cell growth.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that these benefits only come from intense exercise! In fact, if you are just beginning to add more movement, it’s important to start slow. Walking, gentle yoga, light weightlifting, or any other form of exercise will put you on the path of increased flexibility, balance, and strength. Any movement helps — the important thing is to keep going.