As Sir Muir says, fitness is all about being able to do the things you want when you want! Being fit is a necessity, not just an option. Your individual level of fitness will depend on your personal lifestyle, interests and the commitment you have to looking after your health. We all need to do what we can to help ourselves maintain physical independence and one significant, but simple way is by including more activity in our everyday lives. The earlier good habits are started the more benefit is felt as the years roll past.
So, take, and make, the opportunity to be more active anytime, anywhere and any place.
Try to take more regular moderate exercise and persuade your friends or family to join you. Start with simple things like taking the dog for a walk or by using the stairs instead of the lifts. Or try walking to work or shops or school instead of taking the car. Then you can look forward to enjoying many more years of ACTIVE life. The trick is to do an activity that gives you pleasure. You will then discover that being active actually boosts your energy levels. When we exercise, the body releases chemicals called endorphins which give us a “feel good” factor and the circulation gets going, improving our heart and lung efficiency. Exercise and being active makes your complexion glow and your mind more alert. As we’ve seen being inactive is a major risk as we get older. Both Muir and I say – “down with sofas and up with stairs!” Walking is our prescription for good health. Do it with others and help others do it!
Reproduced from Sod Sitting, Get Moving!: Getting Active in Your 60s, 70s and Beyond Hardcover – 9 Mar. 2017 by Sir Muir Gray (Author), Diana Moran (Author), David Mostyn (Illustrator)To buy a copy click here