Healthy Aging

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Staying Active

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You may be saying, "I'm too old to be active. I'm bound to fall and break something." Not true! In fact, regular physical activity can help keep you healthy and strong and can even help prevent falls.

When you think of physical activity you may think of playing sports or working out at a gym. If you don't like doing any of those things, you're probably not too excited about getting active. But being physically active doesn't have to mean playing basketball or running marathons. Walking, dancing, gardening, and even housework can contribute to your overall fitness and physical health.

Or, if you have activities you enjoyed when you were younger, such as jogging, swimming, or biking, why not pick them up again? Even if you are slower or have less stamina than when you were younger, you can still have fun and get fit at the same time. Read on to learn more about staying active.

• Why Should I Be Active?
• How Should I Get Physical Activity?

Additional Resources

Publications

1. Warm Up, Cool Down and Be Flexible (Copyright © American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) — An effective fitness program is more than aerobic training and strength building. To really reap the benefits of exercise, you need to add flexibility training to the mix. This publication explains how you can work flexibility training into your workout.

   http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00310

Organizations

1.   National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
2.   Smallstep.gov
3.   Weight-Control Information Network, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
4. American Physical Therapy Association
5. National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
6. The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated August 12, 2010.