There are many reasons to stay active as we age. It is well documented that daily activity keeps your body strong, keeps your mind working at a good clip, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of diabetes. Another extremely important benefit of staying active is the effect it has on muscle mass.
After age 50, a person’s muscle mass is reduced at a rate of between one to two percent every year. Building muscle can happen at any age, and lack of activity, even just for two weeks, has a definite negative effect on one’s muscles.
As winter approaches and going out for long walks becomes more difficult, it is even more important to keep up a level of activity which maintains muscle mass. There are lots of ways to exercise indoors. Consider taking a membership at a local pool or gym. Community centers usually have a lot of choices for staying active. There are dance classes as well as exercise classes which can meet the needs of people of all ages and athletic levels.
If getting out often is not realistic, there are lots of great ideas for exercising right in the comfort of your living room. There are lots of dance and exercise videos available on-line to guide people of all levels and ages through fun movements to keep your muscles strong and intact. So, get up and get moving and keep your muscles!