We all know that part of being healthy means remaining active – and no, reaching from your seat on the couch to where the remote is resting on the coffee table does not count. Physical activity is so important to your health all throughout your life, not just while you are young. As you age, it is easy to make excuses as to why you can no longer be as active as you once were, when in fact, you should actually be pushing harder to be active exactly because you are getting older. Remaining active as you age has been shown to have a plethora of benefits, including staving off the development of serious health complications, boosting your mood and energy levels, and helping you maintain good heart rate variability. Below are some of the benefits to remaining active well into your golden years.

It is Good for Your Health…Really Good

Perhaps you have been an active person your whole life, and now that you are getting older, you think that you can finally sit back and become sedentary for a while. Well, think again. Everyday Health explains that research shows individuals who remain active in their 70s and beyond can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. In addition, if you suffer from conditions such as arthritis, you may think that gives you reason enough not to be active, but on the contrary, physical activity has been shown to help ease the pain of arthritis significantly. Different types of exercising will help with different things:

• Aerobics or other cardiovascular workouts will help improve your heart and lung functioning. Try to get 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity in each day.
• Strengthening exercises help to strengthen your muscles and build bone density. You should try to get some strengthening in at least twice per week.
• Stretching helps with your flexibility and makes getting around easier. Do stretches on your own for 10 minutes each day or try a class such as yoga or Pilates.
• Balance exercises will help to reduce your risk of falling. You can try something challenging like Tai chi or simply practice balancing on one foot than switch to the other.

Boost Your Mood and Your Energy

As you age, you may notice that you are feeling a bit sluggish or that you tire easily throughout the day even when you don’t feel like you are doing much. It can be upsetting to feel this impact of getting older. Luckily for you, when you are active and exercising, you will not only be doing some good for your body, but for your mind and energy levels as well. Physical activity actually boosts your energy rather than drains it, and this rejuvenating feeling is a natural happy endorphin trigger. You will feel like a million bucks!

Have a Healthy Heart

Exercising regularly when you are older has been proven to give you the heart of a much younger person, explains Strong Women. Individuals who remained active into their elder years not only had lower resting heart rates when analyzed, they also had high heart rate variability, on par with individuals of a much younger age.

An active life is very important to your health and continued happiness. Although you may have been led to believe otherwise, you are never too old to start exercising, so get out there and get moving!

Randy is a personal fitness instructor who specializes in the physical health and well-being of many senior citizens.