I have good news and bad news for you.

The good news is that you can remain independent and able to take care of yourself for as long as you are alive on this planet.

The bad news is that you must work harder every year to keep your body operating efficiently. When I was a child the message I heard was that "old people” were supposed to "slow down and take it easy.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Your body is a machine--a magnificent creation capable of operating efficiently for as long as you need it. Do you take care of it? Or do you ignore its calls for help? As you age, do you operate under the philosophy "I worked hard all my life and I'm never going to work at anything ever again.” In my work teaching strength exercise classes to older adults I hear "I don't need to exercise” over and over again.

Experts tell us that after we reach maturity (about age 30), our muscles begin to waste away at the rate of one-half pound a year unless we work at keeping them strong. If you are 60 now, that means that you may already have lost 15 pound of muscles. No wonder it's getting harder to get up off the couch without a helping hand. By the time you're 75, you've lost most than 20 pounds of muscle.

These same experts say that the stronger your legs are, the less likely you are to ever have to go into a nursing home. Why not work on keeping your legs--and the rest of your body--strong enough that you are not liable to fall? Falling is the things that seniors fear most. And with good reason. Falls often result in a broken hip and many of those with broken hips will never return to living independently. Another benefit of exercise is that it can help prevent mental decline according to an article in the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter March 2006 A study in Seattle followed 1740 adults age 65 and older with normal mental functions. The scientists found 32 percent less risk of dementia in the group that exercised at least three times a week. The most frail at the start of the study benefited the most.

Maybe you are one of those who has always hated to exercise. You would never think of letting your automobile operate for years without maintenance and yet you refuse to care for your body. Any vehicle will become rusty and inoperable after years of letting it sit. And your body is no different. It needs to be cared for -- and it needs to move.. Joints need to be stretched to keep them flexible. Muscles need to be used to keep them from atrophyi

I ask the older adults in my strength classes, "What happens when you stress your muscles?” And they reply in unison, "They get stronger!” We repeat this until they begin to believe it--and they see their own bodies becoming stronger after a few weeks of strength exercise classes. A recent report from the University of Florida states, "For healthy older men and women, strength training not only firms muscles, but also significantly improves physical endurance and aerobic power, which can help prevent or delay a number of diseases including heart disease.”

Most exercise regimens focus on aerobic or endurance exercise--such as walking, jogging or using a treadmill. I frequently hear older adults say, "I walk a mile every day. That's all the exercise I need.”

WRONG! Walking does almost nothing to improve leg strength--unless you are walking up hills. And many older people "mosey” instead of walking briskly.

"Strength training is not typically viewed as a means for improving cardiovascular and respiratory performance. We've shown that resistance exercise may be another valid means of increasing cardio-respiratory endurance in older adults,” said Kevin Vincent of the University of Florida, "For people over 60, the best choice is to pursue both aerobic and strength training for maximum benefits.”

Don't let the fact that you are currently inactive stop you from exercising your body. Create a program for yourself that includes brisk walking and strength training to keep your body operating efficiently.

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