By now, many of us know that we should get active, sit less often, and eat a healthy, balanced diet. And yet many older adults aren’t following this way of life. When you look south of the border, more than half of American adults aged 65 and older are not getting their recommende cardio of 150 minutes a week (keep in mind that this aerobic activity doesn’t have to be intense; brisk walking would count, and you can complete even fewer minutes per week if your activity is more intense, such as hiking or running).
As reported on forbes.com, strength training twice a week is also recommended. This could be working out with dumbbells or resistance training exercises using your own body weight or exercise bands. While these are exercises you can easily complete at home with minimal equipment and space (and even with your favourite show on TV), many older adults aren’t strength training either.
If you’re living a sedentary life and seem to be getting along fine, you might not be motivated to get active and eat better. But living like a couch potato will build up and your health will suffer eventually. It might be your weight creeping up, for example, and being overweight can set you up for diabetes, problems with your joints, high blood pressure and more.
If fear is what will get you off the couch, consider this: heart attacks kill more Americans than anything else. That scared you up and onto your feet? Forbes.com shares a plan to motivate you and prepare you with the must-have essentials for a more healthy, active lifestyle. Read the full article here.
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Another Good Reason to Become More Mindful
