Staying fit at 50 and beyond

The exercise moves you choose probably will change as you age

Boom!, Mar 4, 2010

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Exercise is important at any age, but the moves you choose likely will change as you grow older. The onset of joint and muscle pain begins to limit mobility, making downhill skiing or flag football difficult. Additionally, a loss in muscle mass and bone density might slow down some people.

The onset of osteoarthritis, which affects 27 million Americans, or depression, which strikes as many as 14 percent of males and 18 percent of females over age 55, can impact the ability to exercise too.

As the aches and pains set in, focus on these hints from Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago to keep fit at every age:

Add endurance

Activities such as walking, swimming, biking and dancing get the heart pumping, which benefits the circulatory system, potentially preventing diabetes, heart disease and depression. A half-hour of this type of activity three times a week will have you feeling fine and even improve your memory. A recent study shows the incidence of dementia in individuals who walked three or more times per week was 35 percent lower than those individuals who walked less than three days per week.