Exercise is a powerful tool against the physical effects of aging and it’s never too late to start. Being a senior citizen is no reason to avoid exercise, says University of Illinois professor of kinesiology Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko. In fact, any physical activity, like walking even if walking canes must be used, will benefit health.
It’s important to “choose an activity that you will do,” whatever that is, the professor said. “It really matters less exactly what you do than it matters to avoid being completely sedentary.”
A 1996 report from the U.S. Surgeon General indicates only about 15 percent of adults over 65 get a recommended level of physical activity and as many as one-third get no exercise at all, Chodzko-Zajko noted in an article he wrote for the journal Quest.
Chodzko-Zajko suggests that some people might benefit from strategies such as keeping a diary of all their physical activity, including even things like short walks to the store with their walking canes, doing housework or working in the garden. Seeing the diary with their activities written down may help motivate people to exercise because they will want...