AARP Eye Center
Get Moving and Get Happy
By Correy Robertson, April 5, 2010 09:57 AM
Want to keep that youthful feeling well into your 50's and 60's and beyond?
Nothing makes you feel like you have more energy than regular exercise! As you age your metabolism slows down. According to O, The Oprah Magazine, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh followed 541 midlife women and found the women gained an average of 12 pounds eight years after menopause. Slow weight gain is usually associated with an increased sedentary lifestyle. Aging also causes you to loose elasticity of the skin. The great new is these are not permanent changes because these are direct results of loosing muscle mass and muscle definition and tone.
Here are a few simple solutions from The Oprah magazine:
- In Your 50s: 4 to 6 cardio sessions a week, 20 to 40 minutes each, with an intensity that lets you answer a simple question but not chat
- In Your 60s and 70s: 3 days a week of challenging but not exhausting cardio, such as a slow jog, plus 3 days of weight training, using lighter weights
- Stretch! One of the simplest activities can have the most beneficial results (better posture, less stiffness, balance etc) great ways to stretch are doing Yoga or Tai Chi.
Here's a simple equation to get motivated:
exercise gives you endorphins :: endorphins make you happy ... Exercise = Happiness!