The goal of senior fitness is to keep us healthy and independent well into our senior years. But to reach a level of fitness that will keep us healthy as we age, our fitness program should focus on four factors; endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Each of these factors is important to help seniors stay in the best shape possible. The following are examples of what exercises

will allow you to enhance each of the four factors of fitness.

ENDURANCE: Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular function is improved by endurance exercises. These types of exercise ensure that the heart, a muscle, remains strong, that oxygen-rich blood is delivered to the entire body, that arteries don't harden, and that blood pressure and resting heart rate stay low. Endurance exercises also reduce body fat, help the body regulate insulin production and lower blood glucose levels. Endurance exercises raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduce LDL (bad)

cholesterol levels. These exercises boost mood, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety and depression, in addition to forestalling many of the effects of aging on the body, the brain, and the emotions. These fabulous results can be achieved in as little as 30 minutes a day!

The following table lists many examples of cardiovascular, or endurance, exercises. Many of these exercises require no special equipment and are as simple as increasing our day-to-day activities and taking advantage of the opportunities for exercise that present themselves during the course of everyday life.

Examples of Endurance Activities

Moderate:

Swimming, Cycling, Cycling on a stationary bicycle Gardening (mowing, raking), Walking briskly on a level surface, Mopping or scrubbing floor, Golf, without a cart, Tennis (doubles), Volleyball, Rowing, Dancing

Vigorous:

Climbing stairs or hills, Shovelling snow, Brisk cycling up hills, Hiking,

Tennis (singles) Swimming laps, Cross-country skiing, Downhill skiing, Jogging

Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health

STRENGTH: Weight Bearing Exercises

Incorporating weights or exercises machines into your senior exercise routine improves the quality and strength of muscle mass. Weight bearing exercises also help enhance the strength of your bones by preserving bone calcium. There are many examples of senior exercises you can undertake to improve your muscle mass.

FLEXIBILITY: Joint Movement Exercises

Muscle and joint stiffness is one of the most common complaints of seniors. To ensure that your body remains flexible as you age, consider doing flexibility exercises.

BALANCE: Stability Exercises

A loss of stability as we age is the cause of most of the falling injuries that cripple so many seniors. Simple senior exercises will ensure that you retain your stability and balance as you age.