Page 20 - Healthcare News Mar/Apr 2022

AGING OF AMERICA CONT’D Exercise Is for Life
The Key Is to Find Something You Enjoy Doing and Can Do Consistently
BMy DREW MCCONAHA
ovement is medicine, and ex- ercise is a vehicle to living a longer, healthier and happier
life. Exercise has been shown to improve all areas of our life — mentally, physically, and emotionally. Exercise, especially lifting weights, helps build strength, stronger bones and joints and more importantly, allows us to continue to do all the activities we love well into our later years.
Research on depression and anxiety shows the psychological and physical benefits that exercise can have on improv- ing your mood and reducing anxiety while also decreasing stress and improving your quality of sleep. Exercise can help decrease stress and increase the quality of your sleep. Exercise can help build self-esteem and confidence. It’s amazing how doing some- thing you didn’t think you would ever be capable of will do for your confidence.
I could go on and on about the benefits
of exercise. Let’s talk about ways you can get started, be consistent with something you enjoy doing, and be able to do it your entire life. Exercise doesn’t have to be mundane and boring and it doesn’t have to leave your laying in a pool of sweat feeling like someone tried to kill you either. The key to a great exercise routine is to find something you enjoy doing and can do it consistently enough to make it part of your lifestyle.
The Best Exercise Is the One You’ll Stick to
Regular, moderate activities such as walking or biking have associated with increasing life expectancy by several years. Exercise like Zumba, cycling, and aerobics are fun and inviting to all ages. Helping our children to find a sport or activity early on that they enjoy greatly increases the likeli- hood that they will enjoy exercise later in
Drew McConaha
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20 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM MARCH/APRIL 2022