Fit After Fifty is a movement dedicated to inspiring and motivating people over age 50 to get moving and get fit to enjoy the benefits of better health. One of the major benefits of being fit in old age is an extended life, and one of better quality and enjoyment (because you’ll enjoy aging more with less pain and more of an ability to move).
Earlier this year, results from a 12-year study in Europe concluded that inactivity is a serious cause of death, twice as prevalent as obesity! They found that if people just went for a 20-minute brisk walk each day (even if they were obese), they had significant benefits to their health.
“The greatest risk [of an early death] was in those classed inactive, and that was consistent in normal weight, overweight and obese people,” said Professor Ulf Ekelund a researcher on the study. Of course, we should also focus on reducing obesity, but eliminating inactivity could save hundreds of thousands of people and prolong their life.
Another study found that elderly men who exercise an average of three hours per week live about five years longer than elderly men who are inactive. According to the report from the study, “Even when men were 73 years of age on average at start of follow-up, active persons had five years longer expected lifetime than the sedentary.”
In my own experience, and that of the dozens of others featured on FitAfterFifty.com and in our video-enhanced eBook, moving and getting fit has a profoundly positive impact on life. We find that we have more energy, less pain, better rest, and a greater ability to do the things we love, whether that be playing with grandkids or completing a triathlon!
So what do you do to reject the sedentary lifestyle, get moving, and make fitness a focal point for your aging years?
Featured photo source: Pixabay.com
