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Exercise Tips to Avoid Injury as You Get Older

Besides a healthy diet, exercise or any type of physical activity is perhaps the most important way to stay healthy. It is been scientifically proven that exercise can prevent disease and greatly slow down some signs of aging. Of course, as you get older, there are more precautions you have to take to stay safe and injury-free.

By keeping to a physically active lifestyle, you can enhance and increase joint and muscle abilities. Bone strength increases while you reduce your risks of stroke and heart attack. All in all, exercise is a rather easy way to stay healthy. However, if you are an older adult, it is important to employ some safety tips, especially if you have not been physically active in quite some time. While it is never too late to start exercising, you have to protect your body as well.

* Stretch and warm up before any type of physical activity. If you just jump into an activity, your cold muscles will protest and you could pull a muscle or injure something worse. Walking or jogging on the treadmill is a good warm-up as are biking on a stationary cycle or even doing jumping jacks. Five to ten minutes of this warm-up is good followed up by some appropriate stretching exercises.

* Make sure you get some type of exercise in every day or at least four to five times a week. It is not healthy or smart to only set aside the weekends for physical activity. Carve out 30 minutes a day to walk or jog on the treadmill or go biking. Remember, physical activities could include such chores as gardening, raking leaves, using the stairs at work or even walking your dog.

* Choose a sport of physical activity that you enjoy and get the appropriate equipment for safety. If you enjoy power walking or jogging, your most important accessory would be your shoes. Choose something that is comfortable and use them for that particular sport only. Find a location that is conducive to varying levels of the sport as you make progress.

* Take cues from your body. If an activity hurts, don't do it. Don't force anything as you could damage a joint or pull a muscle. Older bodies are not as pliant and flexible as younger ones.

* Create a workout that works on balance, endurance, flexibility and strength. Balance is essential later in life so that you avoid falling injuries. Plus, when you create a program that incorporates all of these things, you will not become bored and more prone to skip out on exercise all together. Boredom is the biggest problem in physical activity.

* Proceed with caution on any new sport of activity you choose. And if you have any pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, look to a professional who can prescribe the best physical activities that will provide you a great workout while avoiding possible injury or greater health problems.

The bottom line is that some physical activity is better than nothing at all. Therefore, do what you can to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Whether it is toe lifts or leg lifts in the check out line to swimming laps at the local YMCA, there are plenty of ways to fit exercise into your day.