Extracted from "Fitness: The Complete Guide" by Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD.

Drs. Jesse Jones and Roberta Rikli, Directors of Life Span Wellness Center @ California State University in Fullerton, CA writes "Exercise and physical activity are recognized as having great potential for producing health aging, preventing disability and dependence, and reducing health care costs. An increasing body of knowledge suggests that …besides quitting smoking, there probably is no other lifestyle factor that has as much potential for protection against disease and disability in later years than that of maintaining a regular program of physical activity. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity, particularly when combined with good nutrition, provides protection against most of the common debilitating conditions of older adults such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, adult on-set diabetes, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, depression and frailty. Research indicates that even moderate level of fitness can postpone physical deterioration and loss of independence for as much as 20 years. Further, exercise programs, even when begun very late in life, have been found to have tremendously beneficial influences on people’s health and well-being, even to the point of reversing the need for walking aids and assistance with normal activities of daily living."

Quoted from "AFAA Senior Fitness Home Study Manual"

following points. People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis. Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to achieve health benefits. Guidelines from the report include the following. Acquire 30 minutes of moderate activity on most, if not all, days of the week. The 30 minutes of activity may be accumulated throughout the day. Examples of mo

Quote from "AFAA Exercise Standards & Guidelines Reference Manual"

Research indicates that the benefits of strength training include (as demonstrated in a year long study):

Halts Bone Loss – and Even Restores Bone: Women who didn’t exercise lost about 2% of the bone density but the women who strength-trained gained 1%.

Improves Balance: Women who didn’t exercise showed an 8.5% decline in balance but the women who strength-trained improved by 14%.

Helps Prevent Bone Fractures from Osteoporosis: Strength training builds bone & reduces the risk of fractures by improving strength & balance to help prevent falls.

Energizes: Women who didn’t exercise became 25% less active but the women who strength-trained were 27% more active than before.

Trims & Tightens: Women who strength-trained lost inches off their initial size.

Helps Control Weight: Strength training promotes aerobic activity, which burns calories, but also boosts metabolism. When combined with a weight-reduction program, strength training maintains muscle but loses fat.

Improves Flexibility

Revitalizes: Women who strength trained were stronger, trimmer, and more energetic.

A Health Tonic? Recent studies suggest that strength training reduces the risk of heart disease and adult onset diabetes, lifts depression and boosts self-esteem, eases sleep problems, relieves symptoms of both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, combats constipation and stress incontinence.

For information on this book and others by Dr. Nelson, see the Strong Women website.

Most women die of heart disease each year than of all cancers combined.  Ten times as many women die of heart disease as breast cancer.  In fact, cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke) kill more women than the next seven causes of death combined.

But the extraordinarily good news is that most cardiovascular disease is preventable.  The number varies with different researchers, but 70 to 80 percent of heart attacks and strokes are caused by lifestyle.  By the long-term sum of the choices we make every day.  Which means that making different choices - starting with exercise - will change your life."

     "Exercise is magic.  It gives you the strength, the optimism, the flexibility to do the rest.  It is the amulet you squeeze in your palm to change yourself from the apathetic, crippled and exhausted creature you might otherwise become into something different.  Someone transformed."

     "70 percent of aging, for women as for men, is voluntary...And you can also skip 50 percent of all the sickness and serious accidents you'd expect to have from the time you turn fifty to the day you die.  And... you can be functionally younger next year and for many years to come."

To be functionally younger next year, follow these "rules" as recommended by Dr. Henry Lodge.

1. Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.

2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.

3. Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life.

4. Spend less than you make.

5. Quit eating crap!

6. Care.

7. Connect and commit.

For information on this book and others by Chris Crowley & Dr. Lodge, see the Younger Next Year website.