by Joseph Casciani
Many of our parents and grandparents engaged in regular physical activity and manual labor for their exercise. Gardening, growing crops, maintaining the ranches and farms, climbing stairs to their second or third or fourth floor apartment, walking to get shopping and other business done, and even working into their later years required daily physical activity. Yes, there was Jack LaLanne – one of the first fitness gurus and role models for proper diet, exercise and staying healthy – but most adults were able to stay fit, or at least delay weight gain into their later years, without going to a gym or workout studio.
Today, our usual daily routine, workload, and rather sedentary lifestyle do not tax us physically. Instead, exercising has become a necessity, whether in classes, distance running, time at the gym, sports like swimming and golf, or combinations of the above, and most of the population understands the benefits of regular exercise. And we all know the benefits are innumerable, from avoiding chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, to retaining muscle mass, balance and strength, enhancing our ability to recover from heart attack or stroke, and increasing the ability to fight off infections and avoiding physical frailty and disabling falls. We would be remiss in not mentioning the mental benefits of increased cognitive function and maintaining a stronger sense of well-being.
Fortunately, there are many reputable websites and professional associations inside and outside the U.S. with free recommendations and guidelines on how much physical activity we need. Some of the better sites include the American Heart Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and a very informative site for women over age 50, the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
Regardless of how and when and why we choose to exercise, there are plenty of opportunities to exercise in our own home. Skip the gym membership and look into equipment that’s usable right in our bedroom, garage, personal yoga studio, or wherever we can find space.