It’s no secret that staying active has many health benefits. However, as we get older, aches and pains start and we often have to deal with patterns of behavior that keep us from living an active life.

The good news is that there are many fun activities and sports that can help you build endurance, strength, and flexibility for optimal holistic health!

Remember to always listen to your body and don’t overexert yourself and check with your doctor before starting any new exercise plan.

Stretch Yourself with Yoga

The ancient practice of yoga was developed as a way to become centered, while improving one’s mental, physical and emotional health. Yoga has proven to be useful for lowering blood pressure and relieving anxiety. It can also make falling asleep easier, regulate hormones, burn fat, build muscle, increase flexibility, and improve your posture.

Yoga can even be practiced while sitting in a chair and can be learned in local classes, on videos or even the Internet. You’ll be amazed how much different you feel even after the first time! It’s truly unforgettable.

Row Your Way to a Healthier Life

Rowing is fun, exciting and great for your health. It stretches the muscles and is a great resistance training exercise. It simultaneously strengthens and lengthens the major muscle groups, helps maintain and build bone mass and improves balance. Also this is one exercise that you can do indoors at the gym, in a city park or in your living room!

If a boat or rowing machine is not a practical solution for you, there are still ways to gain the health benefits of this sport. Simply mimic the motions used for rowing while holding weights or canned vegetables, or you can get similar results by using elastic exercise bands.

Your local physical therapist’s office or hospital is a resource for finding them, and if your doctor prescribes them, your insurance can pick up the tab!

Get Back in the Water with Swimming and Water Aerobics

Gravity and time wreak havoc on our bodies. As we age, our joints often wear down, resulting in pain. Arthritis, gout and a number of other painful conditions can make exercising extremely painful. However, there is no need to abandon exercise all together. Swimming, water aerobics and other water sports are great for any age!

Working out in the water eliminates virtually all of the joint pain associated with other types of exercise because our bodies are nearly weightless in the water. It is also a great way to strengthen the heart, increase endurance and build long, lean muscles.

Get on Your Bike

When we use our large muscles groups to perform repetitive motions, the body’s ability to disperse oxygen throughout the body is increased. Resistance exercises, like pushing bike petals, strengthens the bones. Not only do we reap the benefits of higher oxygen levels, cardio workouts like biking help our bodies to excrete toxins.

So in time, skin improves and you even have more energy. Biking at a pace that’s challenging but not too strenuous promotes overall physical health.

Try the Oldest Form of Exercise, Walking

Recreational walking should be a part of your everyday life. Walking with a partner is a great way to stay motivated, and the serenity and beauty of getting outdoors and taking in lovely natural surroundings is a great mood enhancer. The best part? We can do it anywhere and it’s still free. Nothing is required but a good pair of shoes and comfortable clothes.

Walking is a great way to regulate breathing, improve vital organ functions, and regulate hormones, improve your mood, release endorphins, decrease pain and more. The more often we do it the better we feel.

Walking for just fifteen minutes a day is proven to burn fat, increase muscles, improve balance and flexibility, lessen the risk of disease and it can even boost the immune system! There isn’t a pill, vitamin, herb or potion on earth that is as effective at promoting health as walking.

Hit Your Way to a Healthier Life with Golf

Golf is a very popular sport for women of all ages, and many enjoy getting out on the green well into their 80’s. Walking from one hole to the next is a highly rated form of low-impact exercise while swinging a golf club repeatedly increases strength and flexibility, especially on the follow through.

Golf is also great for those who don’t have the strength to walk 18 holes – you can always take the golf cart and hop on and off. Fresh air, blue skies and sunshine have a calming effect while a little healthy competition and community keeps us happily on our toes!

What other sports and activities do you enjoy and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Give your body the love it deserves by trying one of our gentle yoga classes.