Get and stay fit at any age

you can improve your fitness level at any age.

We all know we should exercise. We're reminded every time we turn on the news, pick up a fitness magazine or see our doctor for a physical.

Medical studies are continually telling us the amazing things exercise can do, including reducing risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, late onset diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and colon cancer.

If that's not enough to get us on our feet, perhaps the fact that being physically active as we age makes all the difference when it comes to being happy-and-healthy old, or sad-and-sick old.

Robert Goode, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Toronto and the lead researcher on many government handbooks on the importance of exercise, says, "Exercise alone won't provide you with a huge quantity of years (the keys to longevity are avoiding tobacco and alcohol), but it will most definitely provide you with quality years.

Start with the basics

As long as you have your doctor's okay, you can start to reap the rewards of regular exercise at any age. To ensure overall good health and well-rounded fitness, your workout should consist of cardiovascular, strength training, flexibility, and posture and balance exercises.

Nothing will give you a better shot at aging well. Here's a great workout suggested by Susan Lee, program manager of the University of Toronto Athletics Department and executive director of the Canadian Personal Trainers Network.

Cardiovascular

How long: 30 minutes. Try shooting for six minutes to start, working up to 30 minutes. It should take a few months to reach your goal. You can break this up throughout the day, walking for 10 minutes, riding a bike for another 10 minutes.

How often: Health Canada's Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults recommends you do cardio most days of the week, but three days a week is the minimum needed for results.

What to do:

Although it's the most important way to improve your overall health and endurance, cardiovascular exercise sounds so intimidating. Images of sweaty bodies bouncing through 60 minutes of aerobics classes spring to mind. But it doesn't have to be all pain and Lycra. The best ways to get your heart pumping after the age of 50 include walking, riding a bike, using an elliptical trainer, swimming, a aquafit classes, or low-impact aerobics classes.

Don't forget to breathe

According to Goode, you don't need to bother with calculations to figure out whether you're really doing your body any good.

Simply listening to your breathing will tell you if you're getting the full benefit of your workout by working at or near your ventilatory threshold.

Start your workout, whether it's walking or an aerobics class, and listen to your breathing. If you can't hear yourself breathing, increase your speed or effort until you hit your ventilatory threshold. "When you hear it, you're there explains Goode. Continue at this pace. To ensure you aren't pushing yourself too hard, take the talk test. You should be able to talk while you exercise -- if you can't, slow down.

thanks to Jennifer Walker