Different types of physical activities focus on different functions of your body and engaging in each type will be most beneficial to you.

Physical activities that build endurance, strength, flexibility and balance are a combination of aerobic type activities, muscle strengthening activities and stretching that you do not have to go overboard with to produce solid results.

The best type of activities are the ones that will make feel slightly warmer, breath a bit heavier and get your heart and pulse beating a little faster.

Physical activities can be anything from daily tasks like cleaning the house, gardening and walking the dog, they can also include recreational activities like swimming, golf, tennis, right through to exercises designed specifically to keep you fit and healthy.

Aerobic activities train the heart, lungs and circulatory systems to work more efficiently.

Aerobic type activities are the only type that targets the respiratory system, they involve the large muscles, and last for a long enough period of time to increase the bodies need for oxygen.

Aerobic fitness will make it much easier for you to complete your everyday tasks, with energy left over for you to do the things in life you enjoy.

Muscular strength and muscular endurance activities target specific muscles or muscle groups.

Together, the two components are used to describe overall muscular fitness.

Muscular fitness activities are critical for combating frailty and disability and is the only type of activity that can substantially slow, and even reverse the declines in muscle mass, bone density and strength loss.

To increase strength and endurance, muscles must work for a longer period of time than they are used to or at a higher intensity.

It will improve your independence by giving you the muscle strength and muscle endurance to do things on your own, even small increases in muscular fitness can make a big differences in your abilities.

Flexibility activities are stretching type exercises

They will help you move more easily, keeping your muscles relaxed and your joints mobile.

Flexibility helps you turn, bend, and reach more easily; it improves your agility and protects you against injuries from sudden movement.

Loss of flexibility is a major concern for anyone over 40 years of age.

Balance activities help strengthen your lower body muscles

Muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis work together to provide you with balance and stability.

Balance exercises train both your nervous system and muscular system to work more efficiently.

There is a lot of overlap between strength and balance exercises, very often one exercise serves both purposes many of the lower body exercises for strength are also balance exercises.

Managing your weight

This accomplished through a combination of aerobic and strength activities. Long lasting weight loss can be achieved through the acquisition of some lean muscle mass.

Beyond age 60 it is important to spend as much time building strength and flexibility as you spend on aerobic fitness.

Age related muscle loss speeds up after 60 and this can adversely affect your health and physical fitness as you get older.

It is strength, not cardiovascular function that is considered to be the most physical limiting factor as we grow older.

Since so many daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, standing up from a chair, carrying groceries, vacuuming, opening jars are so dependent on strength it is imperative to minimize the age-related loss in strength as much as possible.

As long as you continue working your muscles, they'll continue working for you, by keeping you strong, fit, and independent!

Other problems with decreasing strength can be seen in its contribution to osteoporosis, the decline in bone density, arthritic joint pain.

You don't have to lose your strength or muscle tone just because you're getting older.

Look upon your retirement as an opportunity to become more active instead of less.

Physical activities can be safe for almost everyone.

However, limitations may be placed on anyone with chronic conditions;

If you have a heart condition or you've had a stroke, and your doctor recommends only medically supervised physical fitness activities.

Your doctor recommended you take medicine for your blood pressure, a heart condition or a stroke.

Your doctor says you have bone, joint or muscle problems that could be made worse by the proposed physical activity.

You have a medical condition or other physical reason not mentioned here that might need special attention in an exercise program (for example, insulin-dependent diabetes).

You are middle-aged or older, haven't been physically active, and plan a relatively vigorous exercise program.

If you feel any of the physical symptoms listed below, contact your doctor right away.

During or right after your physical activities, you often have pains or pressure in the left or mid-chest area, left neck, shoulder or arm.

You tend to lose consciousness or fall due to dizziness.

You feel extremely breathless after mild exertion.

If none of these are true for you, you can start on a gradual, sensible program of increased physical activities tailored to your needs.

The benefits are numerous:

• Improved quality of life
• Continued independent living
• Better physical and mental health
• Stronger muscles and bones
• Get sick less often
• More energy and stamina
• Able to move with fewer aches and pains
• Prevention or reduced lower back pain
• Better posture and balance
• Improved self-esteem
• Better control of your weight
• Relaxation and reduced stress

Physically active retirees will deteriorate less in strength and the functional abilities that will help them to maintain their mobility and independence.

An active lifestyle reduces stress, strengthens the heart and lungs, increases energy levels, helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and improves your outlook on life.

The old adage “use it or lose it” is probably going to be truer now that you have retired than it has been at any other time in your life.

If you are in good shape now you will want to maintain that valuable condition, if not, there is no better time to make healthy changes.

Being physically active now, will be a significant investment in your future.

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