Keep young, keep fit!

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly in order to maintain fitness and health as one ages. However, it's not always easy to get motivated and be inspired to take this step especially if you have not exercised much previously. Age UK has a number of suggestions to get you started, especially if you are a recent convert to exercise and fitness.

An excellent form of exercise for the over 50s is Pilates, a gentle non impact exercise which improves flexibility and fitness for all levels. There are classes available and also a number of good books and DVDs to explain the movements.

Some people might prefer to take up martial arts but the more combative classes such as karate may not suit you if you are a beginner. If you prefer something a little more gentle you might like to try out Tai Chi, a low-intensity martial art. Tai Chi improves strength, postural control and balance and has also been found to help prevent falls.

Yoga is a great therapy for both mind and body. The more gentle forms include Hatha yoga, Viniyoga (otherwise known as vinyasa) and kundalini yoga. Whereas hatha yoga involves both physical and breathing exercises (or asanas) viniyoga concentrates on coordinating breathing with movement and is an excellent choice for beginners and sedentary older people.

For the more physically adventurous there are a couple of more demanding types of yoga such as Ashtanga and Bikram which involve a lot of physical effort and good if you are older and fit!

Weights and toning classes are very popular and easy to find, but it is important to find the right weight level for you. The free weights help to improve bone building, which in turn lowers the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis. Attending weights classes is excellent for building stamina and strength at the same time.

There are various kinds of toning classes too including body pump and body sculpt and you can use them to work on specific parts of the body. Stability classes use fitness balls which are effective for strengthening muscles. They resemble giant beach balls but they are really good and effective!

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