National Senior Health & Fitness Day

Today is National Senior Health & Fitness Day, and 150,000 or more older Americans are expected to participate in organized fitness activities at more than 1,000 sites nationwide. The annual day, a program of the Mature Market Resource Center, is intended to bring focus on the many benefits that exercise can provide to those growing rich in life experiences.

Among the many new studies that support this view is one by a group at the McMaster University Medical Center in Canada that found that resistance training can rejuvenate muscle tissue in older people Exercise has also been found to alleviate the depression that all too often accompanies aging. For some, it is a valuable tool to help combat gradual weight gain and the accompanying health problems.

For other, exercise classes provide social stimulation and a sense of accomplishment. To find exercise opportunities for seniors in your area, you might start with the U.S. Administration on Aging's Eldercare Locator.