The experts who tell us we need more exercise agree on one thing. Doing something, they say, is better than doing nothing. And that's true even if you can't get out of the house to do it.
"Being active is about making sure you can keep doing the things you want to do," says Phyllis Croisant, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist in Charleston, Ill.
"You don't have to be sweaty or out of breath," she says. "If you're watching TV, just standing up and sitting back down three times while a commercial is on will strengthen your legs." That, in turn, she says, can help protect you against falls. It can also help ensure you'll be able to keep getting up from chairs without assistance.
"Any kind of physical activity is good," adds Tyson Bain. "It might be doing chores or just walking through the house from the front door to the back door a few times each day." Bain, a research associate in applied gerontology with the Cooper Institute in Dallas, specializes in exercise for older adults. "The guidelines are to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. But you don't have to start there. Do what feels comfortable, even if that's only five or 10 minutes."
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