Exercise. Fitness. Physical  Activity.  Working out. No matter what we call it, some of us love it and some of us hate it  – and have been avoiding it – all our lives. Some of us don’t even want to talk about it.

The fact is that regular exercise can make a huge difference in maintaining a healthy lifestyle – and physical activity becomes even more important to our mental, physical and emotional health as we age.

Sometimes what keeps us from starting and maintaining the exercise activities we need is lack of information or lack of motivation. That’s what this section is all about – helping you become better informed about why exercise is important, how it can benefit you, what types of exercise you can choose, and how you can enjoy exercise and do it safely.

NOTE: Always talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Every type of exercise is not appropriate for all people, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. And it’s important that you start slowly with any physical activity.