After age 30, the fitness level of most adults decreases 10 percent with each decade. But master athletes — people older than 50 who continue to compete in athletic events — often maintain their fitness level as they get older. In fact, they’ve been shown to be twice as fit as inactive adults their same age. Master athletes also have cholesterol, body fat and blood sugar levels similar to those of adults 15 to 30 years younger.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a competitive athlete to reap these rewards. Adults of all ages who exercise regularly experience health benefits. And research has found that people who begin exercising after age 50, and who maintain the habit for more than 10 years, reduce their risk of dying early by 20 to 30 percent.
Signing off for now; I’m going to hit the tennis courts while the weather’s still great in S.E. Michigan!
all my best, Karen Cameron Check-In Calls, LLCSource: Henry Ford Health System’s “HeartBeat” Newsletter, fall 2010
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