Advice for seniors: Stay active

Teresa Reymann, wellness manager at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Md., is a mountain biker, runner and tennis player in her off hours.

She doesn't like to see anybody retire from active living and offers these tips to senior citizens:

• Pay attention to posture. Keep the hips thrust forward, shoulders back, stomach tucked. Among other things, proper carriage helps prevent osteoporosis. “Think about it especially in the latter half of the day,” says Reymann, “when you're more tired.”

• There's more than safety in numbers. The benefits of group exercise go beyond physical fitness. Social interaction is especially important for seniors.

• “Make exercise a lifestyle change,” says Reymann. That means finding an activity and sticking with it.

She's a big proponent of walking. Buy a cheap pedometer that counts steps and set a goal of taking 10,000 a day, the equivalent of about five miles. The average person doesn't walk half that much.

For More Information: http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/living/health/11641057.htm