Stick to side streets as you walk for exercise. Avoid outdoor activities during rush hour. Live in a smoke-free environment. Clean your indoor air with a HEPA filter. Pay attention to local outdoor pollution alerts. Try some of these hints to avoid pesticide poisoning: Eat plenty of vegetables and soy products each day. Reduce your intake of beef, pork and chicken. Wash and peel all fruits and vegetables carefully. Keep your kitchen free of pesticides. Exercise – We all know it. Exercise is good for you but, if you are over 60, breeze on by the advertising that touts ‘buns of steel.’ Recent research indicates that moderate exercise will give you as much protection from disease as the extensive exercise regimens touted by those much younger than you. Experts now tell us to use a two-part exercise program that includes aerobic exercise like walking or bicycling to condition your heart plus strength training exercises such as calisthenics and low-intensity weight lifting to build muscle and cut fat. To begin you should only exercise two or three times a week but should work toward at least five times a week. Easing into a routine like this gradually should be your goal. By age 60 almost everyone has some degree of osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, joint irritation or lack of flexibility. Exercising lightly will not aggravate these conditions, but will actually help them. Exercise will also keep your heart young, drive down high blood pressure, build up good cholesterol, improve balance, enhance sex life, increase mental acuity, elevate mood, control diabetes, decrease cancer risk, strengthen bones, ease joint pain and much, much more. Get started properly. Get a physical so you know that your body’s systems can handle additional physical stress. Warm up for at least 10 to 15 minutes using slow-walking, stretches or light calisthenics. As you get older you body need to ease into exercise gradually because your system is down about one third and takes longer to warm up and cool down. Exercising more than 30 minutes at a time will help you lose weight if you do it three to five times a week and follow a proper diet. But if you don’t need to lose weight, three 10 minute sessions each day will be beneficial for protection against disease. Back to: Anti Aging    You ARE What You Eat   Managing your Environment  Genetics , Does it come from Grandma? Mind and Body   Sex After 50   Retirement