By Kelly A. Shue
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
Each New Year, the desire to get fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle tops Americans’ resolution lists. Gym memberships spike as people attempt to obtain their goals, but more often than not, by February, gym attendance begins to wane from inconvenience and lack of support.
But according to Ion Deaton, who lives at Riderwood, an Erickson community in Silver Spring, Md., "There’s really no excuse not to exercise."
Easy for him to say. Deaton regularly goes to Riderwood’s on-campus fitness center, where an encouraging team of fitness and wellness experts provides support aimed at helping anyone interested in physical fitness and well-being. "The fitness center and the staff are wonderful. They’re always helpful and ensure you get the most out of your workouts," he says.
Setting the stakes
Those making the commitment to a healthy and fit New Year may be adding years to their lives.
In a February 2002 article in American Family Physician, Robert J. Neid, M.D., and Barry Franklin, Ph.D., report that "Regular exercise provides a myriad of health benefits in older adults, including improvements in blood pressure, diabetes, lipid profile, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and neurocognitive function."
A study by Stanley Colocombe and Arthur F. Kramer from the Beckman Institute and Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana, goes further in their findings stating that "aerobic fitness training enhances the cognitive vitality of healthy but sedentary older adults."
"I exercise to maintain my health," says Alfred Yanguas, who also lives at Riderwood. "I enjoy both the atmosphere and socializing with others."