AARP Fitness Ambassador Martina Navratilova Offers Tips To Help Get Active And Healthy

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;  Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 25 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Starting an exercise routine is no easy task - it is even harder to stick with one. This is the focus of a new study on the "Step and Stride with Ruby" walking program released today by AARP and the Red Hat Society with support from the AARP Foundation's Women's Leadership Circle. Over 500 women in Red Hat Society Chapters participated in the study, which found that friendly competition and participation in group activities was the key to sticking with an exercise regimen.

The study separated the chapters into two groups. One group used competition between chapters and prizes to motivate participation, the other did not. Nearly 90 percent of those chapters who competed for prizes completed a full year in the walking program, compared to 49 percent of participants in the other chapters. For both groups, chapter camaraderie was one reason for sticking with the walking program, but the monthly prizes and grand prize drawing were incentives that overwhelmingly increased participation.

"Too few Americans get enough exercise, yet we know that physical activity is one of the most important ways to prevent disease," said Cheryl Matheis, AARP Senior Vice President of Health Strategies. "We hope the results of this study, along with our walking programs and health information, will help people find ways to sustain healthy behaviors."

Martina Navratilova, the professional tennis Hall of Famer who serves as the AARP Health and Fitness Ambassador, helped launch these findings as part of her work to promote healthy behaviors.

"It is really important that people get active to stay healthy as they age," said Navratilova. "This study shows what I've known all along about competition - while it feels good to play, it also feels good to win. Adding a little healthy competition to your work-out is a win-win for everybody and can go along way to helping you stick with your exercise program."

AARP has been working to increase the level of physical activity among those 50 plus. There is a prevalence of sedentary behavior and related risk for a host of chronic health conditions and obesity. AARP encourages people 50 plus to exercise and has resources on its website at http://www.aarp.org/health, which includes fitness tips, pointers on healthy eating and new exercise videos with Martina Navratilova.

Walking is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to stay physically fit and can reduce the risk of diseases like heart attack, stroke and diabetes, as well as control weight, blood pressure and reduce cholesterol.

AARP offers the following tips to get you started walking:

1. Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition.

2. Invest in good shoes that fit well.

3. Look for walking groups or start your own.

4. Start with a warm up - a good stretching exercise.

5. Check your heart rate and breathing while walking.

6. Use good posture, swing your arms, and keep your head up, back straight and abdomen flat.

7. Carry water.

8. In hot weather, wear a hat with a brim and apply sunscreen.

9. Get a pedometer to track the distance you've walked or the number of steps you've taken.

10. Keep your work out interesting. To increase your fitness, add a route with some hills or changes in terrain.

For more information on this study, or to find more tips on staying active and healthy, please visit www.aarp.org.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

www.aarp.org