Weight-bearing exercise such as walking, running or weight lifting can help preserve bone mass. One study found that men and women in their 80s doubled their muscular strength after 10 weeks of working out. Many got better at climbing stairs, and a few even discarded their walkers and canes. The more calories you burn with exercise, the fewer you store as fat. And as you replace fat with new muscle, you can raise the number of calories your body burns while you're just sitting around.
Muscle tissue burns more calories to maintain itself than does fat tissue.
You have a right to be healthy, but you also have the responsibility to play an active role in staying healthy. Active older people score better on tests of thinking ability than inactive older people. But for rewards beyond a longer life, you'll need to do more. How to Get Started Try a program of at least three 20-minute aerobic workouts a week. Work hard enough to get your heart beating faster and feel your breath quicken.