Use it or lose it” holds true for the brain as much as for other parts of the body, say researchers who found older people who were trained on brain exercises stayed mentally fit for at least five years.

In Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, Sherry Willis, a human-development professor at Penn State University, and her colleagues describe the results of brain training sessions. They studied nearly 3,000 people with an average age of 73 when the study began.

The training included hour-long classes over six weeks and exercises done on a computer. Researchers focused on three abilities: memory, reasoning and speed of processing.

Here are some things you can do to make sure you are exercising safely:

1. Start slowly, especially if you haven’t been active for a long time. Little by little build up your activities and how hard you work at them.
2. Don’t hold your breath during strength exercises. That could cause changes in your blood pressure. It may seem strange at first, but you should breathe out as you lift something, and breathe in as you relax.
3. Use safety equipment. For example, wear a helmet for bike riding or the right shoes for walking or jogging.

If you’re looking for something to do try these activities:

Scrapbooking: Gathering your photos is a fun walk down memory lane. It even helps you organize your treasures.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner club: Gather a group of friends and meet on a regular basis for meals and fun!

Journaling: Try writing your thoughts down in a book . Keep track of important events and things going on in your life. This can be something you pass along to your family.

Chair Exercises: Anytime, Anywhere! You can find chair exercises for seniors online or pick up a book at your local bookstore or even a video.

Yoga classes for seniors are becoming increasingly popular. Check local senior centers, retirement communities, religious organizations and even health clubs for senior yoga classes. If you can’t find a special senior class, a gentle beginners class will do. Lyengar yoga, with its emphasis on adapting the practice through the use of props such a blocks and chairs, is also good for seniors and many Iyengar centers offer classes for this demographic.

The seated overhead dumbbell press will strengthen your entire deltoid muscle. Strong shoulders can make your waist appear smaller and help improve your game. To perform this exercise:

Sitting with dumbbells in hand, lift the dumbbells to shoulder level with elbows bent. Face palms forward.Press the weight up. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows at the top. Carefully bring the weights down to shoulder level again. Repeat 15 times.

A recent study has found that the combination of light exercise and specific nutritional supplements could help keep seniors fit for a longer period of time. The study is the first to study the effects of structured exercise and nutritional supplements specifically on the elderly. Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University in England divided 60 seniors into two groups. One group performed moderate exercise once a week and the other performed high resistance exercise twice a week. Within those two groups, some received carbohydrate and protein supplements before and after exercise; some did not.

According to the Center for Disease Control, each year 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experience a fall. For far too many people, a fall means a broken hip or leg, which can mark the beginning of a slow decline in quality of life and an loss of independence.

Maybe you’ve noticed that your balance isn’t as good as it used to be, or maybe your balance is fine, and you’d like to keep it that way. You can prevent falls with simple balance exercises anytime and where!

Here is a balance exercise you can try today !

Walking is a great way for seniors to get in shape. Seniors’ walking programs can help you obtain a stronger body and healthier heart. Seniors of any age can enjoy the benefits of walking. It is also something that can be done as a group or by yourself.

Walking programs for seniors often include slow and fast paced intervals. Arms may be pumped harder for maximum benefits, and knees may be raised for a more efficient workout. Some seniors walk with light hand or wrist weights, or do arm exercises while walking. The kind of seniors’ walking you do will depend on your current physical shape.

Thanks in part to a lot of drug commercials starring Sally Field, we’ve all heard plenty about osteoporosis (dangerously low bone mass), and its less severe sibling, osteopenia. Not as familiar is sarcopenia, the age-related decline in muscle mass and function. It’s not as well studied, and its exact causes are still unknown, though it clearly contributes to frailty and a loss of independence in people’s later years. The good news is there are things you can do to prevent its ill effects, and also to improve your condition if you’re already feeling its consequences.

Some peope can blame being fat on your genes. There is a way to overcome that family history. Getting three to four hours of moderate activity a day can do the trick. Sound pretty crazy? Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa., who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the fat gene effects can be blocked with lots of physical activity.