It's never too late to get in shape or improve your body's strength and condition.  Quality of life is affected by the amount of muscle mass lost due to physical inactivity.  It's never too late to build a healthier mind, body and spirit. Your body is your vessel in life--if you treat it well, it will treat you well.  Any exercise, no matter the intensity level, is better than no exercise.  More importantly, exercise just makes you feel good!  That old adage "use it or lose it" is quite true.   Exercising regularly, eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep is essential to living a fit lifestyle.   

    The benefits of exercise include burning body fat, boosting metabolic rate, suppressing appetite, controlling sugar cravings, lessening depression, reducing chronic fatigue and increasing energy.  Not one dietary supplement can promise all of the benefits of exercise.   Acquire more energy and lessen your reliance on costly medications by engaging in daily exercise.

     Knee pain is usually the result of stiffness brought on by inactivity or immobilization of the knee joint.  Many who suffer from osteoarthritis complain of joint stiffness and pain.  Knee pain is especially felt when bending over or squatting.  So what can one do to alleviate stiffness and the accompanying pain that results?  Losing body weight will certainly help to reduce the load placed on the knee joints.  Each pound of body weight lost subtracts four pounds of pressure on the knee joints.   Performing joint movements will  certainly help lessen joint stiffness.  Exercise will help to lose body weight and increase joint mobility.   As a result, exercise can also bring relief from pain.  The key is to perform exercise on a consistent basis (i.e., at least 3 times per week).  Since exercise initially tends to cause knee pain, most people would rather avoid it.  But this is a mistake!  Not being active will only exacerbate stiffness, pain and immobility.
     So what exercises should you do to bring about relief from knee pain?  Any low-impact aerobic exercise such as swimming, biking, walking, and water aerobics are ideal.  Aim for 30 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercise on most days of the week.  Strength training is also highly recommended.   Try Tai Chi, yoga and exercises like leg extensions and leg curls.  Stretching every day is essential to reduce joint and muscle stiffness.  Perform quad, hamstring and calf stretches daily.  Be sure to hold each stretch up to 30 seconds and repeat two to four times.  Refer to the exercise portion of this blog for how to perform certain stretches.  Most importantly, listen to your body and know your limits!  Never push through bad pain!  Apply an ice pack to an aching joint for up to 15 minutes to reduce inflammation.   Taking a nice hot bath may also relieve sore joints.          

     A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine  has found that soda intake may increase the risk of obesity.  The reason is attributed to the sugar within soda.  Many people take in way too much sugar on a daily basis.  Sugar is a carbohydrate which is readily digested but contains 4 kcals per gram.  Drinking soda regularly means lots of sugar and therefore lots of calories being taken into the body and stored as bodyfat.   Those having a genetic predisposition to obesity are at higher risk when drinking soda and sweetened fruit juices.   
     Of course lack of exercise is also a primary risk factor for gaining body weight.  Combine sedentary behavior with excessive soda drinking and you have a guaranteed risk of gaining unhealthy body weight in the form of increased bodyfat. 
     So what's the solution?  First of all, begin drinking more water and lessen the intake of sweetened beverages.   A gradual approach is recommended rather than cutting back cold-turkey.  In addition, make an effort to become more physically active throughout the day.  Less sugar intake and more exercise is a recipe for losing bodyfat and body weight.

     According to a new Australian study of almost a quarter million healthy adults, sitting too much increases the risk of premature death (Archives of Internal Medicine).  The greatest risk was for those who sat for at least eleven hours daily--they were 40% more likely to die within 3 years than those who sat less than four hours daily.  Prolonged sitting can have adverse effects on health including an increased risk of hypertension, heart attack, obesity, chronic kidney disease, some cancers, decreased HDL (the good cholesterol), increased triglycerides, and elevated blood sugar (which may increase the risk of type-2 diabetes).  

BOTTOM LINE:  Take a short break (just a few minutes) every hour while sitting to get up, stretch, and take a short walk to get the blood circulating.  By doing this, you can literally increase your life expectancy.