Exercise ain't just for the youngsters

One more reason sixty is the new thirty... As Bethany told you, more and more seniors are getting and staying in shape. And some good news in all this is exercise professionals are starting to design more workout programs specific to older populations, and fitness centers are springing up in retirement communities. Forget sitting in a rocker and reminiscing: retirement is all about setting a new record for your bench press.

The best quote in the article comes from Dr. Walter Bortz, who wrote "Dare to Be 100" and "Living Longer for Dummies." He's 77 years old, for the last 35 years he's run a marathon annually. While cautioning older people not to go all crazy with the workouts, he says, "Obviously, pain is nature's signal, but you can't be a pantywaist about pain." Excellent.

Seniors should work on four different things, according to the National Institute on Aging: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Oh yeah, that's vastly different from what the young 'uns are supposed to work on.