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Underscoring Importance of Childhood Health Could Lead to Aging Revolution

(PRWEB) June 30, 2012

The majority of adults over 65 are sedentary, according to numbers released in USA Today (http://usat.ly/Ma0TBD). Twenty-four percent of people in that age group are totally inactive – couple this with childhood obesity and diabetes, and it’s easy to see that America’s struggles with health affect all ages. Therapist Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil commends recent moves by Michelle Obama, Disney, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to move toward a healthier population. She says that it’s important to start healthy habits in childhood, but health and fitness are not a quick fix.

“The initiatives by Michelle Obama, Disney, and Mayor Bloomberg are important to address the food Americans eat, but we’re seeing it’s more crucial than ever to factor exercise and physical activity into daily life,” stresses Dr. Bonnie. She contends that because Americans are used to having things delivered quickly and easily, it’s more difficult to invest in physical health which is a long-term goal.

The USA Today article points to the flip side of this – super-fit adults in middle age and older that are redefining things. Dr. Bonnie believes this can be the new normal, as the younger generation ages. She points out that activity and exercise have profound benefits like:


Alzheimers prevention
Helping the pain of arthritis
Getting a better night’s sleep
Possibly slowing aging
Assisting with healthy cognitive function

Exercise can even bring people closer to each other, if they work out together. Dr. Bonnie discusses this concept of “High energy play” in her book Make Up Don’t Break Up. “Aerobic activity raises endorphins, and when people share this experience with a partner, it can help them feel connected and bonded to one another. Not to mention, it’s always a positive experience to find a new hobby you can do with someone you love!”

Exercise could mean the difference between those who experience successful aging and those who don’t, especially in an increasingly sedentary society – where so much work is done in front of a computer or mobile device. Dr. Bonnie emphasizes that, no matter what age people are, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing: “For someone just getting up off the couch – whether they’re a kid or in their 60’s -it doesn’t have to be about becoming ‘super-fit,’ but rather about working fitness into their lives.” When this starts at a young age, though, Dr. Bonnie is hopeful that a generation of super-fit adults WILL be the new normal.

To see Dr. Bonnie talk more about the mind/body connection and the role they play together, click here: http://youtu.be/vOIomp6CHSo








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