Age brings with it many rewarding benefits: wisdom, patience, experience, understanding. But as we get older, we also discover changes in how our bodies move and behave—changes that contradict how young we feel on the inside.

But while your body may no longer look or move as it did when you were in your 30s or 40s, that doesn’t mean you have to just accept the effects of aging. Instead, you can choose to make deliberate decisions that can transform your experience of aging into a positive and, above all, healthy one. And it all starts with staying fit.

Scientific studies have shown that not only does fitness promote happiness and satisfaction in our lives at any age, but it can also help alleviate or even stave off age-related issues such as illness, chronic pain, fatigue, and short-term memory loss. With the knowledge, tools, resources, and support systems recommended by the experts, you can build and maintain fitness in your 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. And by doing so, you’ll open the door to a fulfilling life in which you can

• maintain your physical independence,
• keep your body and your mind active,
• increase your happiness and well-being,
• avoid or ameliorate some of the common ailments of aging, and
• stay engaged with the wonderful experiences of everyday life.

The path to staying fit as you age starts right here with the 12 engaging lectures and 6 active training sessions of How to Stay Fit as You Age. Delivered by certified fitness expert and wellness consultant Dr. Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, this series is the gateway to creating and practicing a balanced, adaptable fitness program that will help you stay fit throughout your life. Whether you’re already over 65, dealing with chronic health conditions, or proactively planning ahead, you can get the insights, strategies, exercises, and confidence you need to make the most out of every day of your life. Accept Dr. Bonura’s inspirational challenge to start taking charge of the aging process, and discover a rewarding way to age with grace and good health.

Explore Ways to Stay Physically Fit

How to Stay Fit as You Age starts with a series of lectures devoted to physical activity, which has been shown to improve energy, stamina, and immune system functioning, as well as reduce the risk of minor illnesses such as the flu and chronic conditions like diabetes.

Specifically, you’ll follow the FITT method used by fitness experts, which focuses your physical activity on frequency (F), intensity (I), time (T), and type of exercise (T) to better develop a plan that meets your own unique abilities and long-term goals. You’ll follow Dr. Bonura as she explains and demonstrates a wide variety of physical exercises almost anyone can perform, including

• cardiovascular exercises to get your heart rate going,
• strength and resistance training to build muscle and support joints,
• flexibility training to keep you moving with ease, and
• balance training that increases your body’s stability.

The specific exercises you learn about can be performed almost anywhere, and the few exercises that depend on equipment require little more than a resistance band or a hand weight. Dr. Bonura even explores non-gym-related activities that can support your physical fitness, such as

• daily chores, including gardening and housekeeping,
• workplace exercises that cultivate good posture and healthy joints, and
• social activities such as competitive sports and ballroom dancing.

Reap the Rewards of Mental Fitness

Of course, just as important as physical fitness is mental fitness, and How to Stay Fit as You Age devotes equal time to presenting ways of combining physical and mental exercise to strengthen and improve your emotional and psychological fitness as you age.

Always informative and supportive, Dr. Bonura shows you how to reap the rewards of better mental fitness, which include improved self-esteem, reduced risk of depression and anxiety, and reduced perceptions of pain. You’ll learn how to

• perform helpful (and fun) mindfulness exercises such as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates;
• cultivate strong social connections with your family and friends;
• create the right supportive environment for making smart, healthy decisions;
• dodge the dangers of overtraining, eating disorders, and exercise addiction;

and much more.

Enjoy Six Active Exercise Sessions

In the six active sessions featured with this course, Dr. Bonura taps into her experience as a public educator and a certified fitness trainer to guide you through step-by-step exercise sessions that are sequenced in a progressive structure and are adaptable to a variety of ability levels.

Featuring peaceful landscapes and music to get you focused and motivated, these 5- to 30-minute sessions include

• a relaxation program to help you manage stress,
• physical exercises that work out every muscle group,
• quick exercises you can easily fit into your busy day (including at work), and
• Eastern practices such as yoga (on a mat or in a chair) and qigong.

Perform several exercises in a day. Or follow one of the shorter exercise programs when you’re strapped for time. Either way, these active sessions are designed to offer you flexible, adaptable ways to put the concepts you’ve learned about earlier in the course to good use.

With numerous instructor certifications—including group fitness, kickboxing, yoga, and tai chi— issued by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, the International Fitness Professionals Association, and yoga schools registered with the Yoga Alliance, as well as a background that combines academic research and fitness instruction, Dr. Bonura offers a unique perspective on healthy aging that makes her the perfect instructor. And her approach to teaching and training, as well as the support and motivation she provides every step of the way, make How to Stay Fit as You Age one of the most inspiring and productive toolkits for personal wellness designed specifically for individuals beyond middle age.

So open your eyes to the many options for building fitness into your life as you age. As Dr. Bonura says, “You can have an impact on your health and well-being. You can make the choice to be active and fit. And you can stay engaged in your life until your very last breath.”

Disclaimer: This series of lectures is intended to increase your knowledge of physiology, exercise, and health-related lifestyle choices and their basic effects on the human body as it ages. It is not designed for use as a medical reference to diagnose, treat, or prevent medical illnesses or trauma. Neither The Teaching Company nor Kimberlee Bethany Bonura is responsible for your use of this educational material or its consequences. If you have questions about the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a medical condition or illness, you should consult your personal physician.