Weight training is good for your body. It is not about becoming a big gym beefcake with more muscles than can fit into a shirt, but rather ensuring that we are using our muscles, growing them, and keeping them strong. Having strong muscles is essential to ensure you can reduce injuries, recover from any mishaps easier, and age far more gracefully than if we were weaker.

Any exercises that get your heart rate up and elevates your breathing is good for you.  Extended cardio periods (30 minutes or more) can start to burn fat and thus reduce your overall weight. Even a 60 minute walk a day at a reasonable pace where your heart rate increases and you manage to work up a sweat can increase your fitness, lung capacity, and weight. Adding a long cardio session two to three times a week will yield great results. Cardio can include walking (Fast pace), cycling, swimming, or stair climbers.

If you have ever watched a cat wake up, you will see they start their day with a good all body stretch. It feels terrific to unlock all the tension you may be carrying in your shoulders, back and digestive system. Adding in a stretch routine once or twice a week will help your muscles stretch and enable you to get all those tension knots out. Many gyms offer stretch classes as well. It is worth it.

Not all impact sport is good and can create long term damage to our joints and bones. But we do need to have some controlled impact training in our lives. Impact training helps our bones get stronger, something we need as we age. Think of skipping, doing box jumps, boxing, or leap lunges to get the impact going and strengthen those bones.