When you think about your mother at 60 how do you picture her? Was she old? Did she act decrepit? Was she serious all the time?

How do you picture 60 today? When you hear about people in there 60s do you think of Dolly Parton? Yes, she just turned 60 in January!! I know you are saying that Dolly has had a lot of work done, but she certainly doesnt act 60.

Do you remember the old show Charleys Angels? Jacquelyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett, & Kate Jackson are all pushing 60! Its totally amazing to me that by exercising on a regular basis these girls have really pushed back time.

Someone asked me the other day how old I was and when I told them that I was 60 their remark was that I didnt look 60! I asked them what 60 looked like. I then said that we are redefining what age looks like.

How does a 60 year old person act? As far as acting old, I believe that you can act old at any age. Some people are way too serious at 35. Some people never seem to have any fun and they appear mad at the world. What a horrible existence.

One saying that I love to use is: We dont stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing! How true this saying is and quite sad.

Why give in to old-age when you have the fountain of youth at your fingertips!! Yes, exercise, especially weight training, has been proven to be the closest thing to the Fountain of Youth that you have.

I see people every day in there late 80s and early 90s that exercise two to three times a week that are defying the aging process!! Exercise not only keeps your physical body young, it keeps your mind active and responsive.

Did you know that as you age you lose muscle tone? As the aging process happens, and it does this naturally, you lose your ability to balance, you seem to be less flexible than in your younger days, and you cant walk or shop as long as you used to without running out of steam.

SURPRISE!! You can do something about all these age related declines.

Its been proven in numerous studies by Tufts University that you can regain your strength, your balance, your flexibility and even your endurance through regular exercise sessions. The operative word here is REGULAR.

Consistency is the one aspect of exercise that can be attributed to reversing the aging process. The dictionary defines consistency as regularity. If you are consistent and regular with anything it becomes a part of you, right? This is what sets the 80 & 90 year old exercisers apart from their sedentary counterparts.

Getting back to defining what 60 looks like, Id say it would be hard to describe. The 60 year olds that I see & am privileged to be around are people that exercise on a regular basis so I have a distorted view of a 60 year old, I think.

What does this say to you? If you are 60 or beyond wouldnt you like to regain some of that spunk you had when you were a kid of 40? Did things just start slipping away while you werent looking? What happened between 40 & 60? Were you too busy to see that your body was deteriorating? Now is the time to take a good, honest look at yourself and decide that you want to be a vital contributor to society and to your peers.

If you dont want to be taken care of for the rest of your life then I would suggest you get into an exercise program. I am not just talking to people over 60 either.

I just joined a Jazz Fitness Class and I am so excited about it! I took from this same instructor over 20 years ago. We are having a ball! See, by joining something like this class it can rejuvenate you and can rehab your whole outlook on life.

Can you believe that taking a simple step such as; joining a class, buying and actually doing an exercise tape regularly, or getting on that treadmill that has been gathering dust for 10 years, will improve your overall wellbeing and will retard and reverse some of that aging process? Its true. Prove it to yourself.

Making exercise part of your lifestyle can change your attitude, make you a happier person to be around, and keep you independent. Taking care of yourself is not selfish.it enables you to become more enthusiastic and involved in your activities of daily living.

Bonnie Murphy

Bonnie Murphy has been a Fitness Professional since 1987. Before that she taught fitness in community school programs. When Bonnie talks, you should listen especially when it comes to Fitness for the "mature" woman. Bonnie is billed as a Fitness Coach for Dynamic Living and she is a perfect example of that lifestyle. Bonnie not only talks the talk but she walks the walk! Bonnie is considered an expert in her field of fitness for the older woman. Being certified by major certifying bodies shows that Bonnie is serious about her commitment to helping woman adapt to a fitness lifestyle. The continuing education that Bonnie receives keeps her up to date on the latest findings for the people that she is in contact with on a daily basis.