Being aerobically fit as an adult can delay significantly the impact of aging. Here is a nice summary of an article from the April 8, 2008, British Journal of Sports Medicine. Note the JSOnline article linked above uses ml/(kg.min) which is more commonly read as ml/kg/min or VO2 max. You can find you VO2 max by taking the timed-mile-walk part of President's Adult Fitness Test.
Now we have a good way to measure aerobic fitness, get accurate VO2 max results, and benchmark ourselves--and we have good evidence that this measurement matters, a lot. Twelve years more of good health certainly meets my definition of a worthwhile goal.
Getting in better shape does not require Spandex; getting fit starts with walking shoes. And then keep doing more and more activity.
We all need to incorporate more activity into our daily lives. If you drive to the gym, exercise an hour, drive to the office where you sit for 8 hours followed by sitting for dinner and watching television, and then bed, you are not really getting fit. Sure it is better than not going to the gym, but it is not as good as 20 minutes of stretching and calisthenics (push ups, sit ups, etc.) in the morning by the bedside, walking to work, walking to lunch or the store, carrying groceries, playing Frisbee in the afternoon before dinner and then gardening after dinner.
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