How To Age Gracefully

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FIFTIES AND SIXTIES. What you do now starts to depend more on your risk factors. Cardiovascular disease is still the biggest threat so keep that heart rate up. Maintaining your weight takes more work. "It becomes more important to do exercises that address your strength and flexibility and balance as well as cardiovascular [requirements]," says Roseann Lyle, a professor of health promotion at Purdue University. She is particularly fond of resistance bands and stability balls.

SEVENTIES AND BEYOND. "The 70s are different than they used to be," says Nelson. "There is no reason not to do aerobics or strength training [at that age]." The greatest benefit often occurs in those who are frail (see box) or suffer from such conditions as emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and arthritis. As you might expect, flexibility and balance training are more important than ever. And it appears that seniors are starting to heed the advice they're getting to keep moving. According to surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of sedentary men age 70 and older has dropped over the past 15 years from 40% to 30%, while the number of sedentary women 70 years and older has fallen from nearly 50% to 40%.

Whatever your age, spice up your routines with variety, both to keep from getting bored and to avoid injury. "If you get tired of running, go swim," says Michael Dawdy, a trainer at the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center in Dallas. "If you get tired of swimming, get on the cycle." Change sports with the seasons--and make time to enjoy life. "When I turned 50, I made a list of 50 things that I wanted to accomplish," says Franzen, the former triathlete. "There were some sports things, like rowing and trying to snowboard. But there were other things, like learning to play drums and travel. I exercise much less than I used to, and I'm still in great health, so I have no complaints." That's a goal to which we can all aspire. --With reporting by Sarah Sturmon Dale/ Minneapolis, Jeanne McDowell/Los Angeles and Adam Pitluk/Dallas