So maybe you have trouble getting out of a chair or tying your shoes is becoming a major ordeal. The problem is, these are not heroic acts: they’re necessary everyday movements that are vital if you are to live a healthy and independent older life. How can you make sure that your body will hold up to accomplish these everyday activities? For starters, you need to learn about Functional Fitness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, functional fitness is the strategy of training and developing muscles to make it easier and safer to manage your daily activities. The exercises that make up a functional fitness routine simulate the common movements you make while undertaking your everyday chores. For example, a simple squat using your legs simulates the act of getting into and out of a chair. To get some idea of what types of exercises would be valuable, clear some space and click here, or take a look at the suggested functional exercises from Silver Sneakers here.

And if you find yourself enjoying these functional exercises, maybe you can step things up and try some of the latest fitness trends. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, some of the most innovative new fitness activities involve machines and movements specifically focused on increasing bone density. And once those bones are weary from working hard, you may want to take in a stretch session and allow a “flexologist” to lengthen and elongate your aging muscles. 

But whatever you do, just do something. As writer Helen Cassidy Page recently wrote in Medium, she turns heads at the gym, not because of her fantastic physique or her tremendous weight lifting skills, but because, at age 80, she’s an anomaly- as she writes, “When I go to the gym I don’t have any peeps.” Not only does she wonder why her peers are not working to strengthen their muscles and improve their balance but she’s also missing the social interaction that often comes from working out with someone. So listen to Helen when she says, “When I take a break, I’d like a pal to talk about routines and stats. Help me out, people. Get your old folks into the gym.”