At this point, it’s basically incontrovertible: Regular exercise is an essential ingredient for healthy aging. And the evidence keeps mounting that your excuses for not exercising- being too old or out of shape- don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny or the lived experiences of active older adults. As was recently pointed out in The Washington Post, it’s never too late to start, and benefit from, sustained exercise and activity, even if you’ve previously been a certified couch potato. As long as you start slowly and build up your stamina and strength, you’re good to go, excuses be damned.

Want to find out how fit you currently are before you begin? Take a look at this Norwegian fitness calculator to set your gears in motion. And what does becoming fit get you in terms of better and healthier aging? Well, we already know from many previous studies that physical exercise can maintain and improve cardiac health and also cognitive capacities. More recent studies cited by The New York Times confirm a link between aerobic fitness, memory, and dementia (with the suggestion that intense exercise intervals may get you the best results in terms of sharpened memory skills). Another new study also finds that regular physical activity reduces the risk of hip fractures in postmenopausal women (and hip fractures are often the trigger event for decline and deterioration in older adults).

So now that you know you need to get and stay active, exactly what should you be doing? Obviously, after consulting your primary care doctor to see what’s individually appropriate for you, you can look to the experts to see what they recommend. Most lists include walking, and recognize that even typical household chores can count for important fitness goals. But Harvard Health has a list of 5 of the best exercises you can always do (who knew Kegels would be on that list for both men and women?) and The Guardian recently released its own top 5 exercises to avoid an early death. As summed up best by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, “We Do Not Stop Exercising Because We Grow Old – We Grow Old Because We Stop Exercising.”