You may be tempted this time of year to lighten up on your physical activities and settle-in on the couch for some television binge-watching. But unfortunately, the process of aging takes no rest for winter and the more you sit, the more likely you damage yourself and your health. As new research confirms, even short periods of inactivity can take their toll on your long term health.

As scientists continue to study the impact of movement on health and longevity, it becomes more clear just how essential physical activity is to keep you healthy as you age. The New York Times recently highlighted a new study from The Journal of Applied Physiology which reports a connection between long term exercise and reduced inflammation in the body (considered a primary culprit for many aging-related diseases). As we’ve previously reported in agebuzz, even if you’ve reached a ripe old age without moving your muscles, there are still health benefits to be achieved by beginning an exercise regimen. So put down the remote, and take a look at these activity recommendations here and here.

Of course, winter weather may feel like a giant obstacle when considering outdoor exercise. And as a recent post in Harvard Health makes clear, you do have to take some extra precautions as an older adult when exercising in cold outdoor air. But doing physical activities outside in the cold can also be invigorating, and even brain-enhancing, if you take good care. As a new study out of Sweden on cross-country skiing found, compared to a control group, cross-country skiers had 50% less vascular dementia (dementia caused by small strokes) than non-skiers. So get your heart pumping and skis waxed, and read more here.