Baby boomers everywhere will not be aging quietly. Instead of sitting on a chair watching life go by they will be continuing to pursue dynamic, active lives well into old age and beyond. They will want to look and feel good, and good means youthful at whatever the age. They watched their parents weaken and suffer in their later years and they will go to great lengths to make sure the same fate does not happen to them.



Throughout the reign of their generation they have never been ones to sit back and watch things happen. They are hard workers with high values that made things happen. They rebelled against tradition and have continued to make up their own set of rules placing their own distinctive stamp on global culture and in the face of aging it will be no different.

Baby boomers fueled the fitness revolution, as 20-somethings in the 1970's they discovered jogging. In the 1980's and 90's it was jazzercise and aerobics with Jane Fonda and Richard Symonds. Not surprising then that baby boomers are now stepping up to get started on strength training programs at health clubs and gyms all over the world as they have heard it will help them stay younger.

They will need to stay strong, fit and healthy as experts predict a baby boomer can expect to live into his/her 90's and beyond. Whether or not those years are "golden" depends a lot on what he/she is doing today to prepare for them. To still be active and functional the health span will need to match the increased life span.

It is not just be accident that this will happen. The right exercise program needs to be in place and performed several times per week. The program should be made up of mostly strength training exercise to keep the most important factor that will make aging easier ? muscle strength.

Don't be mislead into believing that any other form of activity can replace strength building exercise. No aerobic activity like walking, jogging or cycling can ever come close to toning or re-building muscle tissue. So, don't waste your time and energy on ineffective, old fashioned exercise methods.

If you fail to work at keeping your strength you will lose muscle tissue at an astounding rate of around 500 grams per year after age 60. This will plummet the metabolism (the body's engine) dragging with it your strength, energy, vigor, vitality, sucking the life force from you. You will get old quicker than you thought possible. It will also leave you exposed to chronic diseases such as the 'big three' heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Staying independent as you get older is a great incentive to maintaining your strength as you age. You can start building and regaining strength at any age, even people who begin strength training in their 90s can gain muscle tissue and strength in as few as eight weeks.

You don't have to lose your strength or muscle tone just because you are getting older. As long as you continue working your muscles throughout your lifetime they will continue to work for you and will keep you strong, fit, energetic and youthful.

There are other good reasons for staying strong. Having more muscle tissue makes it easier to avoid weight gain since muscle burns more calories than fat. Creating more energy and endurance by being fitter and stronger enables an active lifestyle to easily be maintained regardless of age. Building strength also builds strong bones, which helps prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis and toned muscles look a whole lot better than flabby fat.

Baby boomers in the autumn of their lives and proper exercise do mix - the outcome is an improved quality of life that you could scarcely imagine. Be a part of the growing group who say "We will not be sissies in the face of aging, our positive mental outlook and 'can do' approach combined with strength maintaining exercise will enable us to just keep on going like we always do".