Can you afford to get sick without health insurance? Think twice. Old age is usually accompanied with weak muscles, ailing heart, clogged arteries, weak bones, creaking joints. There are promises of medicines and procedures which might make the old age journey – little comfortable.

There is evidence that some of the best procedures and medicines could not show any benefit as the human chemistry is very complex. Then why don’t we follow old tried exercises and eating habits to keep our systems in a better shape.

Aerobic activity like brisk walking has been gauged as the single most effective activity.– 30 minutes a day. You can walk in your house if it is difficult to go out of the house. Go up and down stairs, walk the hall, walk from room to room, walk in place. If walking doesn’t suit you, try dancing to music.

Brisk walk for 45-minutes a day, three days a week, helps in an increase in the brain’s volume, especially in regions involved in memory, planning and multitasking. People suffering from heart or lung disease, arthritis, diabetes, depression, early dementia — can reap significant health benefits from exercise.

“All parts of the body which have a function if used in moderation and exercised in labours in which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy, well developed and age more slowly; but if unused and left idle they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.”

Eating habits are very important for shaping our body systems. Lately the Trans fats have been reduced from the processed food. It has helped in relieving artery clogging to some extent. Plant based foods and the products which come from animals that consume plants, have been found good for lower risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and dementia. The closer to the earth we eat, the healthier — and leaner — we are likely to be.

Diets rich in vegetables and fruits can offer maximum nutrients which can never be offered by the supplements. Calcium and Vitamin D help in protecting bones from age-related decline, vitamin D in amounts of 800 to 1,000 international units daily for middle-aged and older adults may improve muscle strength (and thus reduce the risk of falls and fractures), help prevent several common cancers, counter depression and enhance cognitive function, various studies have suggested.

One must devote 30-minutes in a day for Yoga, specially for breathing exercise .It will offer extra supply of oxygen and internal exercise to all the systems of the body.

Article Adopted from an article by Jane E Brody, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/12brod.html?ref=health