“He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything.” – Arabian Proverb

For Marilyn B, it was finally back surgery that got her committed to regular exercise near retirement a decade ago.

Over the years, she had seen several friends with chronic back pain progressively move less, and she didn’t want to become one of those after the procedure.

So she found the right trainer at the right gym and has been enjoying it for 8 years, pain free.

“I like not looking like I’m 77 years old,” says Marilyn, who enjoys hiking, working in her large garden, and running around with her grandchildren --  in addition to three-times-a-week small group training at the gym.

“You can very quickly become a couch potato at my age,” she says. “It’s pretty easy. But I really enjoy going to the gym. It’s just become part of my life.”

Exercise Before and After Surgery

Marilyn is a great example of how fitness helps us overcome common physical challenges that can affect us later in life – like her back pain, or surgery for a joint replacement that so many people need. Even healthy ones.

Mature adults who exercise regularly are less likely to suffer a disability – and they are more likely to recover faster, according to one study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers said the active participants in the study had been “built up” by exercise and had become “more resilient” than sedentary peers.

And the National Institutes for Health concludes that exercise before and after surgery is important for ensuring its success in older people.

Grandmother Nora G. believes she benefitted from her physical fitness when she needed hip replacement surgery a couple of years ago in her 60s – in “prehab” as well as rehab.

“You have to take what life gives you and make it work and adjust,” Nora says. “It’s important for the body to continue to move. You just can’t stop become something happens. You have to keep going.”

Find Something You Like

For Marilyn, her life as a teacher with her own experiences in the gym have taught her that nothing promotes healthy longevity like exercise.

“If you don’t stay fit, sooner or later, things are going to start to go downhill,” she says. “It’s so important if you care about how long you spend on this earth.”

Marilyn recommends finding a gym or studio you like – where you feel comfortable and welcome. She enjoys working with her “inspiring” trainer, and in a small group whose members keep each other accountable. But it’s not essential for everyone.

Her top piece of advice?

“Find something you enjoy doing,” she says. “It’s not going to become drudgery if you enjoy it.”

>We couldn’t agree more. Let’s get you moving today!

At TASH Wellness for Women in Glenview, we are here for you!  Our specialty is women. We love working with women that have a substantial amount of weight to reduce, or women that are 50 and above.  As a Functional Aging Specialist, Integrative Corrective Movement Instructor, and Aging the Older Adult Instructor, we get all our women moving functionally for the rest of their lives.  We work on balance, cognitive training, fall prevention and strength.  TASH Wellness is not a gym - it's a journey and it's YOUR community.  We serve women in Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Evanston, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Park Ridge, Northbrook, Glencoe, Glenview, Riverwoods, Chicago and Des Plaines.