Growing older gracefully with exercise

Americans are living longer. The older population is expected to double by the year 2030, reaching as high as 70 million people.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are aging gracefully and changing the concept of what being elderly means. Keeping an active lifestyle, proper eating habits and physical activity are proving beneficial for the generation.

“Any type of exercise helps any age live longer and have a better more fulfilling life,” YMCA of Marquette County chair yoga instructor Theresa Belkowski said. “It gives them strength, it works with balance, it works with posture.”

“I look at people from my parents’ generation and when they were 50, they were seriously old,” chair yoga enthusiast Diane Simms said. “They looked old and they acted old. But now, just the other day I saw a lady who was in her 90s and she was competing and doing all sorts of things and earning all kinds of medals, so you can accomplish anything you want to do.”

The YMCA of Marquette County offers a chair yoga class on Tuesdays, but staff members suggest checking around. They say other community organizations have events to help people stay active.