ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Getting older causes many of us to slow down, and dealing with health problems on top of that can leave some as couch potatoes. But you may not have to be as sedentary as you think. Staying active not only keeps seniors fit and healthy but also helps them battle medical conditions.

She's a golden ager going for the gold. Competitive racing keeps Marjorie Pilla from looking and feeling 60. "This gives me an incentive to exercise every day because I have a goal that I have to meet all the time," Pilla says.

But many seniors don't have that incentive to exercise. And health problems make it even harder. Exercise science specialist Roberta Rikli, Ph.D., says it's a catch-22.

"At least half of the decline during aging is due to being sedentary," Dr. Rikli, of California State University Fullerton, tells Ivanhoe.

That's why staying active is important for older patients who are healthy and those who aren't. Exercising in warm water reduces stiffness from rheumatoid arthritis. And leg strengthening can ease pain in the knees. Experts used to believe physical activity made cancer patients tired and weak. They now know therapy exercise and strength training can actually help them recover.

Internist Walter Bortz, M.D., of Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., says, "Rather than making them more tired, they feel refreshed and invigorated, and the big thing is optimistic."

Studies show exercise helps Alzheimer's patients think and speak more clearly.

It helps to have someone serve as your exercise support system. For retiree Jackie Durost, that someone is husband Dennis -- her personal trainer. He says, "She's not always receptive to everything I have to say, but that's not only with personal training; that's with everything else, too."

The important thing is to get up and move, and take a swing at a longer, healthier life.

Studies also show older women who exercise have reduced bone loss, reduced back pain and lower cholesterol levels. Staying active is also shown to help seniors sleep better.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Jessie Jones, Ph.D.
Debra Rose, Ph.D.
The Center for Successful Aging At California State University Fullerton
(714) 278-7317