On Mother’s Day, Invite Mom to Start The NIA’s Exercise Program With You
For Release
April, 2002
Contact:
Jeannine Mjoseth
301-496-1752
mjoesethj@nia.nih.gov
Invite mom to become your fitness partner this Mother’s Day with the help of the free Exercise Guide from the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Whether you and your mom are marathon runners or couch potatoes (or somewhere in between), the NIA Exercise Guide will help you tailor your exercise program with a series of simple tests. Besides being a lot more fun, exercising together provides the incentive to work out on those lazy days. If you don’t live near her, plan a time to phone and check in with your #1 fitness buddy. For extra encouragement, NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. will send each of you a signed certificate of recognition if you stick with the program for just 30 days.
Safety is key to the NIA’s exercise program. If either of you has been sedentary, start slowly with as little as five minutes of walking. Then you can help motivate each other towards the goal of 30 minutes (or more) of continuous exercise that increases your heart rate and breathing (endurance exercise). The exercise book – which is based on reliable medical research and “road-tested” by thousands of Americans -- provides simple, how-to-get-started information on:
- Endurance exercises like walking, which make daily activities easier and less tiring, thereby increasing or maintaining stamina and strength. They also may help delay or prevent diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease and stroke;
- Strength exercises like lifting weights, which increase metabolism helping to control weight and regulate blood sugar. Studies show, they also may help prevent osteoporosis;
- Flexibility exercises like stretching, which may help prevent and aid recovery from injuries;
- Balance exercises, which help prevent falls -- a major cause of broken hips and other injuries that lead to disability and loss of independence.
The NIA Exercise Guide has also been translated into Spanish. To order the English or Spanish version of the NIA Exercise Guide, call the NIA Information Center at 1-800-222-2225. The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the special medical, social and behavioral issues of older people.
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