Regular exercise provides significant health benefits. The document profiles several individuals who exercise regularly and have experienced positive health outcomes as a result. Ruth Bader Ginsburg works out twice a week with a personal trainer and her commitment to exercise has likely helped her maintain good health. John Humphrey participated in a lifestyle change program and lost 60 pounds through water aerobics and healthy eating. He now feels good and has increased his exercise. Patsy Lillehei began competing in triathlons 10 years ago and has experienced health benefits and made new friends through staying active.

1. by UnitedHealthcare | 27
KEEP
MOVING
26 | “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” —Lord of the Rings
A Daily Dose of Exercise
With its ability to help ward off diseases,
prevent injuries and boost your mood,
exercise can be a truly powerful “medicine.”
BY JULIE KENDRICK
twice each week, an 85-year-
old woman dons workout gear (her
favorite T-shirt says “Super Diva”)
and meets with her personal trainer
for a one-hour session. The two
began working together nearly 20
years ago after she recovered from
colon cancer. These days, they move
through a series of cardio, weight,
resistance, stretching, core work
and balance exercises, including
chest presses, leg curls, push-ups
and planks. Workout complete, she
hurries off to her job — as Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Has this commitment to exercise
helped Ginsburg to keep cancer at
bay, maintain a grueling schedule
and stay mentally sharp? More than
likely, yes. The Centers for Disease
schedule of exercise can help you to
maintain self-care. You can simply
walk around your home and enjoy
your environment, and that helps
you have a better quality of life. And
the more you exercise, the more
you will want to do, until exercise
becomes part of your daily routine.”
Pathway to Health
While it can be challenging to start
and stick with a schedule of regular
exercise, the health benefits can
be truly significant. One inspiring
example is John Humphrey, age 70.
The St. Louis Park, Minn., resident
was struggling with health issues
that made walking painful, which
contributed to weight gain.
After learning about a prediabetes
lifestyle change program piloted by
the CDC and offered through his local
YMCA, Humphrey discovered that
he loved water aerobics and began
to take classes regularly. Through
Regular exercise
is good for
our bodies.
—Dean Somerset,
certified exercise physiologist
and certified strength and
conditioning specialist
the program, he ate healthy and
participated in weekly meetings.
Two and a half years later, he has
lost nearly 60 pounds, with the goal
to lose another 25 pounds, and has
experienced complete relief from the
health issues that had made walking
painful.
“They asked us to commit to
150 minutes of exercise a week. Now
I have increased my exercise a lot,”
he says. “Best of all, I feel good.”
As a result of his success in the
program, Humphrey was recently
invited to Washington, D.C., to
speak at a congressional briefing on
the Diabetes Prevention Program,
along with representatives from the
CDC, YMCA and National Institutes
of Health. “I was a ‘poster child’ for
the program’s success,” he says.
Patsy Lillehei, 75, is another
exercise success story. She began
participating in local triathlons
10 years ago. “I was the only woman
over 60 competing in my first
triathlon,” she says, “but I was
awarded a first-place trophy.” She also
swims competitively, and was part
of the 2017 winning team for her age
group in the women’s 200 medley
relay of the U.S. Masters Swimming
Summer National Championships.
While she clearly thrives on the
competition, Lillehei stresses a
greater benefit to her activities: “I’m
healthy, I’ve made new friends and I
have a purpose — to stay fit and have
fun.” Remember, check with your
doctor before beginning any new
exercise program. •
Sign in to your plan website and go to Health
& Wellness, then click Lifestyle for exercises
that may help (or prevent) certain conditions.
myAARPMedicare.com
Control and Prevention (CDC) states
that while genetics play a role in
susceptibility to disease (such as
obesity or diabetes), it’s also true
that lifestyle may help prevent
these diseases. Not only that, even
moderate movement can help lift
gloomy feelings and improve mood.
Good in Any Amount
“Regular exercise is good for our
bodies,” says Dean Somerset, a
certified exercise physiologist and
certified strength and conditioning
specialist (CSCS). “Exercise is not
what I call ‘dose dependent,’ either,
because there may be benefits with
any amount you do.”
Regular exercise can improve your
cardiovascular system, strengthen
bones to ward off osteoporosis,
and help you build and maintain
muscular strength, according to the
CDC. Exercise might also help you
avoid or postpone joint-replacement
surgery.
Big Benefits
Building strength through exercise
is important for good health. For
example, working to build a stronger
core or improving your balance
may give you better neuromuscular
control, and that could help reduce
the risk of falls. Somerset has an
easy at-home balance-builder: “Try
regularly standing on one foot,
then switching to the other. That
can make a difference when you
encounter a moment of being off
balance.”
A few minutes of exercise a day
can reap long-term health benefits,
Somerset says. “Keeping a regular
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