Dr. Robert Butler talks about ways to keep yourself fit in your golden years, New York City, N.Y.

Being active does not necessarily mean sweating it out in aerobics class — it can be as simple as walking around a little more. We know that the target of 10,000 steps per day gives one the likelihood of both a longer life, a higher quality of life and the reduction of weight. Walking 30 minutes daily is all you really have to do to go from a couch potato to a moderately fit future centarian.

• Falling is responsible for 70 percent of accidental deaths in people over 75, and even small falls can have a big impact. It's a devastating fact that about 40 percent of everyone who suffers a hip fracture will die by the end of the year after injury, so watch your step! As you get older, keeping your balance gets harder to do. Experts say to practice standing on one foot. Have a fixed gaze on a particular object because that will help you. The more you do the more you'll find that your balance will improve.
  
• Moderate sexual activity is about equivalent to walking up to two flights of stairs, or walking two city blocks for example.
  
• Lovemaking also lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins, which lower stress. Plus it's good for your heart, lungs and skin.
  
• If you think yoga is for mystics, think again. This ancient form of exercise is becoming more and more popular for good reason. It gives you a great cardiovascular workout, a calorie burning solution and a great flexibility workout at the same time.
  
• A session of power yoga burns as much calories as running a 10-12 minute mile! We all know aerobic activity does wonders for the heart, but did you know that it lowers your blood pressure, heart rate and levels of chronic stress hormones that have been associated with all sorts of long-term diseases?
  
• Just 10 minutes of yoga every day, followed by some quiet meditation, could radically change and prolong your life.

Resources

Sonic Yoga
New York, N.Y.
212-397-6344
www.sonicyoga.com