As you get older it becomes even more important to exercise. However, if you have never been physically active, it's hard to start. Hélène Hofmangets some expert tips about easing yourself in.
More than one in five people over the age of 55 do not take part in any physical activity, according to figures from the Health Promotion Unit. That is despite research showing that as you age, it is particularly important to keep physically active to maintain your independence and also to prevent illness.
"It's never too late and taking up exercise is the best decision you could ever make," says Dr Noel McCaffrey of O'Neills Sports Medicine clinic in Dublin. "The best indicator of how long you are going to live is not your good intentions or your past fitness level but your current fitness level. That's particularly true in this age group."
According to McCaffrey, exercise not only prevents diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and even dementia, but it will also ensure your muscles stay strong and flexible.
He recommends exercising for 40 minutes a day, which can be broken into smaller slots of 10 or 15 minutes, five days a week to get the full health benefits.
Combining different types of exercise and taking 15 minutes to warm up and cool down is also advised.
"If you can't do up you bra or tie up your hair, you lack flexibility. If you can't get out of bed or out of a chair, you lack muscle strength.
"You need to maintain your fitness to get across the road before the green man goes red. All flexibility and fitness-related problems are profoundly avoidable if you stay as active as possible," he says.
"There's a natural tendency to get less fit as we get older and people accept that as the norm, which it is not."
If you haven't exercised before, it is recommended that you visit your GP for a check-up and get advice on what exercise might suit you and what you should avoid.
According to Noleen Gregory, who worked on the exercise and the older adult course at the National Training Centre (NTC) for health and fitness professionals, the key to getting started is to find the right physical activity.
"Older people often feel there are barriers to exercise: that they are too old to start, which is never the case. You just need to find something you enjoy, whether it is t'ai chi, yoga, exercising with exercise balls, pilates, walking - all of these are good for the older adult.
"And housework - people forget that that can be a workout," says Gregory.
"People think that as you get older you need to slow down, but that's not true. Don't limit yourself. An older person can gain strength faster than someone in their 30s or 40s.
"Very few courses are age restrictive and most gyms do golden years slots. The biggest barrier is 'I shouldn't' or 'I couldn't'. The only thing to avoid is being inactive."
Gregory strongly recommends investing in good sports footwear and, as with all fitness professionals, checking out the qualifications of an instructor to ensure that they are trained to deal with your needs.
The South Dublin Senior Citizens Club has been running clubs in Crumlin and Kiltipper for the past four years. It offers a range of fitness classes, including line dancing, yoga and aerobics to about 100 people over 50 every day.
The club is funded mainly by the Health Service Executive and is the first of its kind in Ireland.
"It works because there is a social aspect to it," explains project co-ordinator Lynne Buckle. "People come in, go line dancing or play bowls and it gets them fit. They don't even realise they're exercising.
"It's important to start off at the slowest level and build up, but you generally see an improvement within three months.
"If they've never exercised before it will be difficult at first, they'll be out of breath and their blood pressure will be sky high so it's important to keep an eye on them," she says.
"My advice is find something you enjoy like salsa dancing or line dancing. Also get over the terror of the gym - maybe even go with a friend who has been there before.
"Start exercising in a group so you won't want to let people down. After a while you'll find you feel better and are no longer puffed walking to the bus stop," says Buckle.