LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - In this day and age, older Americans aren't just sitting around the house; they're out traveling, volunteering, enjoying life and exercising.
More than 41 million Americans belong to a health club and a survey conducted by American Sports Data Inc.(ASD) found that one-quarter were over the age of 55.
So why is working out so important to staying vital and active in your golden years?
"You need to keep the muscle that you have, you need to keep the strength that you have, you need to keep the balance," says Dr. Jeanne Wei of UAMS's Reynolds Institute on Aging. "And if you exercise it will reduce your risk for developing diabetes. Every one of us gets a little bit less sensitive to insulin when we get a little bit older and it happens the more inactive we are."
Nan Alewine is a 75 year-old who stays active by checking off items on her "bucket list" which include traveling and even skydiving.
"Just get up off the couch and do," says Alewine. "If you don't do then you're going to miss out on everything in life."
THV's Alyse Eady sat down with Alewine on 'Today's THV This Morning' to talk about her skydiving experience. Click on the video link!