Blue Cross Shares Tips on Staying Active as You Age
Get more movement in your day at home or away

BATON ROUGE, La. – It’s hard to overstate the health benefits that come from staying active as you age. Getting regular exercise is important for good health, especially for adults 60 and older. Exercise helps keep your heart healthy, can lower your risk of long-term conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure and can improve your strength and balance to prevent falls.  

Whether you prefer to work out from the comfort of your home or enjoy staying fit with friends, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has these tips to keep you moving and feeling your best.

• Add extra steps to your daily activities, such as when you’re brushing your teeth, talking on the phone or making meals
• Stretch or move while you watch TV to get your blood flowing (commercial breaks are perfect for this), or try out a yoga or tai chi class at your local fitness center
• Take a walk around the block or on a treadmill to strengthen your leg muscles and improve your balance
• Check your health plan’s benefits to see if they cover fitness center memberships, which might also include streaming classes you can do from home
• Beat the heat with swimming, water aerobics or even water walking to get stronger without putting extra pressure on your joints

• No matter where you decide to get moving, be sure to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, which is more common in older adults because their sense of thirst declines

You’re never too old to get active, so talk to your health care provider about the steps you can take to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Ready to get started?

• Learn more about how you can stay fit at home in this video (:50).

• In this video (2:04), Blue Cross Associate Lead Medical Director Dr. Emily Vincent shares fitness tips specifically for older adults. 

• Join us on May 26 from noon – 12:30 p.m. to find out why being healthy isn’t just about physical fitness during our “Mental Health Awareness” Facebook Live educational event in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. Part of our Medicare Made Easy series, this virtual chat will focus on why it’s so important to check in with yourself, on each other and with your health care providers. We will also cover the steps you need to take to be ready for hurricane season, so mark your calendar now to join us. You can like, share or repost this educational event to your personal social media and encourage others to join. 

o To join on Facebook, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/535512701302300

o To join via ZOOM, register today at https://bit.ly/22BCBSLAMedicareMadeEasy

Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel to see short videos on various health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added. Follow Blue Cross on social media @BCBSLA. Blue Cross posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. 

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past three years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.  

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.