If 60 is the new 40, then 70 is the new 50. Oftentimes people in this decade of life can look much younger if fitness has been an integral part of their life for years. (Use that as your motivation for long-term adherence.)

Do not let the number slow you down. Continue to participate in your favorite activities, but be smart about it by listening to your body and not forcing it to do any extremely uncomfortable exercise.

If you’ve been a sporadic exerciser up to this point, consider this: Staying fit and strong now can help you maintain your functional independence longer and keep you from having to rely on assisted living.

Resistance training is completely appropriate and can help increase lean muscle mass and improve your functional strength for ADLs.

If you feel the effects of arthritis, don’t let it stop you from cardiorespiratory exercise, but do look for types with reduced impact on your joints.

Activities that require you to move your body in all directions, such as tai chi, dance, or yoga, are more important than ever for helping maintain balance and reducing the risk of orthopedic injuries.

While the workouts in this book were designed specifically for the convenience of exercising at home, in your 70s, besides the social networking, the benefit of joining a health club is access to strength training machines that enhance overall muscular strength with a reduced risk of injury. Just like in your 60s, mobility workouts that focus on multiplanar movements can help improve integrity of your myofascial system, leaving you with more youthful muscles and connective tissue that is more resilient against injury. Finally, resistance training to the point of fatigue will still be important for initiating muscle growth (yes, muscles can still grow at this age) and maintaining optimal physical performance so you can remain functionally independent.