Summer has officially arrived and it is a great reminder to all of us who have been hibernating indoors to go out and get some exercise and a little sun.
Exercise is key to improving fitness, and a little sun will boost critical vitamin D production and contribute to good health overall.
Even overweight seniors who walked for 30 minutes a day most days of the week had improved survival over the seniors who were normal weight but sedentary.
Incredibly, in most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
This is great news for seniors who may have packed on a few extra pounds over the winter, and it is once again a reminder that sometimes the key to good health is as simple as donning a pair of sneakers and taking a daily walk outdoors or at your neighborhood mall.
This study is also consistent with a lot of recent research showing that for seniors, the functional status or ability to get around and perform daily activities is much more important to predicting longevity than a specific diagnosis or chronic disease.
More summer fitness information at ABC News
