The Super Bowl is on Sunday and in case you haven’t been paying attention it’s the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the big game. 
 
The Chiefs have one of the bright young stars in the NFL with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. (His 10 Super Bowl appearances and six championships give him that distinction.) 
At 43 years old, Brady is the oldest active player in the NFL this season. 
 
So what’s Brady’s secret? It’s simple. He exercises, he works out, he moves, he has a fitness routine. He’s not sedentary. He’s not sitting all day. He’s moving around and as the saying goes ‘motion is lotion.’
 
But we all don’t have to be NFL quarterbacks or elite level athletes to be exercising in our 40s. In fact, daily exercise will have long-term benefits for our health. 
 
“Recent studies show that daily movement is more important than ever, due to increasingly sedentary lifestyles in the U.S.,” according to Travis Hall, Doctor of Physical Therapy at Prowers Medical Center. 
 
“Movement and general strength can help prevent joint problems,” Hall said. “These problems may still come later on in life, but regular exercise combined with nutrition, flexibility and mobility exercises are your best chance.”
 
I met with a person last month that asked me if she was too old to do CrossFit. She said she was 58. I told her our oldest active member is 68 years old and has been training with us for more than four years. Our third oldest member is 64 and he’s been with us for more than 9 years. 
 
There’s two dozen people over the age of 50 that train at No Excuses CrossFit. Their secret to longevity is the same as Tom Brady’s — they move. They get daily exercise whether that’s in the form of group fitness classes, walking, hiking, yoga — they just move routinely. 
 
So whether you’re in your 20s, your 40s, or older, you need to get out and move and exercise. No one wants to be confined to a chair or stuck in bed. We want to live! We want to be with our friends and family and experience life with them. 
 
If you’re not sure where to start, begin with a walk in your neighborhood or park. Find an indoor pool and go swimming or rent a kayak and go to the lake. If you want to be part of a group, join a tennis league, take a yoga class, or come to No Excuses CrossFit on Saturday, February 13 at 9 am for our Bring A Friend class.