Lately, we have seen that older people are more involved in exercise and sports than ever before. Quality of life has improved due to better health from improved medical resources, resulting in a longer life expectancy of an individual. As a result the geriatric age group individuals, even in their late 80s-90s, are more physically active than before. A balanced program of moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day is beneficial even for people with chronic conditions of bones and joints. Staying active can lower your risk for many common diseases, relieve the pain of arthritis and also help your body in faster recovery whenever you're not well. The 30 minutes can be broken up into shorter periods such as 15 minutes of gardening in the morning and 15 minutes of brisk walking in the afternoon. Many people get their daily dose of exercise from active pastimes such as biking, skiing and tennis. Others prefer less active recreation such as walking, gardening or golf. All secure a healthy future through these activities and at the same time have fun and enjoy their relaxation.

While it's important to stay active, it's also important to play it safe. As more-and-more older people engage in physical activities, sports-related injuries are on the rise. This is especially true for those who ride bicycles, ski, lift weights and use exercise machines. According to a recent study, an estimated 53,000 people, between ages 65 and older, were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries in 1996. That's a 54 percent increase in these injuries from 1990. The increase in injuries is probably due to increased number of older people engaging in active sports without proper precautions. For example, very few of the older bikers treated in emergency rooms for head injuries were wearing bike helmets. However, wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of serious head injury by up to 85 percent. That's a small precaution for a big payoff.

The largest increase in injuries by far is among boomers doing general exercise and running. Most of the sports injuries involve sprains, strains, torn tendons and ligaments to parts of the body that are sensitive to repetitive injuries with age collagen in the body weakens and becomes less elastic, making muscles and joints more vulnerable to injury, hence we need to take more precautions. Many of these injuries can be prevented by proper warm ups, cool-downs and stretches before and after exercising. Less active sports, such as golf and bowling, showed little increase in the number of injuries during the study period. This large rise in sports-related injuries shows that although it's important to remain active, as we get older, it's also important to play smart and take precautions.