It's estimated that only about 25% of people ages 65 to 74 exercise regularly. But research shows you have to move it or you lose it.

How much do you need to do?

A 2021 study in BMJ found that for 70-year-olds, 20 minutes of exercise daily is a great way to avoid heart disease.

And a paper in JAMA Network Open found that all-cause death, as well as death from heart disease and cancer, were reduced even more with additional activity. Those researchers looked at 12 years of data on more than 250,000 participants around age 70 and found that racquet sports (such as pickleball), running, walking, other aerobics, golf, swimming, and cycling dramatically reduced their risk of death. When seniors got 3.5 hours to 7 hours of activity weekly, it reduced risk of death by 31%.

Signs you're not moving enough may include constipation, trouble sleeping, stiff joints, fatigue, depression or moodiness, lower back pain, and weight gain.

Here are some recommendations for how to get up and get going:

1. Change your mindset. LongevityPlaybook.com can get you started with 5 to 15 minutes of videos, lessons, quizzes, and brain games daily that will help you form new daily habits.

2. Find a buddy to exercise or do activities with.

3. Start slowly and increase your endurance over time to avoid injury and burnout.

4. Practice de-stressing using meditation and deep breathing.

5. Stretch before and after your exercise.