Many people think exercise is for the young; after all, you do not see many seniors out jogging. But exercise is very important for seniors as well, but some do not know how to start a program. There is elderly help for that.

In New York, for example, there is a program called Asphalt Green that offers free services for seniors. People aged 60 or older can come to the facility and learn how to use exercise equipment as well as take cardiovascular classes.

Its fitness director, Nancy Belli, said the program is designed to increase seniors’ ” competence, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance.”

This elderly help is working for 70-year-old Helene Schulman, who was overweight and pre-diabetic.

“I was feeling so terrible and so depressed, I wasn’t able to move,” she told the New York Daily News.  “I started to get not depressed. I started to feel almost euphoric with the exercise. When I can feel myself move and turn I feel very proud of myself. It’s such a gift.”

The National Institute of Health recommends that all seniors take part in some kind of exercise program, either in a class situation or by themselves. Studies have shown that exercise can improve the health of even the most frail senior.

NIH also points to research that says regular exercise can delay or even prevent the onset of certain diseases. It is well documented, for example, that exercise can strengthen the heart. And since heart disease is the number one killer of seniors, it makes sense to get your heart as healthy as possible.

Of course, you do not want to overdo it. Check with your doctor before beginning any type of exercise program. The doctor will know what you are capable of doing and what could actually harm you. It is likely that even the most sickly of seniors would be approved for at least moderate exercise — elderly help that can lead to a longer life.