Helen Nelson on the Move.

H'mmm ... To exercise or not to exercise? If you reach age 82, like my grandmother, choosing to work out regularly has little to do with winning brownie points at the doctor's office or battling a tummy bulge. Rather, it can be the swing factor that determines how you'll pass your days--rocking in a chair and cooped up by four walls or getting fresh air and frequent scenery changes.

Frankly, the "use it or lose it" concept takes on a hard practical edge for octogenarians. And Grandma's convinced that the regular walking schedule she picked up after retiring in 1977 keeps her moving in more ways than one. Sure, she logs enough mileage per week to strengthen her heart, lungs, muscles, and bones. But beyond the purely physical benefits, she says committing to a daily walking routine allows her to keep up with an active lifestyle.

For instance, she volunteers at her town's hospital gift shop and the community food shelf. She also works part-time as the organist at a funeral home and serves as choir director and organist at her church. Living in historic Galena, Illinois, she often plays unofficial tour guide, too, as she walks on the gently curving, well-restored nineteenth-century Main Street. Walking gives her the mobility and energy she needs to enjoy wearing all of these hats.

"I walk because I've got goals. I'm doing this and doing that, going here and going there," she explains with a chuckle. "The older I get, the more important staying in shape becomes. If I don't exercise, I can't do nearly as much."

She's done the math and concluded that working out is worth her effort.

But you don't need to be in your eighties to get a valuable energy boost from exercise. For the fainthearted or unmotivated, Grandma offers a challenge. Figure out what you want in life. If you want to feel good and participate at your best in more areas, then regular exercise is for you!

Newbies can get off on the right foot by recognizing working out as a priority, and then taking baby steps to get fit. Though Grandma walks about 45 minutes at a stretch, she recommends building up to the optimal aerobic window--between 20 and 60 minutes--by setting little distance-related goals.

If you live in the city, measure your progress by counting blocks. If you can walk one block, you will eventually be able to walk two and up. In shopping malls, try building up one lap at a time. With this little-by-little approach, she has experienced a powerful sense of accomplishment that gives her a "can do" attitude for activities sometimes considered out of reach for 82-year-olds.

"But I don't think you need to torture yourself if you have to skip some days," she adds. "We all have peak times in life when other things take priority. I just don't let these lapses go too long, or I'll get out of the routine." When that happens, she feels more breathless and tired. Plus, she misses the moving picture that makes walking so much fun.

"A lot of times I just stop and say, `Isn't that absolutely gorgeous?'" she remarks. Walking opens the world up for this retiree. It gives her a chance to spy on God's handiwork, from watercolor-like sunsets to the cottony snow sticking to spindly branches to the many faces she passes along the way.

In Grandma's case, maintaining good health also helps her lead worship with her favorite language--organ music. As if treading water or dancing on the moon, her feet float over the gently banked lower keyboard of Dr. Seuss-looking pedals, while her hands gracefully undulate between three decks of ivory and ebony keys. And then the sound of everything from a simple Bach prelude to a complex Beethoven fugue wordlessly speaks to how--after more than 50 years at the bench--her faith can still flow through her fingers, thanks in part to her fitness commitment.

Pam Mellskog writes on health topics from Lafayette, Colorado.