CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Every week I search through a library of inspiring music to choose just the right CD. I grab a bottle of cool water and walk toward a room filled with 40 to 50 of my favorite people. As I enter, I am greeted with hugs and smiles and the kind of eye contact that speaks volumes. They're polite, interested -- and more important -- these SilverSneaker members show up with devout intention and focus.

Morning at the YMCA means lively older adults, ranging in age from 65 to 97, arrive with well-worn, hopeful hearts and a keen sense of humor.

My experience as a fitness instructor goes back far enough to practically make me one of them. I've taught every kind of class the fitness industry could dream up, from dance aerobics, to step, to spin, to group strength and everything in between. But no class or group of health-seekers has ever had such a profound effect on my desire to teach and to impact the aging process.

SilverSneakers has several class format options but muscular strength and range of movement is the first and most consistently attended classes offered. The exercises are designed to improve strength, joint integrity, flexibility and balance.

At first glance, this primarily seated class tends to make some more-fit seniors squirm, assuming that it lacks challenge. However, upon completion, they realize the value of this format because it meets people where they are. The amount of resistance varies according to each participant's capabilities and challenge is always present.

So, as they age, what should older adults expect with regard to energy, strength and mental wellness? Perceptions and expectations about how life should be as we age are evolving with an understanding that a dull, sedentary existence is far from natural. In fact, vibrant seniors are on the rise -- as evidenced in my MSROM class. Countless are ready to try more, do more and live more.

To expect to age energetically, it helps to know what strategies are in place to support this. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new physical activity guidelines for adults in 2008 that recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Adults age 65 and older should follow these same guidelines when it is within their physical capacity.

If a chronic condition prohibits that, older adults should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow. If they are at risk of falling, they should also do exercises that maintain or improve balance. The American College of Sports Medicine agrees and adds for even greater health benefits, increase duration, frequency and intensity.

I am thrilled that the days of prescribing exercise and intensity based solely on age are gone. Hallelujah to that! I fought that battle for many years and, thankfully, the time has come to base activity on everything except age. Yes, there are valid reasons to slow down or alter the way we work out -- physical limitation, chronic disease, frailty, health history -- but with the exception of frailty, these factors could just as easily limit a 30-year-old.

If you are an inactive older adult and wondering how to become more physically active, talk with your health-care provider and ask for guidance. Walking and/or water exercise is a great place to begin, but classes like SilverSneakers that promote strength and bone density and cardiovascular fitness are sensible choices.

How can two 75-year-old people free of disease look and feel so different? Don't we all just naturally wear out? The aging process is impacted by lifestyle and my SilverSneakers members understand this. They see prime examples among them in class.

A study by Taylor and Johnson in 2008 theorized about wear and tear on our bodies and our cells. They suggest all cells, tissues, organs and systems wear out because of continual use throughout life. However, they also say that while the life of our cells has a biological clock, how we treat our bodies may hasten the aging process. This is why two people of the same age can look and go through life in entirely different ways.

In addition to the wear and tear of our bodies, we must also consider the implications of physical activity on our brains. Cognitive health will also diminish at a pace based on lifestyle. Wellness plays a key role in mental processes such as intuition, judgment, recall, language, following directions and the ability to learn new things. We know that if the brain remains free of disease, it can perform normally as long as we live. But we need to challenge it just as we do our muscles and heart.

In a study by neuroscientists (Nussbaum 2006; Abbott et al. 2004; Verghese et al. 2003), it was concluded that swimming, dancing, gardening, knitting, frequent use of the nondominant hand and leg, and walking 10,000 steps a day were positive options to preserve brain health. When seniors gather to exercise, they also socialize -- this is a bonus for the mind and body. Recreating with others and maintaining a network of friends stimulate brain function while building in support.

Each week when I lead a SilverSneakers class, I am reminded of what successful aging looks like. These people are my friends, my mentors and my role models for life.

Cindy Boggs, fitness presenter, author and Activate America director, has been an ACE-certified instructor/trainer since 1989. Send your questions about fitness, training or health to her at YMCA of Kanawha Valley, 100 YMCA Drive, Charleston, WV 25311, or e-mail cindys...@aol.com. Look for Cindy's award-winning fitness advice book, "CindySays ... You Can Find Health in Your Hectic World," on her website, www.cindysays.com, or contact the YMCA at 304-340-3527.