It makes sense to pay attention to a study that's gone on for many years. There's one that's been in place since 2,400 men and women were born 1946. The study, reported in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was called "Physical Activity Across Adulthood and Physical Performance in Midlife."

Scientists hoped to learn whether leisure-time physical activity at a younger age had anything to do with the status of physical strength in later years. The participants were contacted more than 20 times for updated information, checked at ages 36, 43, and 53 and tested for standing balance, how long it took to rise up out of a chair, and grip strength.

Standing balance measured how long the participant could stand on one leg with eyes closed, up to 30 seconds. Chair-rise speed involved getting up out of a chair, standing straight and sitting back down -- ten times! Grip strength used an electronic device for measurement.

Here's how the results turned out: At all three checks, "chair rise" time was positively affected by prior physical activity. At ages 43 and 53 standing balance was affected. At age 53, women's grip strength wasn't affected, but it was with men.

The conclusion was that yes indeed, physical activity does affect the status of our physical strength and performance later in life.

Cooler weather is coming, with winter right behind. Consider signing up for some type of physical activity class, something fun, that meets on a regular basis.

We can't go back and give ourselves a more active youth, but we can start now to give ourselves a stronger future, right?