Leila Nagamine is living proof that you can start an exercise program at any age and improve your health and well-being.

At 71, she’s taken up boxing at the Kalakaua District Park gym.

“I’ve always wanted to box but was too busy,” she said.

“We must remember to seek joy and enthusiasm for whatever motivates us. Find something to be passionate about. Boxing seems to bring that out in me. I feel strong, focused and so comfortable in my body at the boxing gym.”

Nagamine wasn’t always focused on fitness. She’s been exercising regularly for less than a year.

Before that, Nagamine led a busy life, but didn’t have time to exercise except for dancing hula occasionally.

“I had bad sciatica pain and my knees were giving me trouble, so I didn’t want to do anything,” she said.

Then a health scare in September caused her to reassess her lifestyle. She had to go to the emergency room after suffering internal bleeding.

“The collapse almost paralyzed me to the core. I prided myself on being so strong. I’d been burning the candles at both ends,” she said.

Nagamine enrolled in the Taking Back Your Health program at the Still & Moving Center, a fitness center which specializes in mind-body movement classes aimed at people of all ages and abilities.

She took acupressure, dance and movement classes designed to increase body awareness. She also tried qigong, tai chi and yoga.

Exercise provides health benefits whether you’re 8 or 80 years old, and “you’re never too old to get started,” said Judy Knutson, senior living wellness program director for the Good Samaritan Society at Pohai Nani.

Knutson said kupuna should start slow and gradually build up strength. “Initially, it may not feel great. If you’re injured or overtired, you may not want to do it.”

But research shows that older adults, even frail and homebound, can see increased muscle strength with regular exercise, she continued.

“They start to exercise and do strength training, and are no longer bed-bound. Without exercise, you won’t remain independent,” Knutson said.

“When we get older, we get tighter. It’s a normal part of aging. Tight muscles can cause stiffness and pain so stretching is so important,” she explained.

Nagamine said her energy and health got so much better after a few months of exercising, she took up boxing.

“Time is quickly passing. There are more years behind me than ahead,” she said. “I don’t want to be a weak old lady. I want to strong and resilient.”

Get moving!

>> For more tips and videos on starting or maintaining regular exercise go to aarp.org/stayingfit.

>> The Still and Moving Center offers classes and workshops at its facility at 1024 Queen St. Call 397-7678 or go online to stillandmovingcenter.com.

>> Kalakaua Boxing Gym offers free recreational boxing lessons for adults, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Open gym boxing hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at Kalakaua District Park, 720 McNeil St. Call 832-7801.