RedwoodAge.com

The good news is that 73 percent of boomers say they're in good shape. The bad news is that they're lying, at least to themselves.

Almost half of boomers with their spouse would work out more. (Photo: Boomer Fitness Clubs)

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, half of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 have high blood pressure, and about 40 percent are obese.

The apparent discrepancy reflects how boomers see themselves versus cold, hard reality, and points up the need to better educate boomers about maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise, according to leaders of the "Live Healthy. Keep Going" program sponsored by the Energizer battery company.

The new administration may help bring exercise back into style, given Obama's athletic build and his insistence on playing vigorous games of basketball several times a week.

His resting pulse is in the low 50s, putting him at a level comparable to professional athletes half his age. That's sure to lay a guilt trip on some of the nation's aging couch potatoes.

Recent studies have shown that regular exercise not only helps forestall illnesses, but also helps maintain a sharper brain.

The Live Healthy program surveyed 1,051 married boomers (age 44-62) who were selected to reflect a demographic profile of their generation.  It found that nearly half of the boomers (48%) wished that their spouses would exercise more. Forty-one percent want their spouses to eat healthier and lose weight.

'As Expected'
Thirty-nine percent of the men said their wives were aging "better than expected," but only 30 percent of the wives thought so, and 18 percent went so far as to say their husbands were aging "worse than expected."  Only 11 percent of the men sank to that level.  Overall, about half the spouses said their spouse was aging "as expected," which is hardly a badge of honor in a youth-obsessed cutlure.

Only one-third of the boomers said they exercise regularly, although two-thirds say they take vitamins or supplements as part of their health regimen. Of those who exercise, 13 percent used a pedometer or music player as an incentive.

Overall, 66 percent admitted they didn't like to exercise in the Live Healthy survey, although other surveys have come up with different results.

In another study, for example, half the boomers said they work out at least three times a week and considered themselves to be in pretty good shape. Of course, they could be lying, too.