No matter your age, exercise is important. As we grow older, this importance only increases—however, how often we exercise naturally declines with age. While you don’t need to be running marathons or going to the gym every day, maintaining a steady level of exercise is crucial for healthy aging.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults over 65 should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This number may seem daunting, but by splitting this time into more manageable parts—like chunks of just 30 minutes, 5 days a week—you can start to work exercises into your routine, and begin reaping the rewards.
The Benefits of Staying Active
But what exactly are the benefits of exercise? Why should you maintain a good exercise routine? While exercise may seem mostly physical, the mental and social benefits of staying active should not be understated. Below, we will take a look at how all three of these areas are improved by consistent exercise.
Physical Benefits
Exercise has so many benefits for the body that, if we were to try and talk about all of them, we would be here all day! Instead, we will focus on the benefits which are most note-worthy for older adults.
First up are the fairly obvious benefits for strength, endurance, and balance. As you complete exercises that engage your muscles (such as resistance training and bodyweight exercises) and exercises that work your balance (like standing on one leg), your overall bodily awareness will improve. This in turn can help to reduce the risks of falls, which are a common problem in older adults—in fact, according to the CDC, 1 in 4 older adults experience a fall each year, which can lead to life-altering injuries. Thankfully, exercise can also help to strengthen your bones, which can reduce the risks of serious injuries even if you do experience a fall.
Alongside this, consistent exercise can also reduce the risks of serious health conditions such as heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even 8 different forms of cancer! As you get older, your risk of developing these conditions increases; for example, as per the Medical University of South Carolina, 75% of strokes occur in patients over the age of 65. And, according to the National Cancer Institute, cancer risks rise from “fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 people in age groups under age 20 (…) to more than 1,000 per 100,000 people in age groups 60 years and older”. Doing your best to prevent these potentially life-altering problems is key to maintaining your quality of life for as long as possible. Emerging research even suggests that exercise may have a boosting effect on your immune system, so staying consistently active might just make fighting off the common cold, flu, or COVID-19 easier too.
Mental and Social Benefits
You’ve likely heard of a “runner’s high”, or the feeling of happiness you get after exercising. This effect is caused by the release of neurotransmitters called endorphins, which reduce pain and make you feel better overall. While it may be called a runner’s high, any form of exercise can produce this effect, so even if you don’t have the mobility or endurance to run you can still reap these rewards! Along with generally feeling good, this release of endorphins can also provide you with some relief from many chronic conditions. If you struggle with chronic pain, have a mental health disorder like depression or anxiety, or simply deal with a lot of stress, exercise can help. It can also lower the risks of developing issues such as dementia and can improve symptoms of cognitive decline.
Just as exercise can help little kids to tucker themselves out and get to sleep, it can also help if you are experiencing insomnia. According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, insomnia is a common concern in older adults. In fact, as many as half of older adults will experience insomnia to some degree. Whether you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, exercising during the day can help you out during the night.
Exercise also doesn’t have to be a solo endeavour! Trying out new exercise classes or fitness facilities can provide a great opportunity to meet new people and build social connections. As an older adult, it may feel harder to get out of the house—whether that be from mobility issues, smaller social circles, or a simple lack of motivation—and so having a consistent way to get out and be active can do wonders. You might also use the opportunity to hang out with your current friends, to strengthen and maintain your connection. While there are many ways to stay social, the added benefits for your mind and body are great added benefits to get you, and your loved ones, out of the house together.
How to Stay Active
As mentioned above, you should be aiming to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. This level of activity should be around the same intensity as brisk walking, so there’s no need to be pouring sweat! In a Healthline article, one suggested method is to split this up across five days, with the other two days serving as rest and recovery periods. During your five active days, you can then aim to do just 30 minutes each day. These 30 minutes can also be split up—for example you could do two 15 minute sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening. Finding the right schedule for you is crucial for long-term sustainability, so don’t be afraid to mix things up depending on your schedule.
Also key is doing the right exercises. You should aim to do a combination of aerobic exercises (i.e. cardio) and muscle-strengthening exercises to get both endurance and strength benefits. Ideally, you should be doing 2 days of this strength training alongside the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio. If you’re a busy person, or simply have a lot going on one week, you can also do some of these activities while doing something else, like calling with friends, or cut back slightly if needed. Consistency is more important than perfection, so don’t worry if you miss a day here and there.
Try Exercise Classes
While there are many ways to get your exercise in, a great way to start is by attending exercise classes. Places like community centers, pools, and gyms usually have a selection of classes targeted specifically at older adults, which you can use as a jumping-off point into the world of fitness. These classes will also often repeat on a weekly basis, making them an easy way to get a steady stream of exercise—you won’t have to worry about constantly scheduling activities, since the schedule will be laid out for you.
For those with high mobility, endurance, and strength, don’t be afraid to move your body in invigorating ways! Classes for pilates, dance, and weight training can help you to push yourself and break through physical and mental barriers. Still, be careful not to injure yourself—building intensity will take time, but it’s still possible to grow stronger as long as you are controlled and careful in your approach. If you’re looking for a more relaxed form of exercise, aquatic fitness (also known as aquafit) and seated exercise classes can get you moving without putting too much strain on your body.
Exercise shouldn’t always be about strength or endurance either. According to WebMD, stretching is vital to maintaining joint and muscle health in older adults, and should always be a part of your exercise routine. Before exercising, try doing some dynamic stretches—stretches that involve moving your body. After exercising, incorporating static stretches—where you hold your stretched position for a few seconds without moving—can help you to recover and prevent soreness. Exercise classes for things like yoga and tai chi can help you to maintain and improve your flexibility while also providing strengthening and endurance-building exercise.
Get Outdoors
Whether you’re an outdoorsy person or not, being outside can have a significant positive effect on your health. In a review of research, the National Library of Medicine concluded that being outside in nature has a considerable positive impact on the overall wellbeing, mood, and quality of life of older adults. Even if you live in a large city, research has shown that any greenspace—even a small city park—can have this positive effect. So, if the weather permits, consider getting outside for a walk or cycle around your local green spaces. If you live near a forest or hiking trail, you could also make an afternoon of going out with friends or family to hike, have lunch, and catch up together.
In the winter, it can be harder to get outside and be active, both because of the weather and because of the shorter daylight hours. However, that’s not to say that it’s impossible! In fact, there are many ways to get outside during the winter. If you are feeling energetic, snowshoeing or skiing can get your blood pumping even on cold days—just remember to dress appropriately and stay safe outdoors. You can also take a walk along cleared city streets, which can be extra fun when Christmas decorations are out.
When the weather is warmer, you can also get exercise through day-to-day activities. For example, if you enjoy gardening, you can get a fair bit of upper body exercise through the process of lifting and lowering various pots and plants. Another example might be going to the beach; since walking on sand or uneven ground is harder than on city sidewalks, this can be a great way to improve lower body strength and balance.
Workout at Home
If you don’t feel like going outside, can’t get out because of the weather, or you just want to get a bit more exercise in a convenient, accessible way, at home workouts are a fantastic option. Many of the exercises—particularly those in seated workouts—can also be done while multitasking, making them easy to work into a busy schedule.
A huge number of guided workout videos exist on platforms like YouTube, where a simple search for “at home older adult workouts” or “seated exercises for older adults” can bring up thousands of options. Some of these may require equipment, such as dumbbells or resistance bands, but adding “no equipment” to your search will help to filter these out if you don’t want these kinds of videos. If you do have equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, or an exercise ball, adding those words into your search will bring up videos specific to your equipment. Following a 15, 20, or 30 minute video can save you the hassle of trying to count repetitions or time your own movements, and can allow you to focus fully on your muscles to build your mind-body connection. You could even listen to an audiobook if you find yourself getting distracted!
If you are looking to improve flexibility, there are countless guided yoga practices online as well. Some may target the lower body, or upper body, or the core—it all depends on what you are looking for. By making sure to add in words like “older adult” or “beginner” to your search, you’ll be able to find easier ones to start with. From there, you can move on to trickier exercises as your strength progresses, or you can stay at the beginner level! It all depends on what you are comfortable with, and what your body’s limits are.
If you would rather put together your own workout routine, you can find many older adult-targeted exercises and routines online. Some examples of these include Healthline’s 6-minute strength routine, featuring exercises like wall pushups, toe taps, and heel raises, as well as the CDC’s recommendations of chair exercises, airplane stretches, and desk exercises. Try using a paper and pen or digital note-taking app to allocate certain exercises to certain days, and then tweak that routine to make it work for you.
Final Remarks
Through this article, our hope is that you have learned the importance of exercise for your physical, mental, and social health, as well as the many ways that you can begin exercising. Whether you attend a tai chi class, go for a hike with friends, or do some weight training from home, there are countless ways to get yourself moving in a safe, fun way.
As a final note, it is crucial that you remember that your body needs rest and recovery too. Stretching is one of the most important ways that you can increase the longevity and sustainability of your exercise habits, and therefore your overall quality of life, so make sure to always warm up and cool down after moving your body. Along with this, taking days to rest in between active days actually improves your ability to exercise. It may seem counterintuitive to take a day off, but science has proven that these rest days are vital for injury prevention, improving sleep, and reducing the chances of burnout.
Above all, remember to prioritize your long term health over short term gains. If you have not been very active in recent years, taking things slow to start will provide you with a stable base to build on in the future. Focusing too much on the intensity or duration of your exercises can lead to burnout or even injuries—which can be especially devastating for older adults. So, while it can be frustrating to not be able to do as much as you could when you were younger, coming to terms with your age and accepting your limits is the best thing you can do for your current and future health.
