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We hear all the time that we should exercise and stay active, but that advice can feel pretty vague. What does “staying active” actually mean once you turn 65?

The answer may be different than you think.

Staying active as you age isn’t necessarily measured by how many steps you take, how fast you can run, or how much weight you can lift. Instead, it’s helpful to look at how physically demanding an activity is for you.

That means staying active can look very different from one person to another. The goal is to start with your current abilities, and find realistic ways to move more.

And the good news is staying active doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym. Walking, dancing, gardening, taking a fitness class, and even some everyday activities can all contribute.

Why Physical Activity Matters as You Age

Some of the benefits of physical activity can happen relatively quickly. Regular physical activity can help improve sleep, reduce feelings of anxiety, and lower blood pressure.

But the long-term benefits are particularly important as we age.

Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and several cancers. It can also help with weight management, improve bone health, and reduce the risk of falls.

Perhaps most importantly, staying active can help you maintain the physical abilities you need to remain independent.

Think about all the everyday activities you may take for granted: getting dressed, standing up from a chair, walking around your home, shopping, or simply getting where you want to go.

Maintaining strength, mobility, and balance can help you continue doing those activities for as long as possible. Staying active isn’t just about adding years to your life. It’s about helping you continue doing the things you want and need to do as you age.

How Much Physical Activity Do Older Adults Need?

Physical activity recommendations generally include two major categories: aerobic activity and muscle strengthening.

For aerobic activity, older adults should aim for:

• 2½ to 5 hours of moderate-intensity activity each week, or
• 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2½ hours of vigorous-intensity activity each week

You can also combine moderate and vigorous activity. As a general guideline, one minute of vigorous activity is roughly equivalent to two minutes of moderate activity.

Ideally, that activity should be spread throughout the week instead of being packed into one day.

Older adults should also include muscle-strengthening activities at least two days each week. There isn’t a specific minimum number of minutes required. Instead, the focus should be on working all the major muscle groups, including the legs, hips, chest, back, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.

If you’re nowhere near those numbers right now, don’t be discouraged. You don’t have to reach the recommendations immediately.

How Hard Should You Exercise? It’s all about relative intensity.

One of the most useful ways to think about exercise as you age is relative intensity.

Instead of worrying about how fast you’re walking or how much weight you’re lifting, ask yourself: How hard is this activity for me?

Imagine an effort scale from zero to 10. Sitting is zero, while the absolute hardest effort you could make is a 10.

Moderate-intensity activity is around a five or six. Your heart should be beating faster and your breathing should increase.

Vigorous-intensity activity is around a seven or eight, with a much more noticeable increase in heart rate and breathing.

You can also use the talk test. During moderate activity, you should generally be able to talk but not sing. During vigorous activity, you may only be able to say a few words before needing to take a breath.

That’s why the same activity can be easy for one person and challenging for another.

A recently retired adult might consider a 30-minute walk with friends moderate activity. Someone in their late 80s living in an assisted living community with mobility limitations might experience that same level of effort walking from their apartment to the dining room.

Both are being active. What matters is how hard your body is working.

What Counts as Aerobic Exercise?

Walking is one of the simplest examples of aerobic activity, but it certainly isn’t the only one.

Aerobic activity can include:

• Walking
• Dancing
• Water aerobics
• Some forms of yoga
• Bike riding
• Yard work
• Sports that keep you moving, such as pickleball

The activity doesn’t necessarily have to look like a traditional workout. If it gets your heart beating faster and increases your breathing, it may be contributing toward your aerobic activity goal.

Strength Training Doesn’t Have to Mean Heavy Weights

Strength training is equally important, and you don’t have to lift a heavy barbell to do it.

You can certainly use weight machines or handheld weights, but you can also build strength with resistance bands, or your own body weight.

Push-ups and lunges, for example, require your muscles to work against resistance. Some yoga poses and forms of Tai Chi can also help strengthen muscles.

Even everyday activities can count. Digging and lifting while gardening or carrying groceries may require significant muscular effort.

The key is the activity requires your muscles to work harder than they’re accustomed to working during your normal daily routine.

Look for Activities That Do More Than One Thing aka multicomponent activities

Balance becomes increasingly important as we age, which is why multicomponent activities can be particularly valuable for older adults.

Multicomponent activities combine two or more types of physical activity, such as:

• Aerobic activity and balance
• Strength and balance
• Aerobic activity, strength, and balance

These activities can improve physical function while helping reduce the risk of falls and injuries from falls. They can also help you make better use of your exercise time because one activity may accomplish several things at once.

Haven’t Been Active? Start Small.

If you haven’t been active for a long time, don’t assume you need to begin with a 30-minute workout.

The simplest advice is to sit less and move more.

Trying to go from very little activity to meeting every recommendation immediately may leave you exhausted, sore or even injured. Building regular habits you can maintain is much more important.

Start with just five minutes of slow walking several times a day, five or six days per week.

As that becomes easier, those walks can gradually increase to 10 minutes at a time, eventually reaching three 10-minute walks each day. From there, walking speed can slowly increase.

The key word is gradually.

If you’ve been inactive for a long time, it may take months to reach your activity goal. That’s OK. The goal isn’t to get there as quickly as possible. It’s to build an active lifestyle you can maintain.

If you have a chronic health condition, talk with your doctor about how your condition may affect your ability to exercise safely and which types of activity are appropriate for you.

There Isn’t One Right Way to Stay Active

The presentation provides two examples that demonstrate just how different an active lifestyle can look.

Barbara is a relatively active 65-year-old who combines water aerobics and dance classes with everyday choices such as parking farther away from store entrances and taking the stairs. Together, those activities give her approximately 220 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week while also incorporating strength and balance work.

Rumi is 79, lives in an assisted-living community and has more physical limitations. She begins by taking 10-minute walks around her community and walking while bird watching. Over several months, she gradually increases the length of her walks and adds an exercise class appropriate for her abilities. Eventually, she reaches 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week while also incorporating strength and balance activities.

Barbara and Rumi are at very different fitness levels, and that’s the point.

Staying active isn’t about comparing yourself with someone else. It’s about starting with your current abilities and gradually doing more.

CASI Can Help You Stay Active

For Quad Cities seniors, CASI offers several ways to make physical activity part of a regular routine.

Daily exercise classes are available at multiple fitness levels and incorporate aerobic activity, strength, and balance. CASI also has an exercise room and indoor walking track, providing options for people who prefer exercising on their own.

There’s another benefit to participating at CASI that shouldn’t be overlooked: social interaction.

Exercising with other people gives you an opportunity to make connections while you move. It can also provide some accountability. When you become a regular at a group fitness class, people notice when you’re not there. That can provide a little extra motivation to keep showing up.

CASI’s 40,000-square-foot facility also offers social activities, arts and crafts classes, educational opportunities, intergenerational programs, community meeting and activity spaces, the Fit for Life Fitness Center and access to nutritional meals through Milestones Area Agency on Aging.

So take a look at the options available, find something that matches your current fitness level and, just as importantly, choose something you actually enjoy doing.

Learn more about CASI’s membership benefits by clicking here.

Want to Learn More? Read the CDC Physical Activity Guidelines

Click here to read the CDC’s report on Physical Activity Guidelines for adults. There’s a chapter specifically on seniors packed information available about physical activity and healthy aging.

The guidelines can be especially helpful if you’re starting from a low activity level and want to better understand how you can gradually work toward the recommended amount of physical activity.

Need Help Navigating Senior Resources?

Staying active is one piece of maintaining independence as you age. Sometimes you or a loved one may also need additional support at home, or need to begin considering senior living options.

LivWell Seniors helps older adults and their families understand the resources available to them. We start by learning about your situation, needs, and concerns. Then our Senior Resource Specialists can help identify appropriate resources or senior living communities, schedule and attend tours, compare options and help you make an informed decision.

Whether you’re planning ahead or need help during a crisis, LivWell Seniors can help you understand your options and create a plan that works for you and your family.

Contact us today at info@livwellseniors.com or call 563-265-1577.