What is the recommended amount of exercise for seniors in a day?
Regular exercise is one of the essential things you can do for your well-being as a senior. It may help you to avoid a lot of the health issues caused by getting older. It promotes muscular growth, allowing you to keep doing your daily tasks without relying on others’ help. It’s worth remembering that any amount of exercise is better than none at all. As you get more physically active, the health benefits you receive are more significant. Chronically ill seniors should be aware of how their illnesses limit their capabilities to do regular exercises. Suppose chronic problems prevent older adults from doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly (e.g., 30 mins 5 days a week). In such cases, they should be as physically active as their health conditions allow.
Before starting any exercise, check with the doctor to determine the recommended amount of exercise for your age. Older adults must stay active as their abilities (mobility, stamina) and conditions allow, but at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in a week or at least 75 minutes of intense aerobic physical activity throughout the week is highly suggested for seniors. As long as the build-up is gradual, allowing the body to adjust and train within the limits of each individual capability, there is no reason to limit an older adult’s daily amount of exercise.
We can trace back the occurrence of many chronic diseases like heart diseases, strokes, diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer’s to a lack of physical activity alongside poor dietary habits such as eating more than the recommended amount of fast food.
Seniors can avoid these unhealthy results and benefit from participating in at least 150 minutes of aerobic activities with moderate intensity and 75 minutes of the same aerobic exercises with vigorous intensity per week. If we do the math, we’ll end up with a total of about 30 minutes of workout and exercise per day.
Professionals also recommend that older adults engage in activities that involve all major muscle groups of their bodies for at least two days per week while also considering adding balance-improving exercises to their workout schedule. This recommendation is especially for those who suffer from imbalance and worry about falling.
Safety should be a senior’s top priority, so they should consult a physician before starting a new workout schedule.
Older adults need to be active every day to stay healthy or improve their health. They have to do physical activity, including fitness, strength, flexibility, and balance. It is better for seniors aged 65 or older to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and most preferably every day. Even if it is light, doing exercise is better than not doing it. Daily activities such as shopping housework are not moderate-intensity because they do not increase your heart rate.
Every week, seniors over 65 should perform moderate aerobic exercise for at least 2.5 hours (150 minutes), which means at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Or, they can choose to engage in activities that require a higher level of effort, such as jogging, for about an hour and fifteen minutes (75 minutes) a week. That’s about 10 to 11 minutes of daily exercise.