Keeping Active As We Age
Not many people relish the thought of getting old - or having to slow down and give up some of the hobbies and activities that have been a big part of daily life...and here at The Source - we don't think you should!
Keeping physically active and continuing to exercise can help in keeping you fit and healthy as you get older - and allows you to maintain your independence for as long as possible.
As we get older and when we retire, some of us will find ourselves spending more time sitting down and starting to take things just a little slower.
It is important to remember that when you start to slow down and spend more time being inactive - the little things you take for granted will become harder with each inactive day.
A short walk to the shops becomes a much longer hike - walking up the stairs becomes a mountain climb and running can become a ghost of the past.
To help you keep active the NHS has some top tips and advice to keep you on the move...
What is physical activity?
Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. It can include anything from walking to recreational sport.
The first thing to bear in mind as you get older is to keep moving.
On a basic level, that means making sure you don't spend hours on end sitting down during the day.
This means avoiding long periods of TV viewing, computer use, driving, and sitting to read, talk or listen to music.
While some activity is better than none at all, to get the maximum health benefit, you should aim to do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week.
Aim to do something every day, preferably in bouts of 10 minutes of activity or more. The more you do, the greater the health gains.
One way of achieving your weekly physical activity target is to do 30 minutes on at least five days a week.
On at least two days a week, activities should include those that strengthen muscles and bones, such as weight training, carrying heavy loads and heavy gardening.
Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities include:
- walking fast.
- doing water aerobics.
- riding a bike on level ground or with few hills.
- playing doubles tennis.
- pushing a lawn mower.
What you do will depend on your own circumstances, but as a guiding principle you should always do activities that you enjoy.
- Adults who are overweight can improve their health by meeting the activity guidelines, even if they don’t lose weight.
- To lose weight, you're likely to need to do more than 150 minutes a week and make changes to your diet.
- Start by gradually building up towards 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.
If you're already active, you may find it useful to know that you can reap the same health benefits from 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as running or singles tennis.
As a rule of thumb, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity can give similar health benefits as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity.
Research shows that it’s never too late to adopt and reap the health benefits from a more active lifestyle. For example, older adults who are active will reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke to a similar level as younger people who are active.
If you've been inactive for a while, you don't have to rush into exercising. It's important to build up activity gradually to reach recommended levels.
You will still be improving your health in the process, and you'll reduce your risk of falls and other ailments.
As people get older and their bodies decline in function, physical activity helps to slow that decline. It's important they remain active or even increase their activity as they get older. The biggest benefits come to those who start from scratch. It's moving from a sedentary lifestyle to a moderately active one that makes the biggest difference to your health. The more you do, the greater the health benefits.
Dr Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant
Courtesy of www.nhs.co.uk