Are You Fit? Or, would you consider yourself sedentary? Moderately active? Most of us tend to overestimate the amount of physical activity we get or underestimate the amount of exercise that is needed to stay healthy and age well.
CDC Recommendations for Fitness & Activity
Consider the following recommendations from the CDC for adults 65 and older:
- At least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
- OR 75 minutes physical activity at vigorous intensity
- At least 2 days per week of muscle strengthening work
- Activities to improve balance
By these recommendations, most Americans over 65 (and under 65, for that matter) fall far short of the recommendations!
Keep in mind, brisk walking just counts as moderate physical activity. Vigorous intensity exercise will cause you to breathe heavily and sweat, therefore you likely won’t be able to keep up a conversation with someone when exercising vigorously. Additionally, older adults tend to be very cautious with weight lifting, and are selling themselves short on the many benefits of building muscle mass with heavier weights, such as preserving power, building and maintaining bone density, and improving metabolism.
Older Adults & High Intensity Exercise
There is also an increasing amount of evidence to show that older adults benefit from high intensity exercise for various health conditions, both in treatment, and in prevention. This includes things such as running, HIIT classes, and intense cardio work. Hint, there was no stretching on this list! Holding sustained stretches can be beneficial but does not in any way replace recommendations for getting STRONG and building CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE. Don’t sell yourself short, assuming that all you can/should do is walk and lift light weights. There are tons of activities and classes to adequately challenge adults over the age of 65, it’s just a matter of finding some things you can enjoy.
If you’re unsure of how much you are capable of, make an appointment with a physical therapist today to safely find out helpful exercises and stats to keep an eye on such as blood pressure, max heart rate, and blood sugar monitoring.
