Are you prioritising staying active as you get older? If not, you should be! Staying physically active as we age has so many amazing benefits. Some of these include, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, osteoporosis, falls prevention, plus many more! Who wouldn’t want to be part of that? Yet so often at our physio clinic in Stewarton, we hear people use getting older as a reason for doing less physical activity. Are you ready to find out how to stay active as you get older? Read below to find out how much physical activity you should be doing, and what you can do!
The NHS recommends the following guidelines for adults aged 65 and over:
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aim to be physically active every day, even if it’s just light activity
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do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week
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do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both
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reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
If you’ve fallen or are worried about falling, doing exercises to improve your strength, balance and flexibility will help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet.
What counts as light, moderate and intense physical activity?
Light physical activity includes things like getting up to make a cup of tea, doing some cleaning, short walks around the home, hoovering and chores around the house.
Moderate physical activity would look like water aerobics, riding a bike, cutting the grass, dancing or hiking.
Intense physical activity would be most moderate activities, performed at a higher effort level, tennis, running, aerobics.
It is also important to remember strength and resistance training. Doing activities that involves lifting weights, using resistance bands, yoga, tai chi and heavy gardening can help improve your strength too.
Do you want more guidance on staying physically active as you stay older? Our team of Physio’s and Personal Trainers can help you stay strong and active as you get older.
Call 01563262123 to find out how out team can help.