
Although most aerobic exercises require you to move your whole body, the main focus is on your heart and lungs (Aerobic exercise is often called “cardio” because it challenges and benefits your cardiovascular system). While there are endless forms of exercise, experts categorize physical activity into four broad types based on what each calls upon your body to do and how the movement benefits you.Īerobic exercise is marked by an increased heart rate. People with mobility issues such as poor balance or arthritis should also get advice from their doctor. If you have a major health condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or lung disease, osteoprosis or a neurological disease, definitely talk to your doctor first. When it comes to exercise and fitness for seniors, most can begin without consulting a doctor-but there are exceptions. While there are many dedicated forms of exercise and fitness for adults, you also want to stay physically active throughout the day by taking the stairs, doing yard work, and playing with your grandkids. Your goal should be no less than 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week, but if you can’t start at that level, work up to it (and then past it). The good news is that any kind of movement is better than being sedentary, so there’s nothing wrong with starting small and working your way up to longer workouts. Many older adults hesitate to get moving because they’re unfamiliar with the types of exercise and fitness that are effective and safe, and aren’t sure how much exercise they need to do. In addition, a regular exercise program can make your sex life better, lead to better quality sleep, reduce your risk of some cancers, and is linked to longer life. Physical activity helps maintain a healthy blood pressure, keeps harmful plaque from building up in your arteries, reduces inflammation, improves blood sugar levels, strengthens bones, and helps stave off depression. Why is exercise important for older people? Getting your heart rate up and challenging your muscles benefits virtually every system in your body and improves your physical and mental health in myriad ways. Getting and staying in shape is just as important for seniors as it is for younger people.

Whether you were once much more physically active or have never been one to exercise regularly, now is a great time to start an exercise and fitness regimen. The Federal Government developed physical activity guidelines for Americans (PDF, 14.2 MB) for the amount, types, and intensity of physical activity you need to help you achieve many health benefits across your life span.Why is exercise so important for seniors? Physical activity provides health benefits across your life span. Health benefits are possible for adults and youth from a range of racial and ethnic groups studied, and for people with disabilities. Who should be physically active?Įveryone can benefit from physical activity. Become more active and you may enjoy a happier mood, less stress, and a stronger body. Regular physical activity also may improve your quality of life right now. To lose weight, you’ll need to use more calories than you take in. maintain your weight by balancing the number of calories you use with the number of calories you take in.reduce your risk for certain cancers, including colon and breast cancer.If you have one of these health problems, physical activity may improve your condition.

Regular physical activity may help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

What are the benefits of regular physical activity? This information may help you identify and beat your roadblocks to physical activity! Learn tips to create a plan to get moving or add more activity to your life. So what’s stopping you? Maybe you think that physical activity is boring, joining a gym is costly, or fitting one more thing into your busy day is impossible. Being active may help you look and feel better, both now and in the future. Regular physical activity may help prevent or delay many health problems. Physical activity is an important step you can take to improve your health and quality of life.
