Why Physical Activity is Important as We Age
We know that physical activity and exercise are essential. Physical Activity is one of the most important things we can do for our overall health. Yet, for many of us, we have the same type of relationship with exercise that we do with fad diets.
We try it, and we may even try the latest exercise trend, yet less than half of the people who start an exercise program stick with it for more than six months.
The benefits of exercise and activity are clear. Anyone who is physically able should accumulate 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week, and half as much if that activity is intense.
In 2018, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans were updated to recommend how much adults should move. It includes a review of movement, sitting, and health science.
It’s difficult to shift through the information on how much exercise is enough. How hard does exercise have to be to count? Do you have to do 30 minutes all at once for five days a week? Is it even worth the effort to do less? The most straightforward answer to these questions is moving more and sitting less. Continue to do that consistently, and you will reap the health benefits.
Research shows middle-aged and older adults spend an average of 8.5 to 10.5 hours a day sedentary. Compared with their more active peers, this inactive group had higher mortality rates.
The most important thing you can do is to get off the couch. The most significant health benefits come from spending less time being sedentary and more time being physically active. We spend most of our free time sitting. Many of us work at a desk in front of a computer. Since the pandemic, we sit even more. We transition from our desk chairs to spending our evenings in front of a screen or reading a book. We drive to do our errands, pick the closest parking spot to the door, use drive-thru windows, and meet friends for dinner and sit.
Even kids, the most active segment of the population, have dramatically increased the amount of time they spend being sedentary.
Many who do structured exercise each day with a run, walk, or other cardiovascular (cardio) activity are sedentary for the remainder of the day.
An inactive lifestyle has many adverse effects on your health. You burn fewer calories, contributing to a loss of muscle strength contributing to weight gain. Your bones grow weaker and lose mineral content. Your metabolism changes and your body won’t break down fats and sugars. When this happens, it causes inflammation and poor immune function.
Those health effects from inactivity ultimately lead to the diseases that midlife women experience with age leading to more and more inactivity. Lack of physical activity can contribute significantly to an inability to live independently and have a high quality of life as we age.
It’s time to get honest about getting active and find ways to be active throughout your day. Get bite-sized activity ‘snacks’ spread throughout each day. These snacks are essential whether you’re doing a 30-minute brisk walking session or similar activity five times a week or are a couch potato.
If you are a yo-yo exerciser, primarily sedentary, or a somewhat inactive exerciser, try building a foundation of daily physical activity. Move more and sit less throughout the day, and you may find yourself moving into a daily exercise program you can sustain as a regular habit.
By incorporating activity snacks, you may enjoy counting steps and find that you can accumulate the number of steps to improve your health. Newer research indicates the optimal step count for people younger than 60 is about 8,000 to 10,000 a day and 6,000 to 8,000 for those 60 and older. You may even accumulate the 150 minutes of moderate physical activity recommended each week without even realizing it.
What do these activity snacks look like? Check out the ideas below. It’s easier and more fun than you might imagine incorporating small chunks of activity throughout the day. Start by using these ideas, and then create your own.
Take a break from sitting. Get up, stand, or move for at least 10 minutes every hour. Set a timer as a reminder.
Have shorter meetings. Shorten meetings to 25 or 50 minutes and use the extra time to move.
Walk one flight up, two flights down. Always take the stairs whenever possible, even if you only start with one or two flights.
Walk the dog. Rather than let your dog out into the yard, take them for a walk. It’s an excellent activity for both of you!
Park farther away. Take a parking spot farther away from the door and walk when driving to errands. It’s easier to find a spot, and there will be less traffic further away.
Find every opportunity to walk. Walk around during phone calls. Walk rather than sit in a coffee shop. Get up during TV commercials. Walk during breaks at sporting events.
Schedule an active gathering. When getting together with family and friends, have it centered around activity. Hike, take a scenic walk or even play Pickleball.
Play more. If you have grandkids or even older children, find a way to incorporate more play into your day. It’s a fun way to spend quality time with them, and it models active behavior for them.
Walk to do your errands. Walk to the grocery store, pick up dry cleaning, or the bank.
Use a standing desk. The more time spent standing rather than sitting or reclining (other than sleeping), the better. Meet or work standing up.
Do yard work or garden. Weeding, watering, or tending a garden or yard is a fun way to be outdoors and get activity.
Stretch every day. If daily exercise is a struggle, do a daily stretch as a way to stay flexible while adding more physical activity.
Are you looking for even more ideas? Download Rumblings’ 40 free tips for incorporating more movement in your day as part of our Move in May Challenge, or read our blog post on ways to move more and sit less in midlife.
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