Staying Active and Healthy After 60

After 60, activity stops being about fitness and starts being about independence: carrying your own shopping, getting out of a chair without help, staying steady on your feet. The recommended amounts are modest, and walking, housework and a chair can get you there.

How much activity is recommended after 60?

The CDC advises adults aged 65 and over to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as 30 minutes on 5 days, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix. It also advises muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week, working all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms, plus regular balance activity.

The NHS gives the same weekly targets for people aged 65 and over, and asks for activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week. It adds two things that are easy to overlook: be physically active every day, even if it is only light activity such as moving around the house or doing household tasks; and reduce the time you spend sitting or lying down.

If those numbers feel far away, the CDC's guidance is clear: if you have trouble meeting them, be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow, because some physical activity is better than none at all.

What kinds of exercise matter most?

The National Institute on Aging groups older adults' exercise into aerobic, muscle-strengthening and balance work, and MedlinePlus adds flexibility as a fourth type. Each does a different job.

Aerobic activity

NIA describes this as moving large muscles for a sustained period so that breathing and heart rate increase. Examples include brisk walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, yard work, housework and climbing stairs. A simple check: at moderate intensity you can talk but not sing.

Muscle strengthening

NIA's examples include resistance bands, hand weights, weight machines, body-weight exercises such as pushups, squats and lunges, gardening, and carrying groceries. NIA warns against overdoing it to the point of exhaustion, sore joints or muscle injury, and says not to hold your breath during strength exercises.

Balance

NIA describes balance exercise as keeping the body steady while still or moving, and links it to preventing falls. Examples include tai chi, yoga, standing on one foot, heel-to-toe walking and standing up from a sitting position; the CDC names the last two as well. NIA's safety advice: move slowly, keep a chair or wall within reach, and steady yourself if you feel unsteady.

Flexibility

MedlinePlus describes flexibility exercise as stretching your muscles to help your body stay limber. The NHS names yoga, tai chi and pilates among activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility.

How do you start safely?

MedlinePlus advises checking with your health care provider about what is right for you, and says that if you have not been active you can start slowly and work up to your goal. This matters especially with a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, breathing problems, poor balance or a history of falls.

Practical points: wear shoes that fit and support you, keep water nearby, avoid the hottest part of the day, and keep a stable chair or wall within reach for balance work.

When to see a doctor

Stop exercising and get help if you develop chest pain or pressure, dizziness or nausea. NIA lists exactly these as reasons to stop aerobic activity. Also stop for extreme shortness of breath or feeling faint.

See a doctor if you have had a fall or near-fall, feel unsteady on your feet, have joint pain or swelling lasting more than a few days, are newly breathless doing things you used to manage, or have unexplained weight loss or lasting tiredness. Balance problems and dizziness often have treatable causes, so report them rather than accepting them as part of ageing.

If chest pain does not settle, or comes with sweating, breathlessness or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, or if someone has a serious fall or head injury, treat it as an emergency: call Rescue 1122 where available, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.