Physical fitness in aging -
So, for these cyclists and others who engage in high-intensity workouts, this is hopeful aging and exercise news. Therefore, the older we get, the shorter our telomeres. They had a seven-year advantage over adults who were moderately active. But what about aging? Can exercise delay aging in the brain?
Research suggests not only that it can, but that moderate to intense exercise may slow aging by 10 years. A study of people with an average age of 71 showed that over time, participants who exercised minimally, or not at all, experienced a greater mental decline than those who engaged in moderate or intense workouts.
The difference was equal to that of 10 years of aging. Such exercise always brings benefits, irrespective of the age, sex, health, or the physical condition of the person who undertakes it.
What is the best exercise for aging? Want to learn more about exercise for older adults? Check out The Life-Changing Benefits of Exercise After 60 to learn about recommended workouts and evidence-based exercise programs that are suited to all ability levels.
You can also find exercise tips and helpful information on maximizing your physical and mental health at our Health for Older Adults information hub. Larry A. Physical activity and telomere lenth in U. men and women: An NHANES investigation. Prev Med. American Academy of Neurology.
Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People. March 23, Castillo-Garzón MJ, Ruiz JR, Ortega FB, Gutiérrez A.
Anti-aging therapy through fitness enhancement. Clin Interv Aging. Get information on prevention and how to manage ongoing health conditions focused on physical and mental health.
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Skip to Main Content. Adviser Age Well Planner About Us Ways to Give Get Involved Events A A. Food Assistance and Food Systems Resources. As an older adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
It can prevent or delay many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others.
Keep in mind, some physical activity is better than none at all. Your health benefits will also increase with the more physical activity that you do. If chronic conditions affect your ability to meet these recommendations, be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow.
See some things to keep in mind as you add physical activity to your life as an older adult. The web page includes considerations for people with chronic conditions or disabilities. on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.
An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Try a few of these activities:. On a point scale, where sitting is 0 and working as hard as you can is 10, moderate-intensity aerobic activity is a 5 or 6.
It will make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. Vigorous-intensity activity is a 7 or 8 on this scale. You can do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a mix of the two each week. Intensity is how hard your body is working during aerobic activity.
A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.
This means that walking may feel like a moderate-intensity activity to you, but for others, it may feel vigorous. Besides moderate or vigorous aerobic activity, you need to do things to make your muscles stronger at least 2 days a week.
These activities will help keep you from losing muscle as you get older. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing one sit-up. Try to do repetitions per activity, which counts as 1 set.
Try to do at least 1 set of muscle-strengthening activities, but to gain even more benefits, do 2 or 3 sets. Choose activities that work all the major muscle groups of your body legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.
You may want to:. Balance activities [PDF Walking backward, standing on one leg, or using a wobble board are examples of balance activities. Strengthening back, abdomen, and leg muscles also improves balance.
Learn more about balance activities for older adults [PDFKB]. Find out how exercise can support physical and mental health from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans , 2 nd edition. Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults [PDFKB] is a resource with exercises to increase muscle strength, maintain bone integrity, and improve balance, coordination, and mobility.
Learn how to measure your physical fitness level. Listen to the CDC Podcast: The Importance of Physical Activity for Older Adults or in Spanish: La importancia de la actividad física para los adultos mayores. Active People, Healthy Nation SM is a CDC initiative to help people be more physically active.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Español Other Languages. How much physical activity do older adults need?
E veryone knows Hunger and indigenous communities exercise ritness good for you. Exercise not Physical fitness in aging improves heart finess Physical fitness in aging health, but research shows that even modest physical Physkcal is good for the Physicxl, bones, muscles and mood. Numerous studies have found that lifelong exercise may keep people healthier for longer; delay the onset of 40 chronic conditions or diseases ; stave off cognitive decline ; reduce the risk of falls; alleviate depression, stress and anxiety; and may even help people live longer. Of course, the sooner you begin and the longer you remain physically active, the better. But physical activity is important at every age.
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