5 fun ways to stay active as you age

Most of us don’t get enough exercise. This is likely as true at age 35 as it is at age 65 – worldwide, most people living in modern society fail to get a healthy amount of exercise. Most medical professionals recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.

And that’s just a starting point – more exercise is almost always better, and can lead to massively increased health outcomes which include lower risks of heart disease and stroke, and a longer lifespan with increased ability for physical activity.

Finding ways to stay active as you age, therefore, is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

And though you’re probably not going to be able to sprint 100 meters in 12 seconds like you did when you were a youth, there’s nothing to stop you from partaking in moderate, lower-intensity physical activity, and reaping the health benefits of staying active. Read on, and learn about 5 fun ways to stay active as you age.

1. Get Walking

If there’s nothing else on this list that you want to do, are capable of doing, or would enjoy doing, walking is the perfect choice for you. Walking is the simplest exercise possible, and can be done almost anywhere.

It almost sounds too good to be true – but walking has been shown to provide similar aerobic and muscular development benefits to running while being much less lower-intensity, and available to just about any able-bodied ageing person.

And one of the best things about walking is that it can be done anywhere – you’ll never get bored. You can walk around your neighbourhood, take a trip to the park, hike a trail, take a stroll around the field at a grandchild’s football game – the choice is yours.

You can even walk during the winter by joining a gym and using an inside track or a treadmill, or you can go mall-walking – a popular pastime among older people who are looking for a convenient location to exercise.

2. Take A Water Fitness Class

Swimming is an incredible workout but can be quite demanding. While swimming is great if you already have the aerobic capacity and skills required to do it well, water fitness and aerobics classes are a great alternative.

By combining normal aerobics exercises with the buoyancy and resistance of water, water fitness classes allow you to get a great workout, and the water helps your joints stay in good condition, so it’s a great choice for those who have difficulties exercising on land.

3. Ride That Bike!

High-impact activities like running are generally out of the question for most ageing persons. The stress and injury of risk associated with these sorts of high-intensity activities make them very dangerous, and a poor choice for most ageing people.

However, bikes offer a great alternative. They’re low-impact and quite easy to ride for seniors of just about every fitness level and offer a great aerobic workout without the joint impact of exercises like running.

In addition, riding a bike is a fantastic way to explore your area, especially if you have dedicated bike trails.

4. Gardening and Yard Work

Staying active doesn’t have to mean getting out and doing something you wouldn’t normally do – it is as simple as taking care of your lawn.

Gardening burns in excess of 200 calories per hour and more high-intensity yard work such as raking leaves and bagging them can burn over 400 calories per hour.

In addition, gardening and doing yard work helps you get outside and enjoy the healthful effects of nature, which are linked to decreased stress levels and better mental health.

5. Volunteering

If you’re looking for something fun to do that will help you stay active, consider volunteer work. Volunteer work is a great way to give back to the community, and whether you’re serving from a soup kitchen, helping organise fundraisers, or just working in a food pantry, you’ll certainly be more active than you would be if you were sitting at home.

You’ll also enjoy the benefits of volunteer work – there are significant healthful mental and physical effects associated with giving back to the community, according to the Harvard Health Blog. Including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan.

Try Something New & Get Moving

If you’re looking to get active and enjoy the effects that exercise and physical activity can have on your health, these are some of the easiest ways to get started. The more you use your body, the stronger it will get – this is true of people of all ages.

So as you continue to exercise and get stronger, even more opportunities for recreation and physical activity will open up for you – and continue to enjoy these active hobbies can help you stay young, fit, and healthy.

So what are you waiting for? Get active, get fit, and get healthy.