How to can stay fit and why, when you're older

Did you know?

The most popular forms of physical activity for those over 65 are walking (60%), gardening (54.2%), doing exercise at home (9.8%) and playing bowls (9.7%).

"I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them" ~ Joan Rivers

Laugh at your body, for sure! We can’t stay young forever, but we can take care of those ageing bits and pieces.

New Zealand’s population is ageing – by 2051, the number of people aged 65 years and over will have doubled and 1 in every 4 Kiwis will be of over this age! In 2008, more than 540,000 of us were aged 65 and over – around 12.6% of all New Zealanders. Statistics show activity levels decline steadily with age, and by their mid-50s few people take regular exercise.

Regular activity is as important as ever

Regular activity is especially important as we age, because it can help improve medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It can also help reduce the risk of certain cancers and it’s really beneficial for maintaining mobility and mental wellbeing, and our independence. In fact, while some of the health boosts you'll receive are the same as those experienced by younger people, there are also things that are of particular benefit as you age:

• more energy
• improved sleep
• stable weight
• improved circulation and lower blood pressure
• delayed ageing.

Although research has found our aerobic capacity declines steeply with age, the good news is that regular exercise can not only keep that decline at bay, but reverse it too.

Never too late to start

You don’t have to give up your favourite physical activity just because you’re getting older. And for those who fear they’ve left it all too late, you’re never too old to start enjoying the positive benefits of exercise.

Ideas for exercise

While ageing is a natural part of life, there are some easy steps we can take to help ensure the years treat us kindly. If you’d like some help and support to exercise, talk to your doctor about whether your local PHO (primary health organisation) has any programmes available, or find your local branch of Age Concern on the organisation’s website. [There are also activities you can do alone, with little or no expense.

Starting out

If you are new to regular physical activity, or haven’t done any for a while, take it easy. It’s important you don’t experience any feelings of soreness or fatigue after exercise.

30 minutes a day

The Ministry of Health recommends we do 30 minutes of moderate activity, most days of the week. That recommendation also applies to older adults, assuming you are healthy and mobile enough. New Zealand guidelinesdefine moderate-intensity activity as anything causing a slight but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate.

Try building up to the recommended activity level over a number of weeks, which might mean starting with a walk of just 5 minutes, but don’t be disheartened – your fitness levels will increase. The important thing to remember is that if you weren’t particularly fit to start with, you don't need to a do a lot of work to achieve a big rise in fitness levels.

Gradually increase your fitness

• start off by walking for 20 to 30 minutes, 4 days a week at a comfortable pace
• begin alternating 2 to 5 minutes of brisk walking with 2 to 5 minutes of easy walking, gradually increasing the ratio of brisk to easy.

Have a health problem?

If health problems have you concerned about whether you should exercise, and for how long, talk to your GP or practice nurse.