Working Out at 65? How Intense Should You Go? (2024)

The right mix of exercise activities when you are over 65 can help you stay fit and reduce health risks. But how much exercise do you really need?

Adults over 65 who do not have limiting medical conditions should get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alternatively, they can do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise during the week or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity activity.

The CDC also recommends weight-bearing activity, such as strength training for all muscle groups, at least twice weekly. Basic prescription is for seniors to perform endurance, strength, and flexibility exercises. You may also benefit from balance exercises if you are at risk for falls. Here is what you need to know about working out at age 65 and beyond.

Exercising is Important as We Age

Exercise is important at every age, and especially so as we age because physical activity can reduce many health concerns that come with aging, such as muscle weakness and reduced bone density. Muscle loss can lead to pain, injury, and a lack of independence, but weight-bearing exercise can prevent this.

Exercise is also an excellent defense against cognitive decline. Taking genetic risk into consideration, individuals with healthy lifestyles that include consistent exercise, have a much lower risk of developing dementia than those who lead less active lives.

Exercise also reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, hypertension, stroke, colon and breast cancer, and more.

Moderate or Vigorous Activity

You can combine moderately or vigorously intense physical activities to reach the total activity. Mix it up with days of moderate aerobic exerciseand others of vigorous aerobic exercise. Or, perform moderate activity with intense bursts throughout the session.

Choose the activities you enjoy—dancing, brisk walking, cycling, or swimming. Add variety and enjoy different activities throughout the week. Consider investing in a pickleball set and joining a league.

Moderate Aerobic Exercise

Consider duration, frequency, and intensity when adding moderate exercise to your daily routine. Here is what you need to know about moderate aerobic exercise.

• Duration: The minimum time for moderately intense aerobic exercise is 30 minutes five days each week, but you will get even more benefits if you exercise for 60 minutes daily. Break up exercise into shorter workouts of at least 10 minutes. The total should be at least 150 minutes per week.
• Frequency: You should exercise atleast 5 days a week.
• Signs: You are at a moderate intensity when your breathing and heart rate increase. You can still carry on an entire conversation, but you will be breathing heavier and maybe sweating. On a 10-point scale, with zero being a state of rest, moderate would be a 5 or 6.
• Types: Brisk walking, easy jogging, using the treadmill, utilizing an elliptical trainer, riding bikes, swimming, and dancing are all moderate-intensity aerobic activities. For older adults, walking is the most accessible exercise. But if you have any orthopedic problems, such as arthritis in your knees and hips, you may want to use aquatic exercise or a recumbent exercise bike to reduce joint stress.

You are not in the moderate-intensity zone with an easy walk where you may be adding steps on your pedometer but not breathing heavier. You need to increase your walking speed, walk uphill, or go up the stairs to boost your heart rate into the moderate zone.

If you haven't been walking for exercise, get started by walking for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Work on good posture and steadily increase your walking time by five minutes for each session weekly. Invest in a good pair of walking shoes for seniors.

You should be able to build up your walking time in four weeks to enjoy 30 minutes at a time. Once you can walk comfortably for 30 minutes, improve your walking speed. If you are already walking for fitness, you can use aweekly walking workout schedulethatvaries the intensity of your walking workouts.

Vigorous Aerobic Exercise

Vigorous aerobic exercise is a little more intense than moderate-intensity exercise. Here are ways to ensure you are getting vigorous aerobic exercise.

• Duration: If you exercise vigorously, your workouts need only be 20 minutes at a minimum. At this higher intensity, you should aim for a minimum of 75 minutes per week, and 150 minutes may give more benefits.
• Frequency: To meet the guidelines, exercise at least three days a week at this intensity.
• Signs: At a vigorous intensity, you are breathing rapidly and cannot easily carry on an entire conversation, just short phrases. Your heart rate is boosted, and you will probably break a sweat. On a scale from 1 to 10, vigorous exercise would be a 7 or 8.
• Types: Because everyone has a different fitness level, some will achieve vigorous exertion with brisk walking or swinging a pickleball paddle. Others will need to jog or bike to increase their effort to a vigorous level.

Muscle-Strengthening Activities

Muscle-strengthening activities are vital for mature adults to prevent loss of muscle mass and bone density, and ensure optimal movement and function. This type of exercise is also called resistance training.

• Frequency:Strength workouts occur at least 2 days each week.
• Getting started: You can visit a fitness center or use astrength-training guideto learn fundamentals. It can be beneficial to get the advice of a certified personal trainer on how to modify exercises so they are appropriate for your fitness level and address any orthopedic problems.
• Reps: Do eight to 10 exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.
• Types: Lifting, pushing, and pulling exercises build muscle strength and endurance. Use exercise machines at the gym, resistance bands, or free weights (dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, and kettlebells). Another option is calisthenics, which uses your body weight for resistance.

Flexibility Exercises

Spend 10 minutes two days weekly tostretch your major muscles and tendons. Take 10 to 30 seconds per stretch, and repeat each stretch three to four times. Flexibility is important for your daily activities because it helps you maintain proper ranges of motion around your joints.

Improving your range of motion will help decrease your risks of injuries and avoid tightness and soreness around a joint. Additionally, proper range of motion will improve your other workouts and activities by ensuring proper form and better muscle activation.

Balance Exercises Reduce Fall Risk

Any exercise can help strengthen muscles and improve balance to reduce your risk of falls. However, adding balance exercisesthree times weekly can further minimize fall risks.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines recommend balance training with exercises such as backward walking, sideways walking, heel walking, toe walking, and standing from a sitting position. You can add these balance moves to your daily walk to enjoy both activities. Tai chi, standing on one foot, and yoga may help develop balance.

Avoid Inactivity Over Age 65

If you have limitations that don't allow you to meet the guidelines, the most important thing is to be active in some way each day.Any amount of exercise is better than none, so getting started is the key. Choosing exercise equipment for seniors that works for you can help you stay active consistently. For instance, if you can't get outdoors to walk regularly, a walking pad or under-desk treadmill would make it easier to maintain a regular walking schedule.

While you may decide to enjoy moderate-intensity rather than vigorous-intensity exercise, you still need endurance activity. Endurance exercises help improve the health of your vital organs like the heart and lungs and impact your circulatory system. Additionally, they can delay or prevent many chronic conditions that are common in more mature adults like diabetes, heart disease, and others.

Safety Considerations

You must discuss any new exercise program with your healthcare provider to ensure you are cleared for the type of exercise you want. A medical professional can also help you devise a plan that suits your current abilities or limitations.

If you have a chronic condition, working with a medical professional to develop an activity plan that considers your health conditions, risks, and therapeutic needs is essential. You will get the most out of the exercise you can safely do.

Also, never push past pain. If you experience any pain, dizziness, cramping, sudden weakness, numbness, or nausea while exercising, stop immediately and consider whether emergency medical treatment is needed. When you exercise, be sure you have someone else nearby in case of a fall or injury. Learning how to perform strength-training exercises properly can help you avoid injury.

A Word From Verywell

Although it is important to start slow, once you get into a pattern you can gradually add to the minimum exercise schedule listed here.More frequent and longer workouts can further reduce health risks and help with weight maintenance.

Likewise, don't despair if you can't meet the minimum requirements. Simply getting up and doing activities rather than sitting will help reduce your health risks and allow you in your daily life.