How Long is Exercise for the Elderly?
Entering the age of 65 years and over, does not mean that you put physical activity first. Elderly people should stay active in sports to keep their body in shape. However, it cannot be denied that our immune system in old age is not as good as when we were young. You may get tired quickly while exercising. So, how long is the ideal duration of exercise for the elderly so they don’t turn around eating away at the body?
The duration of exercise for the elderly should not be too long
Aging affects the function of the heart, blood vessels and lungs. The heart no longer functions as well as it used to pump blood while the lung capacity to breathe oxygen will also decrease. This makes the elderly easily tired even when carrying out normal daily routines. Especially when exercising.
However, this is not a reason to stop exercising. What is important is to adjust the time of exercise and the type of exercise to suit the body’s tolerance of each elderly person.
In general, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exercise time for the elderly as follows.
- At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity a week.
- Exercise balance at least 3 times a week.
- Strength / endurance exercise at least 2 times a week.
Moderate intensity physical activity means that it is intense enough to make your heart beat faster and sweat more than you do during normal activities.
Meanwhile, strenuous activity is characterized by more breathless breathing, so generally you can’t say a whole sentence, only short word snippets.
This type of exercise is good for the elderly
Type of exercise for the elderly ideally consists of cardio exercise, exercise to train body balance, and muscle endurance training.
Examples of common cardio exercises:
- On foot
- Jogging
- Aerobics
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Dance
- Play tennis
Common strength training examples are:
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Lift dumbbells or barbells
Meanwhile, physical exercises to hone flexibility and good body balance are yoga, pilates, backward walking exercises, sideways walking, walking on heels, walking on tiptoes, and getting up from sitting.
Tips for managing exercise time for the elderly
You don’t have to do exercise for the elderly in a week all at once in the same day.
The good is, divide up exercise time regularly every day. Ideally, you can divide this into 5 days a week. For strenuous physical activity, do it at least 3 days a week. For every physical activity, make sure the duration lasts for at least 10 minutes to a maximum of 30 minutes.
If you are familiar with these minimum standards, you can increase the intensity and duration to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week.
You can also combine moderate and vigorous physical activity for the week. For example, two days of moderate-intensity exercise such as a 30-minute walk and one day of 30-minute brisk walking. This activity is equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
You must still be able to measure your body’s ability when exercising. If in doubt, consult with your doctor to find out what limits are safe for yourself. Especially if you have certain conditions or diseases.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
