The importance of staying active as we age

We all know that exercise is beneficial for us, but it’s not just the young who need to stay active and healthy. As we age, exercise can help to keep us healthier, have more energy and stay more independent.

Those over the age of 65 spend around 10 hours each day either seated or lying down which makes them the least active age group. This kind of inactivity though could be making them feel worse, making them feel that perhaps they care unable to exercise. Those who remain inactive have a higher fall risk, are more likely to suffer obesity and heart disease.

As we get older, it’s more important than ever to keep active for maintaining health and independence. Inactivity can mean that all of the activities a person used to love doing could begin to get harder and harder to do. It could become more tough to walk to the shops or play with the grandchildren, for example. A drop in energy levels can occur and people can experience pain where they previously never suffered from any pain. People may also start to feel more anxious and vulnerable about having a fall.

Evidence shows us that those who stay active have a lower chance of developing heart disease, having a stroke, getting some types of cancer, dementia, depression and developing type 2 diabetes. For all those wishing to continue enjoying life to the full, free from pain and independent, then it’s important to get out and about with some regular exercise.

There are lots of ways for older people to stay active, there is no need to worry about an expensive gym membership or running a marathon! Plus, physical activity helps prevent a decline in body function, as well as ensuring that people can still connect with friends, neighbours, family and community. Park home sites often run activities to help seniors get more exercise. For Park Homes for Sale in Gloucestershire, visit a site like http://www.parkhomelife.com/our-parks/orchard-park/

Physical activity can include anything that gets you moving. This could include a walk, a spot of gardening or a swim. The ideal amount of moderate activity is around 2.5 hours per week but this certainly doesn’t need to be done in one go!

This could mean 30 minutes of activity for 5 days of the week, or bursts of 10 minutes several times a day. Moderate activity includes things like cutting the grass, tennis, bike riding, water aerobics or a brisk walk. Muscle work is also advisable and this could include some heavy gardening, carrying heavy items or some gentle weight training.

As well as increasing the time spent active, it’s also a good idea to break up or reduce the amount of time spent sitting down throughout the day. Sitting includes things like reading, watching television, talking, listening to music or driving. There is no need to stop doing these things but maybe limiting the time spent without regular activity breaks is a good idea.