How long do you need to exercise? (Plus, the Best Type of Sports)

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Entering the age of 65 years and above, it does not mean that you become a member of physical activity. Elderly it is better to stay active in exercising to maintain fitness. But it is undeniable that our endurance in old age is not as good as when we were young. You may be tired when exercising. So, how long is the ideal duration of exercise for the elderly so as not to turn away to eat away at the body?

The duration of exercise for the elderly should not be too long

treadmill sports

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 exhausted even when carrying out regular daily routines. Especially when exercising.

However, this is not a reason to stop sports. The important thing is to adjust the time of exercise and the type of exercise to match the tolerance of each body of the elderly.

In general, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the following time for sports for the elderly.

  • Moderate intensity exercise of at least 150 minutes a week, or 75 minutes of heavy intensity in a week.
  • Balance exercise at least 3 times a week.
  • Exercise strength / muscle resistance at least 2 times a week.

Moderate intensity physical activity means intense enough to make your heart beat faster and sweat more than when doing ordinary activities.

While strenuous activity is characterized by more exhausted breath so that you generally cannot express one sentence intact, only short words only.

Type of exercise that is good for the elderly

The type of exercise for the elderly ideally consists of cardio exercise, exercise to train body balance, and muscle endurance training.

Examples of common cardio exercise:

  • On foot
  • Jogging
  • Aerobics
  • Cycling
  • Swim
  • Dance
  • Play tennis

Examples of common strength training are:

  • Push-ups
  • Pull-up
  • Lift the dumbell or barbell

Meanwhile, physical exercise to hone flexibility and good body balance is yoga, pilates, practice walking backwards, walking sideways, walking with heels, walking on tiptoe, and practicing getting up from sitting.

Tips for managing exercise time for the elderly

The duration of exercise for the elderly in a week does not have to be done at once in the same day.

The good thing is to share regular exercise time every day. Ideally, you can divide it into 5 days a week. For heavy physical activity, do it at least 3 days a week. 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 moderate physical activity for 300 minutes or heavy physical activity for 150 minutes a week.

You can also combine moderate and heavy intensity physical activity in a week. For example, two days of moderate intensity exercise such as walking 30 minutes and added one day for 30 minutes brisk walking. This activity is equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate physical activity in a week.

You must still be able to measure your body's ability to exercise. If you are still in doubt, consult with your doctor to find out the limits that are safe for yourself. Especially if you have certain conditions or diseases.

How long do you need to exercise? (Plus, the Best Type of Sports)
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