Physical activity information
for adults over 60
Be active and
healthy as
you get older
2
Contents
Page
Introduction
4
Challenges to health and wellbeing as you age
6
Physical activity guidelines for older people.
8
Guidelines
10-21
1. Spend as little time as possible sitting
10
2. Any activity is better than nothing
12
3. How much physical activity should I do?
14
4. I already do lots of physical activity
16
5. Improve muscle strength
18
6. Improve balance and co-ordination.
20
Further information.
22
Pictures and quotes in this booklet are from active older people in Leeds.
Each quote was not necessarily given by the person in the picture.
3
“Since having a heart attack, I exercise
3 times a week and have lost 4 stone in
6 months. My cholesterol level has gone
down. I enjoy meeting new people and
occasionally we go out for lunch”
4
Introduction
People are living longer. While looking forward to more
quantity of life, it is important to look after yourself so that
you have quality of life as well.
Average life expectancy in Leeds in 2001 was 78.4 years compared to
80.28 years in 2010. This is expected to continue to rise.
When questioned, this is what older people say is
important for them as they get older:
• Be pain free
• Be able to get out and about
• Be independent
Participating in regular physical activity will help you to continue to do the
things that are important to you for longer.
If you are concerned about cost, there are a range of activities to try
which cost no or little money.
5
“Exercise has improved my stress levels
and I feel great”
6
Challenges to health
and wellbeing
as you age
The major challenges to health and wellbeing due to
inactivity as people age are:
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Loss of muscle strength
• Reduction in bone density – leading to fractures
•Osteoporosis
• Loss of mobility
• Memory problems and dementia
• Increased risk of injury due to falling.
Participating in regular physical activity will help you to prevent or slow
down the development of these.
Read on to find out what the 6 physical activity
guidelines for older adults are and how to put them
into practice.
7
“Since exercising I feel fitter, am not
as breathless, have more energy
and my joints feel easier”
8
Physical activity
guidelines for
older people
In 2011 specific physical activity recommendations for
older people were published for the first time.
There are 6 guidelines for older people. They have been developed as
a whole body approach. It is important to exercise your heart and lungs,
plus your muscles for strength, balance and co-ordination.
This booklet aims to show you how to put these guidelines into practice
and adopt an ‘Active Ageing’ lifestyle, to improve and maintain your
health and wellbeing. Some health and wellbeing benefits of physical
activity can be found in the table below:
Health benefits
Reduce risk of heart disease, stroke
and high blood pressure
Prevent or manage obesity / diabetes
Improved cognition
Lower cholesterol levels
Reduce risk of some cancers
Reduce risk of osteoporosis
Improve mobility and flexibility
Wellbeing benefits
Relieve stress and tension
Increased energy
Improved self-esteem
Social interaction
Prolong independence
Better sleep habits
Have fun
These guidelines are suitable for all fitness levels. You may need to adapt
some activities to give consideration to advice from medical professionals,
for example following a hip or knee replacement. If unsure speak to your
doctor and / or a trained fitness instructor.
9
“I do circuit training, fitball, yoga and TRX
class. It gives me confidence meeting
people and also we have fun”
10
Guideline 1
Spend as little time
as possible sitting
Sitting down too much is not good for your health; it
means you are not using your body enough to keep it in
good condition.
Experts recommend breaking up long periods of sitting.
Exercise instructors often say “Use it or lose it”.
Ideas to minimise time spent sitting:
• Reduce time spent watching TV
• Take regular walk breaks in the garden
• Walk part of the way of a long bus or car journey
Activities of daily living:
•household chores
•using stairs
•actively playing with grandchildren.
Moving with a purpose:
•walk to the shops
•walk to visit a neighbour
•go to garden centres, shopping centres
or parks with safe walking routes.
11
“Makes me feel better, healthy and active.
Get out. Meet people”
•Spend less time sitting
•Be active around the house
•Move with a purpose
12
Guideline 2
Any activity is
better than nothing
If you are currently inactive, it is never too late and you are
never too old to start being physically active.
Start by taking part in small amounts of physical activity, you will feel some
benefits.
Build this up to being active on a regular basis. Doing more physical
activity provides greater health and wellbeing benefits.
Taking part in the recommended levels will reduce the risk of developing
many chronic diseases.
You have a broad range of choices when thinking about
being physically active:
Active living:
• Household chores, gardening or DIY
Active travel:
• Walking, cycling, using the stairs
Active recreation:
• Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing
• Playing with grandchildren
• Fitness class, gym, aqua aerobics
Active sport:
• Badminton, racket ball, table tennis, bowling
Be creative, there are many more activities you can do.
13
“I come to classes 5 times a week,
have met lots of new people and
made new friends”
•If you don’t do anything, do something
•If you do something, do more
•Do it with friends
14
Guideline 3
How much physical
activity should I do?
The amount of physical activity that has been found to
benefit health is 150 minutes (2 and a half hours) per
week of moderate intensity activity. This should not be
done in one go, you should accumulate this over a
number of days.
If you are starting out or don’t have much time you can split the time in
to blocks of at least 10 minutes. Another way is to do 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity on 5 days each week.
What is moderate intensity?
Moderate intensity is when:
• you become warmer
• breathing is increased
• your heart beats faster than usual
• you can still have a conversation
Please be reassured that these are normal responses to physical activity
and is necessary to improve your fitness.
Tip – Think about the amount of effort you are using to do the activity
on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 representing lying down at rest and 10
representing an effort that can’t be sustained. When your effort
is 5 on the scale, you are at a moderate intensity.
low
0
moderate
1
2
3
4
5
vigourous
6
7
8
9
10
15
“I like taking part in activity
instead of being at home. I
have a purpose instead of
watching TV”
•150 minutes per week
•Periods of at least 10 minutes
•Moderate intensity
16
Guideline 4
I already do lots of
physical activity
If you are already participating in regular physical activity
at a moderate level, you can achieve comparable benefits
by participating in 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity
physical activity.
Alternatively you could do a combination
of moderate and vigorous intensity.
What is vigorous intensity?
Vigorous intensity is when:
•you get warmer
•breathing is harder
•your heart beats rapidly
•it is difficult to carry on a conversation
Tip – Using the scale of perceived effort on a scale from 0 to 10.
Vigorous intensity is an effort of 8.
low
0
moderate
1
2
3
4
5
vigourous
6
Examples include running and climbing stairs.
7
8
9
10
17
“I feel healthy and have fun.
I walk in the Dales every
week and go mountain
walking in the Alps
once a year with
good friends I can
rely on”
•75 minutes of vigorous intensity per
week
•Combine moderate and vigorous
activity
18
Guideline 5
Improve muscle
strength
Exercise to improve muscle
strength on at least 2 days per
week.
This is in addition to the 150 minutes
per week of moderate intensity physical
activity.
It is important to break this down across
the week and allow a day to rest in
between, for your muscles to recover.
Physical activity to strengthen muscles
involves working your muscles against
resistance. This can be your own body
weight, hand weights, resistance bands or
resistance machines in a gym.
You should aim to strengthen all the major muscle groups in your body.
Examples include:
• carrying or moving heavy loads, groceries
• activities that involve stepping and jumping, dancing
• chair aerobics
For formal instruction you should go to a leisure centre / gym.
For more strength activity ideas to do at home, see the Age UK resource.
“Preventing falls. Strength and balance exercises for healthy ageing”
19
“The first time I went to a gym
I felt very self-conscious.
After going a few times,
I realised no one was
looking at me”
•Work your muscles against resistance
•2 days every week
•Allow a day to rest in between
20
Guideline 6
Improve balance
and co-ordination
Do some activity to improve your balance and co-ordination on at least 2 days of the week; this will help
to maintain independence and reduce the risk of falling.
This is in addition to the 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity
physical activity.
To improve your balance you need to challenge it by doing activities
while standing or moving about.
At home you can:
•Stand on one leg for a while
•Go up onto tip toes and back down
•Walk heel to toe
You might like to try an activity
on your own, with a friend or in a
group:
•Dancing
•Tai Chi
•Yoga
•Bowling
•Badminton
•Tennis
•Table tennis
•Exercise classes where you are standing
Tip – If you normally walk with support, try to stand or walk without
that support. Switch between using and not using the support.
21
“I attend because I
enjoy the activity”
•Do activities while standing
•2 days every week
22
Further
Information
Contacts for activities
Active Life – a range of activities just for older adults in Leeds City Council
leisure centres. Visit www.leeds.gov.uk/sport
Age UK Leeds – supporting the wellbeing of older people for a fulfilling
and enjoyable experience in later life.
Phone 0113 389 3000 or visit www.ageuk.org.uk/leeds
EXTEND – gentle exercise to music. Visit www.extend.org.uk/classes
Leeds Let’s Get Active – supporting inactive people to get active.
Visit www.leedsletsgetactive.co.uk to register.
Walking for Health – join others for a walk. Suitable for all fitness levels
and abilities. Visit www.walkingforhealth.org.uk to find your local walks.
Resources
Age UK, Falls prevention. Strength and balance exercises.
Visit www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/keeping-fit/preventingfalls
Alzheimer’s Society. Physical activity for people with dementia.
Visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/529
Later Life Training. Resources to support exercise for older people.
Visit www.laterlifetraining.co.uk/resources/resources-for-older-people
23
Other sources of useful
physical activity information
BHF National Centre, physical activity and health.
Visit www.bhfactive.org.uk/olderadults
Leeds Directory
Phone 0113 391 8333 or visit www.leedsdirectory.org
Leeds Let’s Change
Phone 0113 843.4538 or visit www.leedsletschange.co.uk
Sources of information used to develop this booklet.
BHF National Centre. Physical Activity and Health.
Interpreting the UK physical activity guidelines for older
adults (65+), July 2012.
Start Active, Stay Active: a report on physical activity from the four home
countries’ Chief Medical Officers, July 2011.
Walked to local shops and back.
(Moderate activity).
Example
Day 2
Total minutes
/ days
Sun
Sat
Fri
Thurs
Weds
Tues
Mon
Pilates class at leisure centre.
(Strength, balance and
co-ordination).
Example
Day 1
Morning activity
Half hour walk with friends in the
park. (Moderate activity).
Afternoon activity
7 Day Activity Diary
15
30
3
Minutes of
Strength
moderate activity
3
Balance and
co-ordination
Tips to Get
You Started and
Keep You Going
1. Plan what you are going to do and when.
2. Set a start date and stick to it – no excuses!
3. Set yourself achievable goals to help keep you
motivated.
4. Keep a record of your progress. (See below).
5. Share your success with family and friends.
Keeping a record of your progress.
Write down what you plan to do in a diary, on a calendar or use a
7 day activity diary, like the example in this booklet.
As you complete each activity make a note of how many minutes of
moderate activity you have done and when the activity involved strength,
balance and co-ordination.
This will help you to keep a weekly total, remember you are aiming for
150 minutes of moderate activity and activities involving strength, balance
and co-ordination on at least 2 days spread across the week.
Please see reverse for
your 7 day activity diary
Free activities at a location close to you, including:
• Gym sessions
• Swimming
• Health walks
• Beginners running
• Family sport activities
If you are interested in taking your first steps towards a more active lifestyle,
then why not sign up to Leeds Let’s Get Active!
Please visit www.leedsletsgetactive.co.uk or call 0113 395 0160
to learn more about the programme and register.