Learn about the four types of exercises and how they can benefit you. For workout videos and examples of how to do some of the exercises listed below, visit NIA’s YouTube channel. Show
Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise or activity and think they’re doing enough. Research has shown that it’s important to get all four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. Doing one kind also can improve your ability to do the others, and variety helps reduce boredom and risk of injury. No matter your age, you can find activities that meet your fitness level and needs! Endurance exercises for older adultsEndurance activities, often referred to as aerobic, increase your breathing and heart rates. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you perform the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also can delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others. Physical activities that build endurance include:
Increase your endurance or “staying power” to help keep up with your grandchildren during a trip to the park, dance to your favorite songs at a family wedding, and rake the yard and bag up leaves. Build up to at least 150 minutes of activity a week that makes you breathe hard. Try to be active throughout your day to reach this goal and avoid sitting for long periods of time. Safety tips
Strength exercises for older adultsYour muscular strength can make a big difference. Strong muscles help you stay independent and make everyday activities feel easier, like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. Keeping your muscles strong can help with your balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. You are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.” Some people choose to use weights to help improve their strength. If you do, start by using light weights at first, then gradually add more. Other people use resistance bands, stretchy elastic bands that come in varying strengths. If you are a beginner, try exercising without the band or use a light band until you are comfortable. Add a band or move on to a stronger band (or more weight) when you can do two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions easily. Try to do strength exercises for all of your major muscle groups at least 2 days per week, but don’t exercise the same muscle group on any 2 days in a row. Below are a few examples of strength exercises:
Safety tips
Balance exercises for older adultsBalance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults that can have serious consequences. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. Balance exercises include:
Safety tips
Flexibility exercises for older adultsStretching can improve your flexibility. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back your car out of the driveway. Flexibility exercises include:
Safety tips
Read about this topic in Spanish. Lea sobre este tema en español. For more information about exercise and physical activityAmerican Physical Therapy Association Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is accurate and up to date. Content reviewed: January 29, 2021 What do you call a condition that allows the body in doing the daily activities without getting tired?• Muscular endurance: The ability of the muscles to perform physical tasks over a period. of time without becoming fatigued. • Muscular strength: The amount of force a muscle can exert. 94 of 118. Page 3.
How can physical activity or exercise help condition your body?Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.
What recreational physical activities can you suggest?Physical Recreation. Ball sports – football, rugby, volleyball, basketball, cricket, golf, tennis, netball.. Athletics – running, jumping, throwing, triathlon, decathlon.. Water sports – surfing,canoeing, kayaking, swimming, water polo, diving, rowing.. Martial arts – karate, judo, kickboxing, boxing, taekwondo, kendo.. What do you call the movement that causes the body to use energy?Physical Activity – Any kind of movement that causes the body to use energy.
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