How Much Activity Do I Need?
The CDC recommends older adults participate in at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, with muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week. This is about 20 minutes, 7 days per week or 30 minutes, 5 days per week.
Everyone can benefit from more movement
- Swimming
- Walking or hiking
- Chair dancing
- Water or wheelchair aerobics
- Some forms of yoga
- Wheeling yourself in a wheelchair
- Riding a bike (stationary or outdoors) or using an arm cycle
- Some yard work, such as raking and pushing a lawnmower
- Sports like tennis or basketball
- Walking as part of golf
- Strengthening exercises using exercise bands, weight machines, or hand-held weights
- Body-weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, planks, squats, lunges)
- Digging, lifting, and carrying as part of gardening
- Some yoga postures
- Some forms of tai chi
Physical activity recommendations are not just for the robust, very healthy older adult.
Exercise can:
- help with weight control
- strengthen bones, muscles, and joints
- reduce the risk for heart disease and other disorders
