Keeping Active For Older Adults

You may well find yourself or a loved one cocooning for a period of time. It’s a shock to the system for a lot of people and their families, but it’s important to try and keep as active as possible.

Every older person should be active. Some physical activity is better than none, more is better than some, and if you take part in any amount of physical activity you will get some of the health benefits.

Guidelines for older people (aged 65 +)

The HSE recommends at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity on five days a week or 150 minutes over the course of a week. This ideally should be balanced between aerobic activity, strengthening your muscles and working on your balance.

What are the benefits of keeping active?

There’s lots of research out there which says doing the recommended amount of activity will:

• improve heart, lung and muscular fitness 

• lower risk of stroke 

• lower risk of coronary heart disease 

• lower risk of high blood pressure 

• lower risk of type 2 diabetes 

• reduce falls 

• reduce levels of depression

• strengthen bone density

• improve cognitive function

So, what is moderate intensity activity?

It means your heart rate and breathing rate increase a bit but you’re still able to hold a conversation with someone (or, if on your own, be able to continue singing to yourself!). You may feel a little bit warm and a little bit sweaty but overall you should be comfortable enough.

Some examples of aerobic activity

• Brisk walking – a kilometre in roughly 10 minutes

• General gardening

• Digging/hoeing in the garden

• Cycling slower than 10 miles per hour

• Ballroom dancing in your living room 

• Work out at home

What can count as muscle strengthening activities?

• Digging, lifting and carrying while gardening 

• Carrying groceries 

• Circuit training

• Step aerobics 

• Exercises using exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights, or any household items like tin cans

• Get strong at home

Some ideas to improve your balance 

• Tai chi and yoga exercises 

• Backward and sideways walking

• Walking on heels and toes 

• Standing from a sitting position

• Standing on one foot

• Balance (and strength) class at home: Siel Bleu Ireland – at home guides

And finally some other resources which may be useful

• If you have some mobility issues, here are some seated strength and flexibility exercises: NHS – sitting exercises 

Many of the resources here can be downloaded, printed and posted out to a loved one. 

If you have any health concerns about being active, please speak to a medical professional. And wherever practical, have someone else with you while being active just in case you feel unwell.