Exercise over 50 is getting a lot of press lately. The more time you spend sitting, the shorter and less healthy your life will tend to be. That’s the new consensus among researchers. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) now lists inactivity as the fourth biggest killer of adults worldwide, responsible for nine percent of premature deaths.
In fact, the medical literature now contains over 10,000 studies showing that frequent, prolonged sitting — at work, commuting, and watching TV at night–significantly impacts your cardiovascular and metabolic function.
Exercise over 50: Get up and Move!
The easiest, cheapest exercise exercise over 50 that has the least impact on your wallet and watch and the most impact on your health is walking. Get a pedometer, figure out how it works, and use it for several days to establish a baseline. At first, you may be surprised to realize just how little you move each day. While exercise over 50 could include setting a goal of 7,000-10,000 steps a day (which is just over three to five miles) even shorter distances can go a long way towards getting more movement into your life.
Use your pedometer to help you track your steps and get in 5,000 steps a day at first. The other way to measure is to count your steps for a minute, then decide that you’ll do several 10 minute walks a day, and get your steps in that way.
Dr. Scott Glocke, the Yarmouth chiropractor and Maine Senior Guide resource whose weekly fitness tip inspired this post, is walking about 14,000-15,000 steps a day. The only way he can get this many steps in is to walk briskly for 90 minutes.
Tracking your steps can also show you how simple and seemingly minor changes to the way you move around at work can add up. For example, you can:
- walk across the hall to talk to a coworker instead of sending an email
- take the stairs instead of the elevator
- park you car further away from the entrance to your office or the grocery store
- take a longer, roundabout way to your desk
Walk to something you do daily, like the post office, bank or library. Walk to get your coffee at a shop further away. If necessary, park a measured mile away and walk briskly to your destination. You will be amazed how this quickly becomes a habit. think and get fit at hte same time!
Changing simple habits can and will change your life!