One way of achieving 150 minutes of activity is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.Įxamples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities include: Ideally, you should try to do something every day, preferably in bouts of 10 minutes of activity or more. It includes anything from walking and gardening to recreational sport.Īim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Most people as they get older want to stay in touch with society – their community, friends and neighbours – and being active can ensure they keep doing that. "It's important they remain active or even increase their activity as they get older." "As people get older and their bodies decline in function, physical activity helps to slow that decline," says Dr Nick Cavill, a health-promotion consultant. There are lots of ways you can get active, and it's not just about exercising. Recent evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the risk of falling in older adults. If you want to stay pain-free, reduce your risk of mental illness, and be able to go out and stay independent well into old age, you're advised to keep moving. There's strong evidence that people who are active have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and dementia. This can all lead to being less able to look after yourself and do the things you enjoy. You may also be more vulnerable to falling.
You might start to get aches and pains you never had before and have less energy to go out. You may struggle to pursue simple pleasures, such as playing with the grandchildren, walking to the shops, leisure activities and meeting up with friends. If you do not stay active, all the things you've always enjoyed doing and taken for granted may start to become that little bit harder. They're paying a high price for their inactivity, with higher rates of falls, obesity, heart disease and early death compared with the general population.Īs you get older, it becomes even more important to remain active if you want to stay healthy and maintain your independence. Many adults aged 65 and over spend, on average, 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary age group. Your journey to superhero status starts here:ĭOWNLOAD YOUR 12-WEEK ULTIMATE UPPER BODY TRAINING GUIDEĪnd remember, as an MVP, you can use your exclusive members-only discount to our online shop to get much more from Men’s Health.Physical activity and exercise can help you stay healthy, energetic and independent as you get older. “Just look at Superman-a big upper body is what gets you noticed, and shows you’re in shape.” “When I help a guy get in shape for a part, we always focus primarily on building his upper body,” Bruno says.
One of his specialities? Helping A-list actors transform their bodies for big-budget action roles.
Your coach is Ben Bruno, a personal trainer in Los Angeles, California, and member of the Men's Health Advisory Board. (See what we did there?) Because you subscribe to our kickass membership program, you get exclusive access to PDFs of our top-notch fitness and nutrition guides, including this 12-week plan to supersize your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. We hear you want to transform your upper body-and as always, we've got your back.