3 Cardio Exercises For Seniors That Match Your Intensity Level
If you’re over 65, keeping physically active is something you should work into your life as often as possible -- even every day.
Health guidelines advise a regular amount of physical movement every week, with strength and balance activities at least twice a week, and frequently participating in moderate (2 ½ hours a week) or high-intensity (75 minutes a week) exercise.
Like all the good things in life, the key is balance. Don’t feel pressured to have an intense workout every day, but rather find the right mix of exercise activities that are best for you. Cardiovascular activities are a great, accessible option here. Try these three activities, starting with low-intensity to high-intensity, and create the right exercise program for you!
Easy cardio exercises for seniors: Walking
Going for a walk is something we can do every day, but making your walk into an active exercise requires a bit of concentrated effort. The common question here is, how do I know if I’m actually getting proper exercise while walking?
The key is to take brisk walks, which the British government health service defines as:
A walk speed of around 4-5 kilometers an hour
Moving fast enough so that you can still walk but don’t have the extra breath in you to sing along to a song
One great way to get started here is to set out a destination for your walk that is about 5 kilometres away from your home as measured by a mapping app, get your comfy walking shoes on and then start the stopwatch feature on your phone; when you get to your destination you can work out how fast you walked. By going for a 20 minute walk each day, you can easily meet your weekly moderate-exercise goal.
Moderate cardio exercises for seniors: Swimming or biking
A bit more intense than brisk walking is swimming. If you have access to a pool in your community, don’t hesitate to add some lap time to your weekly exercise target.
And swimming laps, instead of wading, is key to ensure you are exercising, and not relaxing. Start off with the goal of finishing 2 or 3 laps, then add 1 more lap every week as you feel comfortable and build strength.
As an added bonus, swimming has been found to help increase balance in older adults, with participants in one study 33% less likely to fall than those who did not swim regularly.
Biking is also a popular option here, as it is both easy on the knees and makes it easy to enjoy the outdoors. You can also use a stationary bike in the winter months to ensure you keep your exercise routine going.
High-intensity cardio exercises for seniors: Jogging or uphill biking
Going from a brisk walk to a jog isn’t as hard as it may seem. After a few months of regular moderate-intensity walking, you may feel you have the stamina and muscles to pick up a pair of running shoes and jog around the block a few times, or use a treadmill. Remember to consult your doctor before beginning a high-intensity exercise routine.
Because jogging is more physically taxing, you will meet your weekly target of 75 minutes’ per week in no time. Similarly, taking your bike and working in some hillier stretches into your route will also elevate your exercise level. Alternately, you can consider using an elliptical machine if running is too physically hard on your knees or leg muscles, while the rowing machine is another easy and common piece of gym equipment that will help you meet your high-intensity exercise goals.
At Sundial Lakeview Retirement Residence, a must-see Orillia retirement home community, we make sure exercise is never more than a few steps away. Our fully equipped exercise room has all the equipment you need to start an easy, moderate, or high-intensity cardio routine. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour, please get in touch with us today and we will do our best to assist you.