Keeping it Going as We Get Older

I was shocked when I recently found out that former dancer and choreographer, Arlene Phillips, was 67 years of age.  I hadn’t given her age much thought but expected that she was around 50 years old.  I am often inspired by older women and have been known to say that I hope that I look as good as many of them when I reach their age.  There is no doubt in my mind that healthy living and exercise takes years of you, both in terms of energy levels and appearance.

Recent advice suggests that people over the age of 65 years should do 2.5 hrs of aerobic exercise at moderate intensity each week.  This is at a level that they can comfortable talk at but would be unable to sing.  If they are relative fit then this could be replaced with 75 minutes of higher intensity activity.  This is a level where they could speak a few words before catching breath.

Their week should also include two strength training sessions to help with muscle strength and bone density.  As we get older we lose both muscular strength and bone density so we need to do all we can to maintain healthy levels.

Other components of a balanced programme for older adults are motor skills such as co-ordination and balance as well as flexibility - stretching/yoga.

Check with your GP before embarking on an exercise regime or making changes to your current exercise regime.

This entry was posted on 31/05/2010 at 10:28 am and is filed under Latest from Ann. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.