For many retirees, maintaining or improving physical health is important, however, diving back into an exercise routine after a period of inactivity can feel daunting. That being said, the benefits of staying active are undeniable, offering not just physical vitality but also mental clarity and emotional well-being. Whether you're looking to regain strength, flexibility, or simply enhance your overall quality of life, this planner aims to empower you on your journey to improving your health.
Regular physical activity can prevent many of the health problems associated with ageing.
These can include:
Adults over the age of 50 should aim to be physically active each day.
If you are an adult in your 60s, 70s, 80s or beyond, the same applies even if exercise is just light activity. The activities should be designed to improve strength, balance and flexibility on two days a week and complete at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity if already active – or a combination of both.
That means, ideally, you should aim for 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.
Long periods of sitting still or lying down should be interspersed with movement/activity. Mature adults should be exercising at least two days a week.
Moderate activity raises your heart rate, makes you feel warmer and breathe faster.
If you are working at moderate intensity, you could be able to talk but not sing. Examples include:
The Health Survey for England in 2021 revealed that 60% of adults aged between 65 and 74 are meeting the exercise guidelines with only 38% of adults aged 75 and overachieving the recommended levels.
In my experience as a fitness instructor, the over 65s who exercise engage in a whole range of activities – with a high proportion exercising most days. In contrast, a significant proportion of over 65s do very little exercise each week.
Pain and discomfort: being active can actually help you manage your pain as well as improving your strength and physical ability. If you suffer from pain or discomfort, it’s important to focus on low impact exercises that are easy on the joints, to warm up before exercise and perform gentle stretches at the end of your session. Exercising in water may be beneficial for those suffering from joint pain.
Limited mobility: today, we are witnessing a massive rise in the number of fitness classes designed for those who are less mobile, including seated exercise classes. Do look for an instructor with Level 3 qualifications and above in providing sessions for older adults (we are classified as a ‘special population.’).
Fear of falls/injury: research reveals that older adults who exercise regularly are actually less likely to experience falls and injuries. Regular exercise helps improve balance and co-ordination which reduces the risk of falls.
Lack of support: if you aren’t a regular exerciser, do speak to your doctor before taking part in a regular exercise program – he will give you some guidelines. If you join a class, you’ll have plenty of support from your instructor and, hopefully, from other members of the class.
Financial concerns: exercise needn’t be expensive – walk, swim, go to off-peak exercise classes, there will be something out there without paying expensive gym memberships.
Before undertaking any exercise programme, do visit your doctor or health professional first, even if it takes a while to get an appointment. This is really important if you have never exercised, have not exercised for years or have various health issues.
Research the types of exercise that are on offer locally – walking groups, fitness classes, yoga, swimming, bowls, walking football. Our blogs include plenty of ideas – there are plenty of classes designed for the less mobile, the older adult and those starting fitness. In exercise terms, older adults are classified as the over 50s! Personally, I go for classes that advertise lower impact rather than age limited but it is a very personal choice.
Choose something that you will find really interesting. You are more likely to stick to an exercise programme if you look forward to your sessions.
If you decide to ‘do your own thing’ and start your fitness journey at home, make sure you have a safe space, free of obstacles, the correct equipment and a clear idea of how to exercise safely. There are lots of videos providing exercises suitable for those who are less fit or starting fitness.
Once you have spoken to your doctor, seek advice from a qualified and insured fitness professional (such as one with Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults qualifications) who will advise you on the exercises that will bring most benefit.
If you prefer to start exercising at home, however, the following offer guidelines for the type of exercises that you’ll need to include in your first month. Do remember that these are designed to get you started on your fitness journey – to bring benefits, an exercise programme needs to be maintained.
It is important to set yourself a goal – your ultimate goal would be 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week but do start gently and build up to your goal. Start with two or three sessions a week and aim to exercise for about 20-30 minutes a session.
There are so many videos designed to provide people over 50 with exercise programmes at home – including one by Joe Wicks.
Take a look at some of the best on the Women's Health Magazine website. The Fabulous 50s website also has a number of videos. There are some simple to follow videos on the Age UK website.
If you plan to design your own, your exercise regime should include:
All exercise sessions, whether walking or going to the gym, should include mobility/warm up exercises – these prepare your body for exercise, generate heat, warm up the joints including the shoulders, spine and hips.
These exercises should be performed slowly and with gentle rhythmic movements. Start with large muscle groups – shoulders, trunk, hips before the smaller muscle groups such as ankles. Your warmup should be 5 to 10 minutes long. If you want some guidance, you’ll find some warm up/mobility demonstrations here.
“Why should I do low impact cardio exercises if I already do yoga (or something similar)?” is a common question.
The answer is that cardio exercises benefit your heart and your blood pressure and if they are low impact, they put little or no strain on your joints. These are often more fun if performed to music with a strong beat... Aim to do some of the following for 30 seconds and aim to do at least 5 minutes to start with and build up over the weeks – aiming for about 10 minutes.
The elements you could include:
Strength training can help improve your muscle mass, bone density, balance and co-ordination. Perform strength training exercises at least two days a week, working the major muscle groups. Start off with 10 repetitions each set and aim for 15 per set over the first month. For some guidance look at the Keeping Strong website.
There are many different ways to strengthen your muscles and all you need is some form of external resistance or load – handheld weights, a couple of plastic bottles full or water or sand, two large cans of baked beans or similar or stretchy resistance bands. There are some exercises you can do, using your own body weight.
Balance exercises improve stability and co-ordination, helping with activities such as walking, biking, climbing stairs or dancing.
Good balance helps prevent falls and injuries and research has shown that balance exercises play an important role in our quality of life as we age. The following are just a few ideas of balance exercises. You can practise some of the following at home:
Regardless of age, fitness levels or activities, stretching at the end of an exercise session is essential.
As we age, our bodies undergo various changes that lead to stiffness in the joints and muscles. The result of such changes include difficulty carrying out simple tasks such as getting out of bed or climbing stairs. Stretching can overcome the natural loss of flexibility and improve your quality of life in your 60s, 70s and beyond.
Stretching:
It is a good idea to get into the habit of warming up and stretching for five or ten minutes every morning. Try not to stretch cold muscles as this can lead to injury. I would advise static stretching – that is getting into a stretch and remaining still – rather than a dynamic stretch when you continue to move. As you develop your stretching technique, hold your stretch for 15 to 30 seconds without bouncing, pushing or pulling.
One of the most effective way to increase your flexibility is to hold the stretch and then ease yourself a bit further into the stretch and hold for another 10 seconds.. Take a look at some of the best stretches for older people on the Bupa website and the NHS website.
The type of stretches you can do at home include the following but there are so many, we advise you to take a look at stretching websites or to speak to a fitness professional.
This four-week plan also includes at least two days of moderate exercise activity which is up to you to select – it should include either 30 minutes of cycling, swimming, bowls, doubles tennis, horse riding, sailing, aqua aerobics, dance-fitness class or another type of group exercise class (such as Zumba), yoga, Pilates or your own workouts using appropriate videos. Each workout (except yoga) should include a warm up, some strength exercise, balance and a post exercise stretch.
This four-week exercise plan includes at least two walking sessions on several days. You should also add a short warm up/mobility and a stretch session at the end. The walking days should include a five-minute warm up, 10 minutes of brisk walking including 2 x 4-minute sessions of brisk walking with a 2-minute rest interval between them and finishing with a five-minute stretch.
WEEK 1
WEEK 2:
WEEK 3:
Week 4:
On week 4 aim to do 30 minutes of exercise every day for five days and plan 2 rest days.
On the exercise days, alternate between 30 minutes of brisk walking and 30 minutes of some kind of other exercise including at least two days of strength, balance and flexibility.
Every exercise sessions include at least 5-10 minutes of warm up exercises and 5-10 minutes of cool down exercises.
If you want to start more slowly and more simply, try this four-week get fit walking plan.
Browse our developments across the South of England, and move into a community of likeminded people.
Find your dream home7 October 2022
Beechcroft’s recently commissioned survey into fitness in retirement revealed that over 63% of people over the age of 55 engage…
Read more10 April 2023
Lawn bowls is a game that is described as ‘taking a second to learn, but a lifetime to master.’ The aim of this precision sport…
Read more16 October 2023
Swimming is one of the most popular methods to keep fit in the UK. Research reveals that 4 million people in the UK go swimming…
Read more28 October 2024
Mention the phrase ‘retirement property’ and many people immediately think of a country cottage with roses around the door or a…
Read more14 October 2024
However much you’ve looked forward to retirement and not having to get up for work every day, you might find that you miss having…
Read more30 September 2024
Energy bills in the UK are predicted to remain high this year due to issues that have increased wholesale energy costs.
Read more