Exercise is one of the most important things that seniors can do to maintain their good health and independence. Exercise at this point in life is not about “higher, faster, farther,” but simply about doing enough to delay or prevent many of the health issues that may develop in old age.

According to the CDC, adults age 65 and older need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity (e.g., a brisk walk of 30 minutes a day for five days a week), or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity, such as hiking or running.

This should be accompanied by two days a week of activities to strengthen muscles and improve balance.

Most Efficient Exercises for Seniors

Since it doesn’t require intensive activity to reap the health benefits of exercise, the question for seniors is what exercises are the most efficient in delivering the health benefits with the least physical risk to the body?

Atop the list is swimming and water aerobics. They may be the perfect exercises, combining the benefits of cardiovascular fitness and muscle strengthening with very little stress on bones and joints. Plus, they’re fun to do, and having fun while exercising is a critical factor in sticking with an exercise program long-term.

Another great exercise is yoga, which helps build muscle strength, aerobic fitness, flexibility and core stability. Though yoga is generally a low-impact exercise, it does require supporting your body’s weight. For a less stressful alternative, consider chair yoga.

Walking is another efficient exercise that is accessible to most and generally low stress. To maintain a daily walking regime, pick a variety of walking routes to keep boredom from setting in, find a partner to make the walk more interesting, listen to music or a book, and set a goal (e.g., 10,000 steps a day) to strive for.

A wonderful, low-impact, slow-motion exercise is Tai chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, whose series of motions and breaths form to combine meditation with exercise to develop strength, flexibility and balance, while relaxing the mind and improving the mind-body connection.

Directed strength training in the form of light weight lifting is not only an effective way to fight muscle loss, it is also a more time-efficient way to fight age-related abdominal fat than cardiovascular activities.

Finally, a quick shout-out to Kegel exercises. These exercises will do little to reduce weight or increase aerobic capacity, but exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that support the bladder can help prevent incontinence later in life.

It is recommended that individuals speak with their physician before starting on any exercise program.

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