Get involved and celebrate Older Person's Month!

As you get older, it becomes even more important to remain active. Engaging in regular physical activity can help you to stay physically healthy, have more energy, maintain your independence, and improve your quality of life.

It is recommended that adults aged 65 years and over, who are generally fit and have no healthy conditions that limit their mobility, engage in two types of physical activity each week: aerobic exercise and strength/balance exercise:

2 1/2 hours each week of moderate intensity activity (that's when we increase our heart rate and breath a bit harder) such as cycling, walking or ballroom/line dancing.

OR...

1 1/4 hours each week of vigorous intensity activity (breathing hard and fast) like aerobics, singles tennis or swimming fast.

Aerobic exercise can increase your level of cardiovascular fitness, which can help to lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. It will also help you to maintain a healthy body weight.

AND

Strength and balance exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all your major muscles, such as exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, heavy gardening or yoga and Pilates.

This type of exercise can improve mobility, enhance balance, improve bone health, and reduce your risk of falling.

Top Tips to Move More!

• A little every day – something is better than nothing! Increasing your physical activity by even a small amount is enough to have health benefits.
• Start slowly – if you're not used to exercising, increase your activity by just a small amount to begin with.
• Find an activity that you enjoy – you are more likely to stick with it if you love what you do.
• Mix it up – there's activity everywhere! At your local village hall, parish, or in your community.
• Move more and sit less – substitute times where you would normally sit for movement! Pace whilst you answer the phone for example.

Benefits of being active

• Make friendships/reduce isolation
• Feel happier
• Create active memories with family and friends
• Improve your sleep
• Have better physical and mental health
• Better balance/reduce risk of falls

For more information, tips and advice on how you can be more active at home and in your community visit www.llrmakeyourmove.org