Do you work out at the gym on a regular basis but still don’t feel much stronger or more energized in your daily life? This is an increasingly common scenario among seniors, one that generated an important question among researchers. That question is - is planned exercise better or worse than continuous activity throughout the day in seniors?
The answer to that question may surprise you because the authors of a recent study investigating this topic concluded that older adults who stay active throughout the day tend to be healthier than those who work out daily but don’t get much movement throughout the rest of the day.
The idea suggested by the study authors is that we should all look to increase daily movement whenever and wherever we can. For one, this means walking to the coffee shop instead of driving there. For another, it could be taking the stairs instead of the elevator. The great part about this approach is that any activity you enjoy counts towards your daily exercise goal. If you love taking walks with friends, do that as often as you can, for example. Trips to the gym also count as exercise, of course, so keep working out if you enjoy it.
Your minimum weekly goal should be around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, hiking, water aerobics, riding a bike, and dancing. This is just a little over 20 minutes a day. If you don’t do active exercises like that, simply moving around every 1-2 hours during the day should give you similar benefits.
