Fitness during your 40s to 60s is essential for healthy ageing. A crucial element of fitness is undertaking sufficient exercise and physical activity. Everyone knows about the benefits of exercise but it can be difficult to implement. Don’t fear, it’s not as hard as you might think! This blog post highlights how easy it can be to keep active – in less time and with less effort than you may think.
Maintaining your fitness today is an investment in your future health
Fitness is a subjective term for every individual. For some, maintaining a healthy physique is a priority. Others are focused on their happiness and wellbeing. However, you may consider another essential aspect of fitness that encompasses all these needs – preservation of your health and wellbeing.
Preservation and fitness often go hand-in-hand. The need to maintain your current health and optimise your future health often slips under the radar. Whether it’s prolonging your youthful glow, or just having enough energy to do the things you need and want to do – investing in your body is non-negotiable. However, this doesn’t need to be challenging. Small but consistent actions are all that’s required.
“A little progress every day adds up to BIG results” – Satya Nani
The surprising truth about physical activity and fitness
As we all know, the connection between physical activity and fitness is undeniable. Regularly moving is essential for every aspect of health. Yet, insufficient physical activity is associated with the fourth leading cause of mortality worldwide. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 50% of adults were not sufficiently active. There is an endless list of benefits of physical activity and exercise, some of which include [3]:
• Reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes
• Improving psychological health
• Increasing energy
• Managing your weight and physique
• Strengthening your bones and muscles
• Enhancing Promoting healthy sleep hygiene
• Optimising digestion etc.
“If exercise could be packaged as a pill, it would be the most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” – Dr. Robert Butler (National Institute on Aging)
A little goes a long way
Life is busy and it can be hard to find time to keep physically active. A little effort every day goes a long way. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym every day to meet your daily physical activity goals. In fact, even regular household chores can be considered as physical activity depending on the intensity of the task. You may be surprised by how little you actually need to do to reap the rewards.
Recommendations by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Australian Physical Activity Guidelines, are summarised below:
| Recommendations | Time Required | Examples |
| Aerobic activity | 150-300 minutes/weekly or 22-44 minutes/daily moderate-intensity activity
OR/and 75-150 minutes/weekly or 11-22 minutes/day of vigorous-intensity activity |
Moderate-intensity activity • Brisk walk • Recreational swimming • Social golf and tennis • Domestic duties (e.g., raking leaves)Vigorous-intensity activity • Cycling • Jogging • Running sports (e.g., football, soccer, etc.) |
| Strengthening activities | 2 x 30 minute sessions of strengthening per/week | • Bodyweight exercises (e.g., pilates, squats, etc.) • Weights at home • Resistance training at home • Digging in the garden |
Time-saving tips
People are busier than ever these days! Career aspirations and personal commitments can be time-consuming. However, moving enough doesn’t have to be. Below are a few take-away tips to meet these recommendations for even the busiest person:
• Parking 5-10 minutes away from your destination to get in your daily walks
• Minimise any unnecessary time spent in front of the screen
• Find extra time during sedentary activities to move (e.g., walking during a call or meetings)
• Organise catch-ups that have some form of physical activity as a component (e.g., cycling, tennis, etc.)
• Involve your family and friends
• Find tasks around the home to keep you active (e.g., gardening and cleaning)
• Talk to an exercise expert, such as an exercise physiologist, physiotherapist or personal trainer
While there may seem to be never enough hours in the day, staying fit can help you manage your day more effectively and make you feel better too.
At Move Better for Life, our focus is on keeping you fit and healthy. If you’re in pain, feeling unmotivated or looking to improve your overall wellbeing, we are here for you. Our team of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and exercise physiologists will help you achieve your physical health goals.
Depending on the current circumstances, we can assist you within the comfort of your own home or face-to-face.
Make a change today by clicking here.
Reference List
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
2. https://inactivity-time-bomb.nowwemove.com/
Park, J. H., Moon, J. H., Kim, H. J., Kong, M. H., & Oh, Y. H. (2020). Sedentary Lifestyle: Overview of Updated Evidence of Potential Health Risks. Korean journal of family medicine, 41(6), 365–373. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.20.0165
