Staying active with regular exercise can help seniors improve their health and hang on to their independence longer. Walking is a great way for seniors to fulfill the recommendation of two and a half hours of aerobic activity per week. Several different walking exercises can be incorporated into senior fitness routines. As always, check with your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.
Slow and Steady
This walking routine is the perfect place for any senior to start. You can choose to walk indoors or outdoors, at the gym or just down the block. Start slow and work at your own pace, slowly increasing the distance and speed of your walk. Use a pedometer, block lengths or lap counting to track how far you are walking. Start with just 10 minutes of walking and increase by five minutes each week or as your endurance allows. Walk at a steady pace, keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in tight to support and protect your spine.
Interval Walking
If you are a seasoned walker already or after you have built up your walking times to 45 minutes or more, you can try interval walking. The concept is simply to alternate higher-intensity intervals with lower-intensity intervals. Start this walking exercise at your regular pace of walking. After about 10 minutes, push yourself to walk faster for about five minutes. Alternate intervals of faster walking and recovery walking throughout your entire walk, making sure to end with a lower intensity interval that will cool you down.
Walking Circuit
Combine cardio and strength training with a walking circuit. Carry an exercise band in your pocket for this routine. In any order, perform three sets of 12 repetitions of the following exercises in between five-minute bouts of walking. Do squats by placing your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, thrusting your hips back. Make sure to keep your knees over your ankles. Do bicep curls by standing on your band with one foot and curling your fists, which are straight down by your sides, up to your shoulders. Work your abdominal muscles by standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your hips stationary, twist your upper body from side to side. For a longer routine, simply repeat the segments more than once.
Treadmill Walking
Treadmill walking can be a great indoor option for inclement weather, unsafe neighborhoods or walking in a health club. Make sure you fully understand how the treadmill operates prior to walking on it. Use speed and incline to increase the difficulty of your workout only after you have mastered walking with no incline at a slow speed. Keep your hands off the rails as your walk, and make sure you know where the stop cord is and how to use it.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Older Adults Need?
- MayoClinic.com: Walking: Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health
- MayoClinic.com: Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie Burning Power?
- "Good Housekeeping" Magazine: Tone Up in 20 Minutes: Walking and Strength Exercises
- Arthritis Foundation; Walk This Way; Jodi Helmer
