Doing the right exercise for your age
The effect of exercise on health is profound. It can protect you from a range of conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. But the type and amount of exercise you should do change as you age. To ensure that you are doing the right type of exercise for your age, follow this simple guide. Childhood and adolescence In childhood, exercise helps control body weight, builds healthy bones and promotes self-confidence and healthy sleep patterns. Children should get at least one hour of exercise a day. As a tip: try a variety of sports and develop skills, such as swimming and the ability to hit and kick a ball. Lots of nonscheduled physical activity is great, too, such as playing in playgrounds.
Exercise habits tend to steadily decline during teen years, particularly in girls. Getting enough exercise promotes a healthy body image and helps manage stress and anxiety. You can also encourage teenagers to keep one team sport. For teenagers who are not into team sports, swimming or athletics can be a good way to keep fitness levels up.
In your 20s
You are at your absolute physical peak in your mid-20s, with the fastest reaction times and highest VO2 max the rate at which the body can pump oxygen to muscles. After this peak, your VO2 max decreases by up to 1% each year and your reaction time slows. The good news is that regular physical activity can slow this decline.
Building lean muscle mass and bone density at this age helps you retain them in later years. Vary your training and keep it fun. Try tag rugby, rowing or boot camp. If you are a regular exerciser, get advice from an exercise professional to build “periodisation” into your training regime. This involves dividing your training regime into progressive cycles that manipulate different aspects of training such as intensity, volume and type of exercise to optimise your performance and ensure you peak for a planned exercise event, such as a triathlon.
In your 30s
As careers and family life for many intensify in their 30s, it is important that you maintain cardiovascular fitness and strength to slow normal physical decline. If you have a sedentary job, make sure you maintain good posture and break up long periods of sitting by forcing activity into your day, such as routing your printer to another room, using the bathroom on another floor, or standing when taking a phone call. Work smart. Try highintensity interval training: bursts of high-intensity activity, up to 80% of your maximum heart rate, such as sprinting and cycling, are broken up with lower-intensity exercise.
For all women, and especially after childbirth, do pelvic floor exercises, such as Kegel exercises daily to help prevent incontinence. Diversify your exercise programme to keep it interesting. Try boot camp, spin class or yoga.
In your 40s
Most people start to put on weight in their 40s. Resistance exercise is the best way to optimise calorie burning to counteract fat accumulation and reverse the loss of 3%-8% of muscle mass per decade. Ten weeks of resistance training could increase lean weight by 1.4kg, increase resting metabolic rate by 7% and decrease fat weight by 1.8kg. Try kettlebells or start weight-training in your gym. Take up running, and don’t be afraid to start a more intensive exercise programme. You get more bang for your buck with running versus walking. Pilates can be useful to build core strength to protect against back pain, which often starts in this decade.
In your 50s
In this decade, aches and pains may crop up and chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, can manifest. As oestrogen declines in postmenopausal women, the risk of heart disease rises. Do strength training twice a week to maintain your muscle mass. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, are recommended. Walk fast enough so that your breathing rate increases and you break a sweat. Try something different. Tai chi can be excellent for balance and relaxation.
In your 60s
Typically, people accumulate more chronic conditions as they get older, and ageing is a major risk factor for cancer. Maintaining a high level of physical activity can help prevent cancers, such as postmenopausal breast cancer, colon cancer and cancer of the womb, and it reduces the risk of developing chronic conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Physical activity tends to decline with age, so keep active and try to buck this trend. Try ballroom or other forms of dancing; it’s a fun and sociable way to exercise. Incorporate strength and flexibility exercises twice a week. Aqua-aerobics can be a great way to develop strength using water as resistance. Maintain cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking.
70s and beyond
Exercise in your 70s and beyond helps prevent frailty and falls, and it’s important for your cognitive function. If you have a period of ill-health, try to keep mobile. Strength and fitness can decline rapidly if you are bedbound or very inactive, which can make it hard to get back to previous levels. Walk and talk.
Instead of inactive visits from family and friends, go for a walk together. It will keep you motivated and boost your health more than solitary exercise. Incorporate some strength, balance and cardiovascular exercise in your regime. Get advice from a physiotherapist or other exercise professional, especially if you have chronic conditions.