The Wellness Center's Blog

3 Ways Walking One-Hour per Week May Prevent Disability in Older Adults

By: Dexter Staff

May 21, 2019, 11:00 am - Categories: Fitness Tips

The American Heart Association® recommends 2.5 hours per week of moderately intense activity to maintain good health; only about one in five adults and teens report following this guideline. Take a look at three ways in which older adults can begin their fitness journey by walking one-hour per week and gradually increase their exercise overtime:

Motivates Inactive Older Adults
Walking one-hour per week may motivate inactive older adults to move more. This minimum threshold may give them the confidence they need to increase their physical activity literally step-by-step.

Helps Them Maintain the Ability to Perform Daily Tasks
An hour of weekly moderate-to-vigorous exercise allowed 45 percent of older adults to maintain their ability to perform daily tasks or ADLS (activities of daily living) like getting dressed or bathing.

Reduces Their Risk of Mobility Disability
Engaging in physical activity one-hour a week reduced older adults’ risk of mobility disability, walking too slowly to safely cross a street, by 85 percent. Twenty-four percent of adults who didn’t partake in physical activity suffered from mobility disability and 23 percent reported problems completing their morning routine without assistance.

For more information on how to safely start incorporating exercise into your daily routine through personal training, please visit the Member Services desk.

Reference:https://psychcentral.com/news/2019/04/02/for-older-adults-walking-just-1-hour-a-week-may-ward-off-disability