April HEM Emphasis: “Protect Your Health as You Grow Older"
Take Action: Stay Active
These steps can help you live a healthier life.
Keep your body active.
Staying active as you get older is one of the best things you can do for your health. Keep in mind that if you haven’t been active in the past, it’snot too late to start! You may need to start slowly and build up over time.
Do moderate aerobic activities.
- Aerobic activities – include walking, swimming, or raking leaves. Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week.
- To get the most health benefits, do aerobic activity for at least 10 minutes at a time and then work your way up.
- If it’s hard for you to be active for more than 10 minutes at once, do 10 minutes of activity a few times during the day.
Do strength, balance, and stretching activities.
Including a variety of activities in your routine will help you do everyday activities with ease. That's why it's important to:
- Do strengthening activities 2 or more days a week.
- Do exercises to help your balance, especially if you are at risk of falling.
- Try stretching exercises so you can move more easily.
- If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor about the best activities for you.