Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging
Exercise & Physical Activity
2
get set
We hope you agree that regular exercise and physical activity are important and that you’re ready to take
action! This chapter is all about getting organized. It offers tips for setting short- and long-term goals,
choosing activities and fitting them into your daily life, and managing some of the practical things, such as
getting the right shoes or working with a personal trainer.
This guide’s main goal is to help you become
more active, get the most from your activities,
and do them safely. The key is to know your
starting point and build slowly from there.
Knowing your starting point will help you
pick activities that are comfortable and
realistic for you. Starting out this way also
will help you be successful.
Identifying Your Starting Point
Think about a typical weekday and weekend
day. How much time do you spend sitting?
How much time are you active? When you’re
up and moving, what kinds of activities are
you doing?
To help you figure out your activity level,
try filling in an activity log. For a couple of
weekdays and a weekend, keep track of how
much time you exercise or are physically
active. Write down how much time you
spend doing each activity. The Activity Log
on page 102 will get you started.
You can use the last column of the Activity
Log to write down some ways you think
you can add activities to your daily routine.
If you’re not active yet, aim for a modest
beginning and build from there. If you are
already pretty active, then you can be more
ambitious about adding to your activities.
Setting Your Goals
Many people find that having a firm goal in
mind motivates them to move ahead on a
project. Goals are most useful when they are
specific, realistic, and important to you.
Consider both short- and long-term goals.
Your success depends on setting goals that
really matter to you. Write down your goals,
put them where you can see them, and review
them regularly.
In addition to seeing how physically active
you are now, you can check how fit your body
is. Several simple tests can help you see how
fit you are right now (see page 92). The results
can help you set realistic goals. They also will
be useful later on to measure your progress.
Short-term goals will help you make physical
activity a regular part of your daily life. For
these goals, think about the things you’ll need
to get or do in order to be physically active.
For example, you may need to buy walking
shoes or fill out an Activity Log so you can
figure out how to fit physical activity into
your busy day. Make sure your short-term
goals will really help you be active. Here are
a few examples of short-term goals:
• Today, I will decide to be more active.
• Tomorrow, I will find out about exercise
classes in my area.
• By the end of this week, I will talk with my
friend about exercising with me a couple of
times a week.
• In the next 2 weeks, I will make sure I have
the shoes and comfortable clothes I need to
start walking.
If you’re already active, think of short-term goals to increase your level of physical activity. For example, over the next week or two, you may want to move gradually from walking to jogging, increase the amount of weight you lift, or try a new kind of physical activity. No matter what your starting point, reaching your short-term goals will make
you feel good and give you confidence to progress toward your long-term goals. Use the Goal-Setting Worksheet on page 103 to help you get started.
After you write down your short-term goals, you can go on to identify your long-term goals. Focus on where you want to be in 6 months, a year, or
2 years from now. Long-term goals also should be realistic, personal, and important to you. Here are
a few examples:
• By this time next year, I will swim a mile three times a week.
• Next summer, I will be able to play ball with my grandchildren.
• In 6 months, I will have my blood pressure under control by increasing my physical activity and following my doctor’s advice.
Writing a Plan to Add Exercise
and Physical Activity to Your Life
Some people find that writing an exercise and
physical activity plan helps them keep their
promise to be active. See if this works for you.
Be sure the plan is realistic for you to do,
especially as you gain experience in how to
be active. You might even make a contract
with a friend or family member to carry out
your plan. Involving another person can help
you keep your commitment.
Make your plan specific and grounded in
your goals. For each exercise or activity
you choose, include:
• What kind of activity you plan to do
• Why you want to do it
• When you will do it
• Where you will do it
Start out with realistic activities based
on how physically active you are now.
Don’t expect to go from couch potato to
super athlete right away. Regularly review
and update your plan and long-term goals
so that you can build on your success. You
can use the Weekly Exercise and Physical
Activity Plan on page 104 to write down
your activities.
When it comes to motivation, the first few
months are crucial. If you can stick with
physical activities you enjoy, it’s a good sign
that you will be able to make exercise and
physical activity a regular part of your
everyday life.
Talking With Your Doctor About
Exercise and Physical Activity
Most older people don’t have health problems
that would prevent them from doing moderate
activity or the types of exercises described in
this guide. In fact, there’s a way for almost
every older adult to exercise safely and get
meaningful health benefits.
You may want to talk with your doctor,
however, if you aren’t used to energetic
activity and you want to start a vigorous
exercise program or significantly increase
your physical activity. You also should talk
with your doctor if you have any of the health
problems mentioned on page 22. This does
not mean that exercise is dangerous. Doctors
rarely tell people not to exercise, but they
may have certain safety tips for those who
have recently had hip or back surgery, those
with uncontrolled health problems, or those
with chronic conditions such as diabetes,
heart disease, or arthritis.
Your activity level is an important topic
to discuss with your doctor as part of your ongoing preventive health care. Talk about exercise at least once a year if your health is stable, and more often if your health is getting better or worse over time so that you can adjust your exercise program. Your doctor
can help you choose activities that are best for you and reduce any risks. Here are a
few things you may want to discuss:
• Ask whether there are exercises or activities you should avoid. An illness or surgery may affect how you exercise. For example, if you’ve had hip or back surgery, you may need to modify or avoid some exercises, or if you develop blood clots
in your legs, you will have to restrict your activity for a time. Your doctor can tell
you how to increase your physical activity gradually as you recover.
• Talk about any unexplained symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, pain
in your joints, dizziness, or shortness
of breath. Postpone exercise until the problem is diagnosed and treated. (See page 28 about getting back to regular exercise after a break.)
• Make sure your preventive care is up to date. For example, women age 65 and older should have regular tests for osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises — such as walking and lifting weights —
are especially helpful for those with osteoporosis.
• Understand how any ongoing health conditions affect exercise and physical activity. For example, people with arthritis may need to avoid some types
of activity, especially when joints are swollen or inflamed. Those with diabetes may need to adjust their daily schedule, meal plan, or medications when
planning their activities.
• Talk to your doctor if you think you
might have an uncontrolled medical condition that might affect the type
of exercise you should be doing. For example, it is important to know how
to exercise safely if your blood pressure
or diabetes is not under control
Safety First: When to Check
with Your Doctor
Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of
exercise and physical activity. You can still be
active even if you have a long-term condition
like heart disease or diabetes. In fact, exercise
and physical activity may help. But, talk with
your doctor if you aren’t used to energetic
activity. Other reasons to check with your
doctor before you exercise include:
• Any new symptom you haven’t
yet discussed
• Dizziness or shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pressure
• The feeling that your heart is skipping,
racing, or fluttering
• Blood clots
• An infection or fever with muscle aches
• Unplanned weight loss
• Foot or ankle sores that won’t heal
• Joint swelling
• A bleeding or detached retina, eye surgery,
or laser treatment
• A hernia
• Recent hip or back surgery
Exercise & Physical Activity
2
get set
We hope you agree that regular exercise and physical activity are important and that you’re ready to take
action! This chapter is all about getting organized. It offers tips for setting short- and long-term goals,
choosing activities and fitting them into your daily life, and managing some of the practical things, such as
getting the right shoes or working with a personal trainer.
This guide’s main goal is to help you become
more active, get the most from your activities,
and do them safely. The key is to know your
starting point and build slowly from there.
Knowing your starting point will help you
pick activities that are comfortable and
realistic for you. Starting out this way also
will help you be successful.
Identifying Your Starting Point
Think about a typical weekday and weekend
day. How much time do you spend sitting?
How much time are you active? When you’re
up and moving, what kinds of activities are
you doing?
To help you figure out your activity level,
try filling in an activity log. For a couple of
weekdays and a weekend, keep track of how
much time you exercise or are physically
active. Write down how much time you
spend doing each activity. The Activity Log
on page 102 will get you started.
You can use the last column of the Activity
Log to write down some ways you think
you can add activities to your daily routine.
If you’re not active yet, aim for a modest
beginning and build from there. If you are
already pretty active, then you can be more
ambitious about adding to your activities.
Setting Your Goals
Many people find that having a firm goal in
mind motivates them to move ahead on a
project. Goals are most useful when they are
specific, realistic, and important to you.
Consider both short- and long-term goals.
Your success depends on setting goals that
really matter to you. Write down your goals,
put them where you can see them, and review
them regularly.
In addition to seeing how physically active
you are now, you can check how fit your body
is. Several simple tests can help you see how
fit you are right now (see page 92). The results
can help you set realistic goals. They also will
be useful later on to measure your progress.
Short-term goals will help you make physical
activity a regular part of your daily life. For
these goals, think about the things you’ll need
to get or do in order to be physically active.
For example, you may need to buy walking
shoes or fill out an Activity Log so you can
figure out how to fit physical activity into
your busy day. Make sure your short-term
goals will really help you be active. Here are
a few examples of short-term goals:
• Today, I will decide to be more active.
• Tomorrow, I will find out about exercise
classes in my area.
• By the end of this week, I will talk with my
friend about exercising with me a couple of
times a week.
• In the next 2 weeks, I will make sure I have
the shoes and comfortable clothes I need to
start walking.
If you’re already active, think of short-term goals to increase your level of physical activity. For example, over the next week or two, you may want to move gradually from walking to jogging, increase the amount of weight you lift, or try a new kind of physical activity. No matter what your starting point, reaching your short-term goals will make
you feel good and give you confidence to progress toward your long-term goals. Use the Goal-Setting Worksheet on page 103 to help you get started.
After you write down your short-term goals, you can go on to identify your long-term goals. Focus on where you want to be in 6 months, a year, or
2 years from now. Long-term goals also should be realistic, personal, and important to you. Here are
a few examples:
• By this time next year, I will swim a mile three times a week.
• Next summer, I will be able to play ball with my grandchildren.
• In 6 months, I will have my blood pressure under control by increasing my physical activity and following my doctor’s advice.
Writing a Plan to Add Exercise
and Physical Activity to Your Life
Some people find that writing an exercise and
physical activity plan helps them keep their
promise to be active. See if this works for you.
Be sure the plan is realistic for you to do,
especially as you gain experience in how to
be active. You might even make a contract
with a friend or family member to carry out
your plan. Involving another person can help
you keep your commitment.
Make your plan specific and grounded in
your goals. For each exercise or activity
you choose, include:
• What kind of activity you plan to do
• Why you want to do it
• When you will do it
• Where you will do it
Start out with realistic activities based
on how physically active you are now.
Don’t expect to go from couch potato to
super athlete right away. Regularly review
and update your plan and long-term goals
so that you can build on your success. You
can use the Weekly Exercise and Physical
Activity Plan on page 104 to write down
your activities.
When it comes to motivation, the first few
months are crucial. If you can stick with
physical activities you enjoy, it’s a good sign
that you will be able to make exercise and
physical activity a regular part of your
everyday life.
Talking With Your Doctor About
Exercise and Physical Activity
Most older people don’t have health problems
that would prevent them from doing moderate
activity or the types of exercises described in
this guide. In fact, there’s a way for almost
every older adult to exercise safely and get
meaningful health benefits.
You may want to talk with your doctor,
however, if you aren’t used to energetic
activity and you want to start a vigorous
exercise program or significantly increase
your physical activity. You also should talk
with your doctor if you have any of the health
problems mentioned on page 22. This does
not mean that exercise is dangerous. Doctors
rarely tell people not to exercise, but they
may have certain safety tips for those who
have recently had hip or back surgery, those
with uncontrolled health problems, or those
with chronic conditions such as diabetes,
heart disease, or arthritis.
Your activity level is an important topic
to discuss with your doctor as part of your ongoing preventive health care. Talk about exercise at least once a year if your health is stable, and more often if your health is getting better or worse over time so that you can adjust your exercise program. Your doctor
can help you choose activities that are best for you and reduce any risks. Here are a
few things you may want to discuss:
• Ask whether there are exercises or activities you should avoid. An illness or surgery may affect how you exercise. For example, if you’ve had hip or back surgery, you may need to modify or avoid some exercises, or if you develop blood clots
in your legs, you will have to restrict your activity for a time. Your doctor can tell
you how to increase your physical activity gradually as you recover.
• Talk about any unexplained symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, pain
in your joints, dizziness, or shortness
of breath. Postpone exercise until the problem is diagnosed and treated. (See page 28 about getting back to regular exercise after a break.)
• Make sure your preventive care is up to date. For example, women age 65 and older should have regular tests for osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises — such as walking and lifting weights —
are especially helpful for those with osteoporosis.
• Understand how any ongoing health conditions affect exercise and physical activity. For example, people with arthritis may need to avoid some types
of activity, especially when joints are swollen or inflamed. Those with diabetes may need to adjust their daily schedule, meal plan, or medications when
planning their activities.
• Talk to your doctor if you think you
might have an uncontrolled medical condition that might affect the type
of exercise you should be doing. For example, it is important to know how
to exercise safely if your blood pressure
or diabetes is not under control
Safety First: When to Check
with Your Doctor
Almost anyone, at any age, can do some type of
exercise and physical activity. You can still be
active even if you have a long-term condition
like heart disease or diabetes. In fact, exercise
and physical activity may help. But, talk with
your doctor if you aren’t used to energetic
activity. Other reasons to check with your
doctor before you exercise include:
• Any new symptom you haven’t
yet discussed
• Dizziness or shortness of breath
• Chest pain or pressure
• The feeling that your heart is skipping,
racing, or fluttering
• Blood clots
• An infection or fever with muscle aches
• Unplanned weight loss
• Foot or ankle sores that won’t heal
• Joint swelling
• A bleeding or detached retina, eye surgery,
or laser treatment
• A hernia
• Recent hip or back surgery
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