Why exercise matters as you age
With age, muscle mass, strength, balance, and cardiovascular endurance gradually decline. These changes make everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries harder, and raise the risk of falling. The good news is that regular exercise, whatever age you start, helps slow these changes and protect your everyday independence. This page brings together detailed guides to five exercises recommended for older adults, covering the benefits, how-to, and precautions for each.
How much exercise do you need each week after 65?
The World Health Organization's (WHO) 2020 physical activity guidelines recommend three things for adults aged 65 and older:
- Aerobic activity: 150–300 minutes a week of moderate activity that makes you slightly out of breath, such as brisk walking
- Muscle strengthening: strength exercises for all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week
- Balance and strength combined: activities that build balance and strength together, on 3 or more days a week, to prevent falls
If a health condition makes this difficult, the WHO says you should be as active as your condition allows. Rather than trying to hit every target from day one, start by moving a little more than you do now.
Five recommended exercises
These five exercises were chosen to cover aerobic fitness, strength, and balance evenly. Tap an exercise name for the full guide.
| Exercise | Type | Main benefits | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Aerobic | Heart and lung endurance; blood pressure and blood sugar control | 150+ min a week |
| Chair squats | Strength (lower body) | Strength to stand up and climb stairs | 2–3 days a week |
| Resistance bands | Strength (upper body) | Arm, shoulder, and back strength; better posture | 2–3 days a week |
| Balance exercises | Balance | Lower risk of falls | 3+ days a week |
| Water exercise | Aerobic + strength | Full-body workout that is gentle on joints | 2–3 times a week |
A sample weekly plan
- Mon, Wed, Fri: 30 minutes of walking + 15 minutes of chair squats and band exercises
- Tue, Thu, Sat: 30 minutes of walking (or water exercise) + 10 minutes of balance exercises
- Sunday: rest with a gentle stroll and stretching
For strength training, rest a day in between so you do not work the same muscles two days in a row. For the first few weeks, start with about half of this plan and build up as your body adjusts.
Precautions to know before you start
Talk to your doctor before starting if
- You have heart disease (angina, heart failure, arrhythmia, etc.) or recently had a heart procedure
- Your blood pressure is not well controlled even with medication
- You use insulin for diabetes, or have eye, foot, or nerve complications
- You recently had surgery, or have had a fracture from severe osteoporosis
- You have fallen recently or often feel dizzy
Rules for every kind of exercise
- Warm up and cool down: Before and after your main exercise, spend 5–10 minutes walking slowly and stretching gently.
- Start slow, build gradually: Begin short and light, and add a little time or a few repetitions every 2–3 weeks.
- Don't hold your breath: Holding your breath while straining can spike your blood pressure, so breathe out as you exert.
- Stay hydrated: Sip water before you feel thirsty.
- Avoid exercising right after a meal: About an hour after eating is more comfortable.
- Rest on bad days: Don't push yourself if you have a cold or fever, or slept poorly.
Stop exercising immediately if you have
- Chest pain or a feeling of pressure in your chest
- Much more breathlessness than usual, or breathlessness that does not settle with rest
- Dizziness, vision going dark, cold sweats, or nausea
- An irregular or unusually fast heartbeat
- Sharp, stabbing pain in a joint or muscle
If symptoms do not improve with rest, call emergency services right away (119 in Korea, 911 in the US, 999 in the UK, or your local emergency number).
Please keep in mind
- This article is based on information checked as of the date shown at the top. New research or changes in official guidelines may change the details, so please use it as a reference rather than taking it as definitive.
- For an accurate diagnosis and advice about your health, please see a doctor in person.