Over the past few months I have met with several new women who are in their 60’s and 70’s. Each of them came to me because they wanted to get into better shape and be able to live their lives without restrictions as they continue to age.

Some of these women are walkers, bikers, and/or hikers. They want to have more functional reserve and be able to vacation in remote places. They want to ride bikes long distance, walk with friends, keep up with grandchildren and remain confident in their abilities to move their bodies in whatever ways they desire.

We all have a baseline for how much exercise we think is reasonable and how much time we’re willing to spend moving. For some of us, exercise is fun (e.g., walking, hiking or biking with friends) but for others it’s a chore.

Some of my clients who have found exercise to be a chore have literally gotten a dog to force themselves to move more. They would not do it for themselves, but they will definitely do it for their dog.

It doesn’t matter why you move, it only matters that you do!

The more you engage in physical activities, they more energy you will have and the more confidence you will have in your abilities to continue moving as you age.

The minimum requirements for physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two days of muscle strengthening activities. On average, that means getting out for a brisk 30 minute walk 5 days per week and doing a strength workout twice per week.

Those are the MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS to stay healthy. Many people don’t even come close to this and others far exceed it. Where are you in this spectrum?

Be kind to yourself if you fall short and consider how you could adjust your thinking about how much movement you might be willing to engage in. It all counts. There is no bad movement, unless it’s something that hurts your body.

Sustainable change happen with small, consistent effort. One of my clients has created a new walking habit by parking at the local bike path every time she goes to the supermarket.

She makes herself walk for 30 minutes and them goes to do her grocery shopping. It’s long enough for her to manage but not so long that she resists it.

Action Steps:

• Think about your current exercise baseline.

  Are you close to meeting the minimum requirements or does it feel somewhat overwhelming to get there?

• What is one thing that you could do this week to add more movement into your life?

  Make is something fun if possible. You could get together with a friend or volunteer to walk a dog at your local shelter.

• If you are already exceeding these recommendations, feel good about yourself and keep doing what you’re doing!