Regular physical activity is one of the cornerstones of healthy aging. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, like brisk walking, per week. This amounts to at least 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days per week. This exercise does not have to be done all at one time and can be broken down into bouts of 10 minutes or more.
Adults should also do muscle strengthening exercises, like lifting weights or doing body weight strength exercises, at least two days per week. However, health benefits will come at all levels of physical activity, so the best advice is simply to try to sit less and to move more. Easing into exercise will also help to prevent injuries. If you have not exercised in a while, talk to your doctor about what is safe for you to do, and start slowly.
Meeting the ACSM exercise guidelines is known to prevent or help manage symptoms of various conditions, from cardiovascular disease through depression. These benefits can happen right away, like improving sleep. They can also build over time, like increasing balance and helping to reduce stroke risk. New information also
Sarah J. Wherry, PhD
shows that exercise can even help with osteoarthritis pain and may reduce Parkinson’s Disease symptoms for some people. Osteoporosis, or low bone mass, is one of the many conditions that exercise could help. The goal of my research is to better understand how exercise can impact bone health. This information is important to make sure people who exercise get as much of a bone health benefit from their exercise program as possible.
Sarah J. Wherry, PhD, received her MS in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science from Marywood University in Scranton, PA and her PhD in Exercise and Nutritional Sciences from Arizona State University.