Active Aging
A fitness app or watch can tell you how many steps you took, how long your heart rate stayed elevated, and whether you hit your weekly cardio target.
It can’t tell you how good it felt to climb the last few stairs of a lighthouse and look out over the water, enjoy a long walk with a friend, or hit the dance floor at an event instead of watching from your seat.
That difference matters, especially for older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults 65 and older aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening and balance activities.
But the CDC also notes that some activity is better than none, and that movement can be broken into small chunks throughout the day.
Numbers can offer useful guidance, but you don’t have to build your entire movement routine around them. A goal based only on weight, steps, or minutes may feel like another obligation, while a goal tied to an experience, an everyday task, or a joyful occasion gives you a reason to get moving.
Train for Something You Want To Do
Instead of promising to walk 10,000 steps every day, choose a place you’d like your legs to carry ...