Many seniors say walking is their preferred form of exercise. That’s great, but only if you are doing it right.
According to an article in The Standard, for many seniors, their daily route is fixed, short, and at a slow pace. It states that “walking the same flat, familiar route at a slow pace while chatting is only basic daily activity—enough to barely maintain existing function.” If you want to maintain muscle and improve cardiopulmonary fitness, you need to pick up the pace. When walking for exercise, you should increase speed until your breathing becomes faster and slightly labored.
The best workout alternates fast-slow walking. This means doing three minutes of easy, slow walking, then three minutes of brisk, fast walking, and repeating at least 5 sets. And you should do this at least four days per week.
Head on over to our Council of Seniors 365 blog to learn how to properly start a fast-slow walking routine and what kind of health benefits you will realize. Plus, we have plenty of other tips on how to enjoy an active and healthy retirement.