Spring has sprung, with the Central Coast enjoying some fine weather of late. No more cold mornings makes it more inviting to get out of bed and exercise. But if you’ve been less active over the winter, don’t feel guilty, as it’s never too late to start exercising. And now is the perfect time of year to spring clean your fitness routine and get active.
How much activity to aim for?
To get the most from being active, there are guidelines you can follow. The Australian physical activity and exercise guidelines for people aged 65 years and over recommend you aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on most days (ideally every day).
But, you don’t have to do 30 minutes all at once if you haven’t exercised in a while. It’s fine to break this up into short amounts of movement throughout your day. And once you get into an exercise habit, you’ll get extra benefits if you can do more than 30 minutes.
Here are some more great tips to start moving more.
Get outside
Spring is a great time of year to get active outside. Plus, getting out in nature is completely free. Go for a walk, enjoy the park with your grandchildren, swim in the ocean, or plant some spring flowers.
Getting some sunshine is also a great way to boost your vitamin D levels – but don’t forget the sunscreen!
Try something new
Looking to try a new activity and meet some new people but don’t know where to start?
You can use the Active & Healthy website to identify local group exercise classes, programs and activities, including those that have specific exercises to improve balance and strength.
Mix it up
To best support a healthy mind and body, aim to include different types of activity each week that include:
- Moderate fitness activities which are good for your heart, lungs and blood vessels. For example, a brisk walk.
- Strength exercises, which are important as they help maintain muscle and bone strength.
- Activities that work on your flexibility as they help us move easily.
Are you a keen walker but looking for ways to conveniently incorporate balance, strength and flexibility focused exercise into your routine? Try the Healthy Ageing Online Learning hub.
There are two home-based exercise programs designed for beginners with videos so you can follow along at home, plus an exercise manual and logbook with images and easy-to-follow instructions.
Need motivation?
If you’re just looking for extra motivation to be active and healthy, try the free NSW Health Get Healthy Service. It provides you with your own personal health coach to reach any health goal.
If you have an injury or chronic disease
An accredited exercise physiologist is an allied health professional who works with your doctor and healthcare team to use exercise that is tailored to the individual as medicine to manage a range of chronic conditions.
Need help accessing online resources?
Please call Central Coast Health Promotion Service on (02) 4320 9700 for assistance to get started on your 30 minutes today.