Generally, older adults in good physical shape walk somewhere between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily. This translates into walking distances of 1 and 4-1/2 miles respectively. Increasing the walking distance by roughly a mile will produce health benefits.
Adults aged 65 and older need: At least 150 minutes a week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking. Or they need 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity such as hiking, jogging, or running.
“Normal” walking speeds for community-dwelling older adults who are healthy generally range from 0.90 to 1.30 m/s,9,12 whereas walking speeds ≤0.60 to 0.70 m/s are strong risk factors for poor health outcomes.
Normative data indicates that 1) healthy older adults average 2,000-9,000 steps/day, and 2) special populations average 1,200-8,800 steps/day.
Average walking speed by age:
20-29 years: 3.00 mph (4.83 km/h) 30-39 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 40-49 years: 2.82 mph (4.54 km/h) 50-59 years: 2.75 mph (4.43 km/h)
In a new study, which looks at activity tracker data from 78,500 people, walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.
Walking for 30 minutes at a brisk pace covers a distance of 2.0 to 2.5 km and burns about 125 calories (520 kiloJoules). This amount may not seem like much, but if you walked five days a week within one year you would burn over 32,000 calories which would burn off more than 5 kg of fat.
This would mean a walk of 7,000 or 8,000 steps a day or 3 to 4 miles. Generally, older adults in good physical shape walk somewhere between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily. This translates into walking distances of 1 and 4-1/2 miles respectively.
According to the Reynolds Institute on Aging, Seniors should aim for 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day, or approximately 1.5 liters. Have your senior sip on water throughout the day. Sometimes using a straw is easier and leads to more water consumption. Offer a full glass of water when they take medications.
Ageing, an inevitable process, is commonly measured by chronological age and, as a convention, a person aged 65 years or more is often referred to as 'elderly'.
It's recommended that most adults get 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week: 30 minutes, at least 5 times per week. While it's certainly possible to overdo it, especially recovering from an injury or illness, most seniors should endeavor to hit those minimum amounts of exercise.
Experts have said that walking could be the best exercise for seniors; it's an effective way to reduce the risk for chronic conditions and improve your overall health. Some of the benefits of walking for seniors include: Improves heart health. For seniors, walking offers numerous heart health benefits.
The habit of brisk walking in the elderly can start by: Walking briskly 30 minutes/day, doing it regularly 5 days/week. Walking at 100 steps/min or 4.8km/h is considered brisk walking. During the walk, you will feel like you are exercising, your body warms up and you breathe a little faster.
Recommended daily steps for adults over 65
As with every other age group, reaching your daily step count is important, so it's worth aiming for somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 steps depending on your current activity levels and general health.
Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.
The Eatwell Guide says we should drink 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.
Milk is an excellent vitamin D and calcium source to keep up muscle strength, maintain healthy bones, and prevent osteoporosis. Still, low or non-fat milk is the best choice for the elderly.
Here is one more reason to enjoy that morning cup of joe: “Coffee counts toward your daily water intake,” says Lauren DeWolf, MS, RD, a registered dietitian with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers. The water in coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages helps us meet our daily fluid needs.
A study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity notes that step counts typically range between 2,000-9,000 steps per day for the average healthy older adult.
Diabetes and atherosclerosis are the main causes of poor circulation in the body, but are also associated with smoking, living an inactive lifestyle, or having high blood pressure or cholesterol. To reduce lower extremity weakness, elevate your legs while your sitting or laying down to increase your bodies circulation.
She said the ideal is 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week, and it's not hard to get started. “Taking 100 steps per minute is brisk walking. Or figure 3 miles per hour.
An hour a day is also a widely recommended goal for more advanced walkers. Health organizations usually recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of walking per day, but note that increasing your walking to 60 minutes daily gives even more health benefits.
Know the benefits
Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Improve cardiovascular fitness. Strengthen your bones and muscles.
Reduce your risk of chronic diseases
The American Diabetes Association recommends walking to lower blood sugar levels and lower your overall risk for type 2 diabetes. Some research even shows that for every 1,000 daily steps you take, you could lower your systolic blood pressure by . 45 points.