Staying Active as you Age: Movement, Strength and Independence

The magic of staying active as you age. If there were a single treatment that protected your heart, your brain, your bones, your joints, your mood and your independence all at once, everyone would want it.

There is and it is movement and physical activity. The additional thing about staying active as you age is that the benefits do not run out with the years. Staying strong and mobile as you age is fundamental to your future.

Muscle and bone respond to being used at the age of eighty just as they do at forty and the person who keeps moving fares far better than the one who takes it easy. I see the other side of this in my clinic: the stiffness, weakness and loss of confidence that creep in when people stop doing things, often after a niggle or an injury they never addressed.

This page explains why movement matters so much, how much you actually need and where to start.

Why staying active matters as you age

Much of what we think of as inevitable decline is really the result of doing less physically. From around midlife we lose muscle each year unless we work against it, a process called sarcopenia and with it goes strength, balance and the physical reserve that keeps us steady and independent. Left unchecked it slides towards frailty, falls and a narrowing of what we can do for ourselves.

The encouraging news is how reversible much of this is. Resistance training is a powerful counter to muscle loss and frailty and it protects the future of your mobility and independence that matter most in later years.[3] Staying active also lowers the risk of falls, which are the single biggest threat to living independently.[4] Add to that the benefits for the heart, blood pressure, body weight, blood sugar, mood, sleep and bone: the case is overwhelming. Decline is far less inevitable and more within your control than people assume.

How much activity do you need?

Less than most people presume. UK guidance for older adults is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, that equates to about 20 minutes a day. Anything physical which leaves you a little warm and breathing harder and brisk walking counts perfectly well. On top of that, activities that build strength and balance are recommended on at least two days a week.[1] The World Health Organization sets out the same broad picture, emphasising this mix of aerobic activity together with strength and balance work for older adults.[2] Just as important is breaking up long periods of sitting. If that sounds like a lot, hold on to two facts: some activity is always better than none and you can start small and build up gradually. I walk at least five kilometres a day and aim for more most days myself and I can tell you it is the habit not the intensity that makes the biggest difference.

The 3 things worth building

A rounded routine has three strands and each is of value towards staying active as you age.

The first is moderate aerobic activity such as walking, cycling or swimming which looks after the heart, lungs and mind.

The second is strength work  done a couple of times a week because this is what pushes back against the muscle loss of ageing and keeps you able to rise from a chair, carry the shopping and climb the stairs.[3]

The third is balance, which becomes equally important with age and does more than almost anything else to reduce the risk of a fall.[4]

You do not need to master all three at once. Adding one then another as you progress is exactly how a sustainable habit is built and structured local classes can make the strength and balance side far easier to start.

runners and rollerbladers on the beach promenade with blue skies all about staying active as you age

Related guides

These pages cover the areas most closely connected to staying active and independent:

Getting started safely

For most people there is no need for a medical check before gently increasing their activity and waiting for permission, it is often just another reason to delay.[2] That said, a few situations do warrant a word with your GP first: chest pain or breathlessness at rest, dizzy spells or blackouts, a heart or lung condition that is not well controlled or a recent injury you are unsure about.

New or unexplained pain that does not settle with a sensible amount of rest also deserves to be looked at rather than pushed through or used as a reason to give up. The aim is to start gradually, listen to your body and deal with the small musculoskeletal problems that get in the way, rather than letting them quietly change what you do or prevent you form starting.

man swimming in wide open sea water knowing that you need to be staying active as you age

How chiropractic care fits in

Let me be clear about what I offer as a chiropractor. The health benefits of staying active as you age come from the activity itself not from anything I do during treatment. What I can do though is remove the obstacles that stop people being active in the first place. Very often the reason someone has slowed down is a musculoskeletal one: a stiff hip, a grumbling knee, a back that flares whenever they try to do more. My job is to assess what is going on, help with it where I can and give you the confidence and a sensible plan to keep moving, so that a fixable problem does not become a permanent reason to do less.

I want to be equally honest about ongoing  maintenance care, because it is often overstated. For one specific group, people with recurrent or persistent low back pain who have already responded well to treatment, a good-quality trial found that occasional ongoing care reduced the number of days with troublesome back pain across a year.[5] That finding applies to recurrent low back pain specifically. I would not make a general claim that regular treatment keeps you healthy or wards off problems because the evidence does not support that and staying active does far more for your long-term health than I ever could. You can read more about the range of conditions I help with on the maintaining mobility hub.

If changes in your activity or mobility are getting in the way of your lifestyle come and talk it through. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, you can come in for a short no-obligation chat with no examination or treatment.

Book a free consultation

Or call for a chat on 01202 937568

the car chain ferry from Sandbanks to Shell Bay Dorset on a sunny day Leslie Budzynski sitting on a bench

Your first visit to Bournemouth Chiropractic

Your first appointment begins with a full history, including how active you are and what you would like to be able to keep doing, followed by an examination and an honest plan aimed at removing whatever is holding you back. You can read more about what to expect at your first visit before you come in.

Frequently Asked Questions

No it is never too late to start an exercise regime. The body responds to activity at every age and even people in their eighties and beyond can gain strength and improve their balance and function. The key is to start gently and build up gradually. The benefits begin quickly and it is almost never too late to feel them.

Aim for around 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, that’s only around 20 minutes a day. Things like brisk walking, plus strength and balance training on at least two days. If that feels out of reach, remember that some activity is always better than none, so start with what you can manage and increase it over time.

No your joints will generally not wear out with use and this is a common and understandable worry. Joints are nourished by movement and the muscles that support and protect them are kept strong by using them. The real threat to joints is inactivity not sensible activity. Building up gradually is the safe and effective way to go.

Your long-term health comes from staying active, not from ongoing treatment and I would not claim otherwise. There is evidence that for recurrent low back pain specifically, maintenance care can reduce the number of days with pain.

Usually not, for light to moderate activity. It is worth checking with your GP first if you have chest pain, breathlessness at rest, dizzy spells or blackouts or a heart or lung condition that is not well controlled. Otherwise, the safest approach is simply to begin gently and build up.

Further reading from the blog

A few articles that go further into staying active and dealing with problems before they build up:

Want to keep moving with confidence and strength?

If a musculoskeletal problem is getting in the way of staying active, come and talk it through. If you would like to ask questions before committing to anything, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. This is a short, no-obligation chat to talk through what is going on and whether I am the right person to help. It is not an examination or treatment. A first appointment is different: it includes a full history, a physical examination and treatment. Whichever you choose, you will leave knowing more than when you arrived. I see patients from across Bournemouth and you do not need a GP referral.

References on staying active as you age

[1] UK Chief Medical Officers. UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2019. Available at: gov.uk (search “UK Chief Medical Officers physical activity guidelines”)

[2] Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(24):1451-1462. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955

[3] Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, et al. Resistance training for older adults: position statement from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019;33(8):2019-2052. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230

[4] Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, et al. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019;1:CD012424. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2

[5] Eklund A, Jensen I, Lohela-Karlsson M, et al. The Nordic Maintenance Care program: effectiveness of chiropractic maintenance care versus symptom-guided treatment for recurrent and persistent low back pain. PLOS ONE. 2018;13(9):e0203029. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0203029

Medical Disclaimer

The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for diagnosis, treatment, or guidance from a qualified healthcare practitioner. If you have any health concern, please consult your GP or another appropriately qualified clinician.

Chiropractic treatment isn’t suitable for everyone. Suitability is assessed at your initial consultation, with referral to another healthcare professional made where appropriate. Treatment outcomes vary between individuals, and no guarantee of results is made or implied.

Practitioner: Leslie Budzynski D.C. | Doctor of Chiropractic | GCC registration: 00043 | BCA membership number: 0072

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