Exercise for the Ages

Exercise – we all know it’s good for us, and why – but how many of us know how to exercise for the age range we are in and how much we need to do to keep fit physically and mentally? Different types of exercise are more important at certain stages of our lives.

Kids

To children, exercise usually means “play” which is a great thing, as then it’s easy to motivate them to be active. Young children are busy exploring their world – running, climbing, jumping, using playground equipment… Up until school age this exploration is usually enough in terms of aerobic activity. Kids should get at least one hour of physical activity per day including activities for muscle strength and muscle building like gymnastics, tree-climbing and jungle gyms, as well as bone strengthening exercises like running, skipping and fast walking.

Even from an early age it is good to introduce kids to the concept of exercise being good not only for their growing bodies, but for their brain too. Try to discourage long times spent sitting or lying down, and periods of inactivity should be broken up with exercise breaks. Set good examples as a parent or caregiver – involve them in the ways you exercise too.

Teens

The teenage years are when the biggest growth spurt occurs meaning it’s a really important time for muscle and bone strengthening exercises to help the body reach its full physical capacity. Teens also need at least an hour of physical activity a day. Older teens can start weight training to build muscle. Any exercise is good – the walk to school, TikTok dance routine and kicking a ball around at the park all count. Help teens make time for exercise, exercise with them for motivation and model positive habits yourself. Encourage organised sport and anything physically active that they are interested in.

Embrace technology – fitness apps and trackers can be great inspiration to set exercise routines, motivation to keep going and to monitor gains. There are a wide range of virtual reality sports and dancing games available. Help teenagers find positive role models on social media for workout tips and fitness goals.

Exercise ideas for kids and teens:

• walking the dog/to school
• swimming
• skipping/jump rope
• dancing
• cycling
• scootering
• rollerblading
• surfing
• bodyboarding
• kapa haka
• tramping
• waka ama
• rugby
• soccer
• hockey
• running games like tag and touch.

Muscle and bone strengthening exercise ideas:

• martial arts
• gymnastics

Twenties

A stage of life where energy levels are good, bodies are strong and resilient, and hormone production is at its peak.

This is the time of life to start being consistent with weight-training (two to three times per week). Minimum exercise requirements are 30 minutes per day, five times a week. This can be 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and muscle strengthening or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise and muscle strengthening per week. Moderate-intensity exercise is when you can talk while exercising but can’t sing a song. Vigorous exercise is when you can’t talk without pausing for breath.

Moderate-intensity exercise ideas:

• brisk walking
• water aerobics
• doubles tennis
• biking on level ground.

Vigorous exercise ideas:

• swimming lengths
• jogging
• singles tennis
• biking on a hill or at pace.

Muscle strengthening ideas:

• lifting weights
• yoga
• push-ups
• resistance band workouts.

Thirties

In this decade the first signs of aging are appearing already!! We start to lose muscle mass in our thirties, which is why weight training becomes more important. Bones start to weaken so we need to include weight-bearing exercises like yoga, jogging and brisk walking. Stretching is also very important, to avoid injury.

Forties

Old injuries, tiredness and life priorities start to interfere with exercise. Middle age comes with a natural decline in several things – metabolism slows making weight gain easier. Abdominal weight gain is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Many people develop some sort of chronic disease in this stage of life making the ability to exercise more challenging.

Joint pain can appear – go low-impact (swimming, biking). Hormone levels start to drop for both men and women.

Exercise requirements are at least three but ideally five times a week cardio exercise with weight training for muscle maintenance and weight bearing exercises for bone strength.

Fifties

In our fifties we want to try and maintain our strength and fitness from our younger years. But the appearance of daily aches and pains means that you may have to adapt your exercise program. Try new exercises that are kinder on old injuries and new aches, like tai chi.

In this decade our bodies begin to have a natural tendency to curve – core strength becomes important so we need to focus on muscle strength in our abdomen and back muscles. Exercise may need to become more low impact, or decreased in intensity.

Sixties

This stage is all about fall prevention – balance work (exercises such as standing on one foot, leg raises, walking heel-to-toe) can really help with this.

Continue to make exercise a habit – 30 minutes three to five times a week with weight/resistance training (try walking with small weights).

Seventies and beyond

Later in life we need to exercise for strength and flexibility in order to maintain function, independence, a sharp mind and avoid a sedentary life.

Try exercise that is both low impact and social such as a walking group, water aerobics, or dancing. Try using a stationary bike or elliptical machine, which are easier on joints. Make sure to do slower, longer warm-ups to avoid injury. Incorporate balance exercises and daily stretching.

Establishing good exercise habits from a young age pays off in later life. But it is never too late to start! Often the trick to incorporating an exercise routine that is easy to maintain is finding something that is fun, and accounts for your stage of life and body ability. If you’ve been inactive for some time or have a pre-existing medical condition like high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes or heart disease check with your doctor first that your proposed exercise will be safe.