Guidelines for older people (aged 65+)

At least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity on five days a week, or 150 minutes a week.
Focus on aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening and balance.

Every older person should be active. Some physical activity is better than none, more is better than some, and if you take part in any amount of physical activity you gain some health benefits.

You can count shorter bouts of activity towards the guidelines. These bouts should last for at least 10 minutes. Add activities which increase muscular strength and balance on 2–3 days per week to reduce your risk of falls.

Age and Opportunity have produced a number of factsheets for older people, they can be downloaded here.

Moderate Activity Vigorous Activity
Increased breathing and heart rate, but still able to carry on a conversation. Warm or sweating slightly, comfortable pace. Breathing heavily, cannot keep a conversation going, faster heart rate and sweating, concentrating hard.

Match your level of effort to your level of fitness. If a chronic illness, lack of mobility or degenerative condition prevent you doing the recommended amount of physical activity, be as active as you are able to be. Talk to your doctor for advice on how to do regular physical activity safely.

Examples of aerobic activity
Moderate aerobic activity Vigorous aerobic activity
  • Brisk walking; a mile in 15–20 minutes
  • Digging in the garden
  • Medium paced swimming
  • Water aerobics
  • Cycling slower than 10 miles per hour
  • Tennis (doubles)
  • Ballroom dancing
  • General gardening
  • Jogging or running a mile in 10 minutes or faster
  • Active sports such as football or soccer, squash, aerobics
  • Circuit training
  • Fast cycling (10 miles per hour or faster) or brisk rowing
  • Swimming lengths
  • Tennis (singles)
  • Dancing such as quick step, hip hop, street, salsa, Irish dancing
  • Skipping
  • Heavy gardening (continuous digging or hoeing, heart rate increases)
  • Hill-walking with a backpack
Examples of muscle strengthening and balance activities
Muscle strengthening activities Balance activities
  • Digging, lifting and carrying while gardening
  • Carrying groceries
  • Circuit training, step aerobics
  • Exercises using exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights
  • Tai chi and yoga exercises
  • Backward and sideways walking, and walking on heels and toes
  • Standing from a sitting position
  • Standing on one foot