A new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open contains at least one alarming statistic: A quarter of all women over the age of 65 are physically unable to walk just two or three blocks or climb a single flight of stairs. The researchers cite “the lack of moderate to vigorous physical activity” as the single biggest culprit for this, which over time manifests itself in mobility impairment. The research group, based on Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego, also looked at various ways that aging women can combat mobility impairment.
After analyzing data from more than 5,000 women aged 63 and over – the data sets were from objectively measured physical activity and cardiovascular health study, carried out between 2012 and 2014 (with a follow-up in 2018) –The researchers concluded that women who simply increase their “light-intensity physical activity” every day – which include things like “shopping” and going for a “leisurely walk” – were 40% less likely to suffer from mobility impairment.
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“Older adults who want to maintain their mobility should know that all exercise, not just moderate to vigorous physical activity, counts,” Andrea LaCroix, Ph.D., MPH, director of the Department of Epidemiology at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, explained by the study. “We found that among older women, physical activity with light intensity preserves mobility later in life.”
US Department of Health and Human Services recommend that “most older adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination of each per week. Older adults should also participate in strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups for at least two days. What these numbers do not emphasize, says the UC San Diego study, is the enormous importance of light physical activity during your day. “There is no available guidance on how much light activity people should do, largely because very few studies have examined it,” the authors note.
But how much light intensity movement should you do every day? The women in the study who spent “most time” performing this type of activity had a 46% lower risk of mobility, and the benefits reached a peak of 5 hours a day. “The highest levels of physical activity with light intensity are unnecessary,” said Nicole Glass, MPH, PhD student at San Diego State University / UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, in the study’s press release. “After five hours of activity, we saw no further increase in benefit.”
The answer: You should be on your feet walking, shopping, cooking or working in the garden for as long as you can – but know that the benefits reach five hours. It is also worth noting that their results suggest that these lighter activities did not affect any higher intensity exercise that some women did. “Whether you exercise or not, physical activity with higher light intensity is healthy,” they conclude.
If you want really Reap the benefits of walking more and increase the intensity of your walks in the interest of maximizing your fat burning as well as your mobility, here are four next workouts. And make sure you are fully engaged in what only 20 minutes a day do according to your science.
According to Nike Trainer and Rumble instructor Ash Wilking, this is a simple walking workout that will really get your heart rate up:
- 12-minute warm-up: Walk faster than normal for one minute, followed by 30 seconds with high knees or heel kicks. Do eight times in total, alternating between high knees and heel kick.
- 40-minute “work” block: Walk five minutes at a fast pace, then two minutes at a slower pace. Do eight times.
- 8-minute cooling: Walk slowly for eight minutes.
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This is a difficult walking workout that is known by a TikTok user and confirmed by health experts:
- Set the treadmill to a slope of 12.
- Set the speed to 3 mph.
- Walk for half an hour.
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Jeff Galloway introduced this time / ongoing hybrid training to Health. This means adding short jogging to your workout as a mini-interval set, which helps with calorie burning and “increases appetite suppressant hormones.” To complete the routine, follow these steps:
- Go for a 10-minute walk.
- Jog for five to ten seconds every minute.
- Keep adding minutes to the total workout until you hit 30 minutes.
This routine, which can burn as much as 175 calories, according to Prevention, requires that you:
- Warm up with a brisk walk for five minutes.
- Walk “as fast as you can” for 10 minutes.
- After measuring how far you went, turn around and return at a fast pace and cool down as you approach your starting point.
And for more great fitness advice that you can use immediately, read through The single most effective way to exercise every day, say psychologists.
