A sedentary lifestyle, especially as an older adult, can give rise to numerous health problems. Some of these, according to MedlinePlus, include weight gain, type 2 diabetes, joint deterioration, coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack, stroke, hypertension, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis. The same holds true for certain cancers and mental illnesses.
Why Women Are at Greater Risk of Struggling with Health Problems Due to Physical Inactivity Than Men
While physical inactivity can take a tremendous toll on both the health of women and men, women often fare much worse, according to a World Health Organization study. That’s because women tend to have higher rates of physical inactivity than men and struggle with menopause after reaching a certain age. Menopause, which can trigger low estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid levels, can put women at a greater risk of being diagnosed with osteoporosis. The combination of physical inactivity and menopause also makes women more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers and more likely to struggle with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and mental illness.
How Regular Exercise Can Help Keep Older Women Healthy
Regular exercise can help protect women, especially older women, against osteoporosis, heart disease, joint deterioration, and many other age and weight-related health problems. And it doesn’t have to mean spending hours on end performing grueling weight-lifting or intense cardiovascular training exercises in a gym. Often, moderate to fast-paced walking is enough to reap these health benefits.
Walking for Exercise: How to Achieve Better Health in 10 Weeks
Before beginning any exercise routine, you should consult with your physician a to understand what is best for you. Walking is a generally safe exercise, but you should always consider planning your route to include sidewalks and greenways and avoid walking near traffic. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are on the rise around the country and busy metropolitan areas can be particularly dangerous. Oakland, California alone saw 52 pedestrian injuries and deaths in 2022.
According to most personal trainers and many physicians, walking for exercise can improve an individual’s overall health in a matter of weeks. The following is a 10-week walking program aimed at beginners and women over 50:
- Weeks 1 to 2: During the first 1 to 2 weeks of walking for exercise, the goal is to establish a consistent walking routine. That could mean, even if it’s just for short periods, committing to walking at least three times per week. Each walking session should include a 5-minute warm-up. Such a warm-up could comprise gentle stretching and slow walking. From there, begin a 30-minute walk at a comfortable pace. While walking, you should make it a point to maintain proper posture, which means engaging your core muscles, standing tall, and allowing your arms to swing naturally. At the end of your session, cool down with a 5-minute slow walk and then follow that up with some light stretching to prevent or minimize muscle soreness.
- Weeks 3 to 4: During this time, you should focus on building strength and stamina. These walking sessions should start with a 5-minute warm-up and then progress into a roughly 3.5 mph 30 to 45-minute walking pace, with short intervals of brisk walking lasting 1 to 2 minutes followed by a much slower-paced recovery period. The entire session should end with a 5-minute cool-down routine.
- Weeks 5 to 6: These weeks are all about adding variety and intensity to your walks, which keeps things interesting while allowing you to work more muscle groups. Weeks 5 to 6 involve walking up hills or slight inclines for at least 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can walk on sand, dirt trails, or other challenging terrain. Both can increase your heart rate while stimulating multiple muscle groups.
- Weeks 7 to 8: As with previous weeks, weeks 7 to 8 should include warm-up and cool-down routines. During these weeks, you want to increase your walking time to around 45 to 60 minutes, with a challenging pace of roughly 4.0 mph. And much like during weeks 5 to 6, you should walk up hills or inclines or on sand or dirt trails to add variety and engage more muscle groups.
- Weeks 9 to 10: These weeks involve walking five days per week for at least 60 minutes at 5.0 mph or greater, with each walking session consisting of periodic light jogging. This mix can significantly benefit your cardiovascular and respiratory health. Just as with weeks 1 to 8, weeks 9 to 10 should also include warm-up and cool-down routines.
In summary, aging is unavoidable. But that’s not to say we can’t minimize the effects of aging our body. Regular exercise, even if it’s just walking a few days out of the week, can lead to improved cardiovascular, joint, respiratory, and even mental health.
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