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Staying active is important when you’re getting older (including if you have health conditions). Regular physical activity can improve your health and wellbeing, and make it easier to perform daily tasks.
Remember even small increases in physical activity can produce measurable health benefits. It’s never too late to start.
It's important to speak to your doctor before starting or increasing physical activity. Remember to start off slowly and build up to the recommended daily physical activity levels.
The Ministry of Health recommendations for those aged over 65 years are:
- Spend more time being physically active and less time sitting down. Do lots of daily physical activities such as walking to the shops, vacuuming, gardening or washing the car.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity on 5 days each week. Aerobic activity makes your breathing and heart rate increase (such as brisk walking, ballroom dancing, cycling, kapa haka or kililiti, lane swimming, and playing with grandchildren).
- Aim for 2 sessions of resistance activities each week (in addition to the aerobic physical activity). Resistance activities are for muscle and bone strength (such as carrying shopping, and standing up and sitting down repeatedly)
- Aim for 3 sessions of flexibility and balance activities each week (in addition to the aerobic physical activity). Flexibility and balance activities are for easy movement and to prevent falls (such as modified tai chi, stretching, gardening, pilates or yoga, bowls, and standing on one leg).
Frailer older people should aim for a mixture of low impact aerobic, resistance, balance and flexibility activities.
Find out more about older person's health topics on HealthInfo.
The good news is you don’t have to do it all at once - when it comes to being active, every little bit counts. Research shows you can ‘snack’ on activity and still enjoy the benefits. Try 3 lots of 10 minutes if you can’t fit in a full half-hour at one time.
Getting some support can also really help. The Pae Ora Healthy Lifestyles ki Waitaha service can provide personalised support to help you put together a realistic plan and achieve you activity goals.
This resource is divided into zones from Waimakariri to Ashburton and lists many classes and facilities that are particularly appropriate for older adults and people with long-term conditions.
‘The Big List’ Directory has been created by the Active Canterbury Network for exercise advocates and providers in the region.
The directory will be updated as often as possible. Get in touch if you spot any errors.
Download The Big List Directory [PDF].
Sport Canterbury previously published home-based activity sheets, including:
- Sit and Be Fit - exercises you can do sitting in a chair; and
- Huff and Puff - simple exercises to get you moving and your heart pumping.
Falls are a common cause of injury and hospital admission especially in older adults. Older people are much more likely to have a fall, and the consequences of a fall can be worse. Falls can cause permanent disability, loss of independence, and a loss of social contact.
Many falls can be prevented by increasing your balance and strength, and by making your home and environment safer.
Find out more about falls on HealthInfo, including some suggestions on how you can prevent falls, and the different services available.
Find a local accredited group programme to help improve your strength and balance.
Check out the Live Stronger website for links and resources to live stronger for longer.
Losing your balance as you age is a big injury risk, so ACC created the Nymbl app to help older New Zealanders prevent falls and fractures.
Falls are the most common cause of injury in Aotearoa, making up 39 percent of all claims.
Around 172,000 people aged 65 and over had a fall-related ACC claim last year – that’s 22 percent of that age group.
It’s a big problem, so we’re doing something about it.
Nymbl is a free, fun and easy-to-use app that is fully funded by ACC.
Nymbl is designed to help seniors stay on their feet, combining simple body movements with brain games to challenge both the brain and body.
The app is part of the Live Stronger for Longer programme, which is focused on preventing falls and fractures in older people.
The Kindness Project's Life Fit programme in Christchurch offers classes tailored for mature participants or for those new or returning to exercise with qualified, REPs registered, caring and experienced instructors.
There are a wide variety of different classes available each week to suit everyone, including Sit and Be Fit for the less able, and classes or group exercise for those wanting more demanding challenges or to work at their own pace.
The Life Fit programme is designed to:
- be fun;
- keep you agile and active;
- improve and maintain your fitness; and
- give you the opportunity to meet new people.
Find out more about the Life fit programme for older adults in Christchurch.
Many of these classes involve a social aspect like a cup of tea afterwards!
- Aqua Gentle - a gentle workout for people with arthritis, joint or circulation issues, limited mobility or recovering from an injury;
- Move and Mingle Aqua - available at Te Pou Totetoe Linwood Pool and Matatiki Hornby Centre;
- Gentle Exercise - if you want to take it slow and improve your balance, flexibility and strength; and
- Seated Gentle Exercise - relaxed sessions that are suitable for those with limited mobility.
Check out the Older Adults Recreation Guide for more suggested activities in Christchurch [PDF].
Mature and Motivated classes in Selwyn are great for heart health, strength and balance, as well as being low impact and lots of fun with a great social vibe. Come along for only $6 per class.
- Darfield Recreation and Community Centre: Mondays and Wednesdays at 9.30am (except for the 1st Monday of the month);
- Lincoln Event Centre: Mondays and Wednesdays at 10am;
- Selwyn Sports Centre: Tuesdays and Fridays at 11am; and
- West Melton Community and Recreation Centre: Mondays at 10.15am and Wednesdays at 11am.
Aqua-Ease classes in the Waimakariri District are suitable for seniors and those recovering from injury - held at Dudley and Kaiapoi Aquatic Centres.
EA Networks Centre offers AquaMove classes for more mature people in the Ashburton District wanting to improve mobility, flexibility and heart health.
Download The Big List Directory for more suitable options [PDF].