Staying Active Indoors This Winter: Gentle Ways to Keep Moving
When the weather turns cold, wet or icy, it is easy to skip your usual walk. The good news is that you can stay active inside. Here is what the CDC says about how much activity adults 65 and older need, and some ways to get it indoors.
How Much Activity the CDC Recommends
- Aerobic activity: at least 150 minutes a week at a moderate level. The CDC’s example is 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
- Muscle strengthening: at least two days a week, working all the major muscle groups.
- Balance: activities that improve balance, such as walking heel to toe or standing up from a chair.
The CDC also says some physical activity is better than none at all. A little each day counts.
Ways to Move Indoors
- Walk in a mall. The CDC suggests this when it is too hot, cold or wet outside.
- Try an online fitness program you can follow at home. Pick one made for beginners.
- Do chair exercises, which the CDC lists as a way to start.
- Stand up from a sturdy chair and sit back down slowly, a few times in a row. This is also one of the CDC’s balance examples.
- Break it up. Ten minutes in the morning, ten at lunch and ten in the evening all add up.
For ideas, see our guides to walking, strength exercises and balance exercises.
Safety First
- Wear shoes with good grip, even at home, and clear the floor of rugs and cords.
- Stay near a sturdy chair or counter when you practice balance moves.
- If you have been ill or away from exercise, the CDC advises starting again at a lower level and slowly working back up.
- If you have a condition such as arthritis, diabetes or heart disease, ask your doctor whether it limits your activity before you begin.
- If something feels wrong, stop and call your doctor.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own health.
