Exercise for Over 60s Checklist

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Exercise for over 60s checklist

This checklist builds a week of movement around things you already enjoy. It’s a set of ideas to tick off, if you feel like it. It’s general information, not health advice.

It goes with our guide, Exercise for over 60s: a joyful movement planner you’ll want to keep, which has the full weekly planner.

Simon Pederson, M.Fin, B.Bus (FP), Founder and Lead Retirement Planner, over 15 years helping people plan for retirement

Woman walking barefoot along the water's edge on a quiet beach in early morning light

Before you start

The Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel says to talk to your GP about the level of exercise that’s right for you before you begin, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while.

What do the Australian guidelines say?

The Australian Government publishes physical activity guidelines for older adults, written for people aged 65 and over. It also publishes separate guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64. Tick each one once you’ve read it.

1. BRISK. Moving with some purpose: a brisk walk, a swim, a bike ride. The Australian Government’s guidelines say moderate to vigorous activity for 30 minutes or more on most days.
2. STRONG. Asking your muscles to do a bit of work. The Australian Government’s guidelines say muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.
3. BALANCE. Balance, mobility and coordination. The Australian Government’s guidelines say activities for mobility, balance and coordination on 3 or more days a week.
4. POTTER. Light, everyday movement, and getting up from the chair. The Australian Government’s guidelines say several hours of light activity every day, and breaking up long periods of sitting (the guidelines say “sedentary behaviour”) as often as possible.

What do you already enjoy?

1. Write in what you already like. A walk with a friend, the garden, a swim. Many people start here.
2. Tag each one. Note whether each activity is BRISK, STRONG, BALANCE or POTTER. Most will be BRISK or POTTER, and some count as more than one.
3. Think about your last holiday. What did you do on your last holiday that you’d happily do every week?

Where are the gaps?

1. Look for gaps, if you like. Often it’s STRONG and BALANCE. Some people tuck them next to something they already do, like the kettle, the ad break or the walk home.
2. Leave one empty slot. Life happens. A week with no slack is a week that breaks.
3. Use the planner. The weekly planner in our joyful movement guide lets you tick off each kind of movement, day by day.

Who could you move with?

Company can make it easier to turn up. A few local places to start looking. Check each group’s own page for current details before you go.

1. parkrun and walking groups. Sunshine Coast Council’s walking and running page lists local parkrun events, such as Kawana and Baringa, where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate, plus Heart Foundation Walking groups.
2. Healthy Sunshine Coast. Council’s Healthy Sunshine Coast program runs activities described as suitable for all ages and abilities.
3. U3A Sunshine Coast. U3A Sunshine Coast lists physical activities among its courses, run by volunteer tutors.
4. Ask someone. Who would you walk with if you asked?

How is it going?

1. Give it a fortnight. You might give it a fortnight before changing anything. Then keep what you liked and swap out what you didn’t.
2. Most days isn’t every day. That’s the guidelines’ own wording, so a day off isn’t a failure of the week.
3. Rewrite it when life changes. A new grandchild, a move, a winter that won’t end. Rewrite the plan. That’s what it’s for.

Common questions about exercise for over 60s

What do the Australian guidelines say about exercise for over 60s?

The Australian Government’s physical activity guidelines for older adults are written for people aged 65 and over. Separate guidelines cover adults aged 18 to 64. They say moderate to vigorous activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week, activities for mobility, balance and coordination on 3 or more days a week, several hours of light activity daily, and breaking up long periods of sitting.

What’s the easiest way to start if I haven’t exercised in years?

The Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel says to talk to your GP about the level of exercise that’s right for you before you begin, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while. The ideas in this checklist start with things you already enjoy, like a walk with a friend or time in the garden.

What if I miss a few days?

The Australian guidelines say “most days”, not every day, and the planner is there to help, not to judge.

Planning the life side of retirement too?

How you’ll spend your days is part of a retirement plan, alongside the money that pays for them. If you’d like to talk it through, you’re welcome to book a relaxed 30-minute Fit Check with Simon by phone or video. See all our retirement checklists.

Book a 30-minute Fit Check

Or call Simon on (07) 5327 3495

Sources

No representation is given, warranty made, or responsibility taken about the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of information sourced from third parties. Because of this, we recommend you consider, with or without the assistance of a financial adviser, whether the information is appropriate having regard to your particular circumstances.