Over 65? The government wants you to get active

BOSTON - A government agency is stressing the importance of staying active in our "golden years."

Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services published a report detailing how professionals, including policymakers and health care providers, can encourage physical activity in people 65 and older - through counseling, exercise classes, and providing pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and communities.

The agency continues to recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, essentially anything that gets your heart beating faster, as well as muscle-strengthening at least two days a week. And you can mix it up by doing activities like dancing, sports, or tai chi which combine aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and balance skills.

They said to start slow because even five minutes of physical activity can have health benefits, not only reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes but also preventing falls, protecting against osteoporosis, and reducing the loss of muscle mass and strength.

In:
• Health
• Exercise

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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