Keeping active at home
While spending more time at home, it is important to keep active. Being active has many benefits for older people, including:
- maintaining strong bones
- keep heart and lungs healthy
- keep joints moving
- improve strength and balance to help prevent falls
- better mental health
- helps improve sleep.
Being active for at least 30 minutes every day is a good start. This can be broken up into smaller activities across the day. Aim to include a range of physical activities that:
- build fitness
- strength
- balance
- flexibility.
Resources
Staying active at home can be challenging. Below is a list of websites, with libraries of free videos available, to help older people keep active in their home. Visit:
- Active Seniors website
- Safe exercise at home
- Exercise right at home
- Strength for life healthy living videos
For more information on how to be active at home, check out the Choose Health: Be active physical activity guide for older Australians or Tips and ideas for older people to be active every day.
The information on this page is of a general nature. For older people with existing health conditions, it is a good idea to see your GP for a check-up before starting a new physical activity.