Have mobility or other limitations? Talk to your care team about the activities marked with an asterisk (*).
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs and increases your body’s ability to use oxygen. Any activity that makes your heart beat faster and work harder can boost your aerobic fitness. Walking is one of the best aerobics exercises you can do, but you’ve got lots of options.
| A to F | G to K | L to Sq | St to Z |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobics | Golf* | Lacrosse | Stair climbing |
| Badminton | Gymnastics | Paddleball | Surfing |
| Baseball | Handball | Paddleboating | Swimming* |
| Basketball* | Hiking | Racquetball | Table tennis* |
| Bowling* | Horseback riding* | Roller blading | Tae bo |
| Boxing | Ice skating* | Rowing | Tae kwon do |
| Broomball | Judo* | Running | Tennis |
| Canoeing* | Jujitsu | Scuba diving* | Track and field* |
| Climbing* | Jumping rope | Sled hockey* | Volleyball |
| Cycling* | Karate* | Skiing* | Walking |
| Dancing* | Kayaking* | Snorkeling* | Water aerobics |
| Dodgeball | Kickball | Soccer | Water basketball |
| Fencing* | Kickboxing | Softball | Water volleyball |
| Field hockey | Speed skating | Wrestling | |
| Football | Squash | Zumba |
Flexibility exercises
Being flexible improves your posture, range of motion, balance, and coordination. Doing exercises to increase your flexibility can help your body move more efficiently and reduce pain and tension. Take a few minutes before and after a workout for flexibility exercises.
- Feldenkrais
- Pilates
- Tai chi* and qi gong
- Yoga*
Strength training
Think strength training is for guys in muscle t-shirts? Think again. It’s essential to staying healthy, inside and out.
Strength training uses weights or resistance to build muscles. As your lean muscle increases, so does your resting metabolism. You can burn 35 to 50 more calories each day for each pound of muscle. That can really add up.
Building your muscles boosts your power and endurance. Whatever sport you play, strength training improves your overall performance and lowers your risk of injury because it reinforces your bones, connective tissues, and joints.
Strength training also helps you stay strong as you age, too. As you get older, you can lose lean muscle, leaving you at risk for falls. Seniors who fall tend to break major bones and seldom regain full mobility and independence.
Aim for including strength exercises, especially those that work the core muscles of your abdomen, twice a week. Explore adding some of these to your routine:
- Archery*
- Calisthenics (push-ups, crunches, pull-ups)
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Free weights*
- Weight machines*
- Tubing or bands*
- Tai chi* and qi gong
- Hill repeats
- Plyometric drills
Try a health class or talk with a coach
Check out our health programs and classes. Not sure which activities are right for you? Consider getting a health coach to mentor you as you work toward your fitness goals. Call a health coach at 1-866-862-4295 (toll free).
