To stay fit for as long as possible, it is in your best interest to follow the WHO recommendations for
physical activity. While 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise per day is a well-known benchmark,
the latest studies also suggest that you should add 2 sessions of muscle-strengthening or functional
training per week. Walking speed is also important! Find out how to put together an optimal fitness
plan to live better and longer.

Walking a lot is good; walking fast is better!

Walking is the first physical activity to consider if you want to stay healthy for a long time. We all
remember the popular goal of 10,000 steps per day. It has become so popular because it is easy to
measure and remember.
What does the science say? If you’ve adopted walking as a daily practice, by all means, continue, but
to make it an even more powerful tool for longevity, consider speed as well.
According to a British scientific study, walking quickly is associated with a lower risk of mortality
from cardiovascular disease. These results are independent of the people’s level of activity, which
means that walking fast seems more effective than walking a lot.
If you can’t increase the amount of time you spend walking each day, you can still improve your
health by walking faster, automatically increasing your number of steps per day. Moreover, walking
fast causes little strain on ligaments and joints: a valuable advantage as you age.
Other moderate-intensity exercises are also a favourite for those who want to stay fit: dancing,
swimming, running, cycling, or even housework and gardening help you maintain good
cardiorespiratory capacity and a toned body in the long term.

Strengthening muscles and functional training

Living better and longer also means countering the effects of ageing, including muscle wasting, loss
of bone density and increased body fat. To do this, the second major pillar of your fitness programme
is muscle strengthening. In addition to cardio activity, incorporating two strength-training or
functional training sessions is a good way to stay healthy.
Strengthening exercises can fit into any schedule. You can do them at home, without equipment or
using everyday objects. Adapted to your age and physical condition, they can take several forms:
● Isolation training, with exercises that focus on strengthening specific muscle groups, such as
squats, crunches or dips. These are useful for balancing the body and working on areas that
are used infrequently in everyday life.

● Functional training exercises, which focus more on posture or mobility of the body as a
whole. Gestures that activate deep muscles and improve coordination or proprioception (the
perception of one’s own body in space) are good examples. Yoga, Pilates or stretching can be
part of functional training. Any movement that involves pulling, pushing, grabbing or bending
helps to maintain a healthy body.
Scientific studies have also been conducted on strength training and mortality factors. By working on
your strength and stamina, you could increase your life expectancy by up to 20%.

Exercising: guidelines, best practices and exercises for better ageing

To put together a balanced training schedule and ensure you age well, here are some tips:
● When walking, aim for a pace of 100 steps per minute whenever you can, for several
minutes at a time. This information is visible on most fitness tracking applications.
● Other small cardio challenges, such as climbing stairs quickly, can be added to your day in
addition to your exercise sessions.
● The WHO recommends a minimum of 2 strength training sessions per week for every adult,
in addition to moderate cardio activity. Such sessions can include circuit training, yoga and
other exercises with or without accessories. Why not use a fitness mirror alongside sessions
from the Vault? It’s up to you to find the exercises to help you live longer while maintaining
good health.

For more tips and information on your health and fitness – Visit our other articles

Sources:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.10.029
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/12/769
https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx345
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22099352/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29392087/
https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity