WHO Urges Adults 65+ to Get 150-300 Weekly Minutes, Add Strength and 3 Days of Balance
Updated
Updated · ScienceBlog.com · Aug 14
WHO Urges Adults 65+ to Get 150-300 Weekly Minutes, Add Strength and 3 Days of Balance
3 articles · Updated · ScienceBlog.com · Aug 14
Summary
Adults 65 and older should pair 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week with strength work on two or more days and balance-focused multicomponent exercise on three or more days.
That balance emphasis sets older-adult guidance apart because preventing falls and preserving independence become central goals alongside cardiovascular fitness.
A 2019 Cochrane review of 108 trials involving more than 23,000 people found balance and functional exercise cut fall rates by about 24%, with added resistance training performing better still.
Strength training also counters sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle that makes standing up, climbing stairs and carrying groceries harder—while tai chi, yoga, chair stands and heel-to-toe walking are among practical options.
The guidance is general rather than personalized: people with heart or lung disease, uncontrolled blood pressure, osteoporosis, recent injury, dizziness or long inactivity should seek medical advice before starting.