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Everyday movement can help men stay active after 60. Walking, gardening, cooking, and household tasks all offer chances to move, even on days without a workout.
Health, genetics, disability, resources, and previous activity all affect what someone can do. Building movement into a manageable daily routine is one useful part of staying active.
Researcher James Levine describes non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, as energy spent on activities outside sleeping, eating, and planned exercise. His review of NEAT reports that it can vary by as much as 2,000 calories a day between people of similar size. In other words, how much you move outside planned exercise can make a big difference to the energy you burn.
An overview of Blue Zones describes movement woven into daily life in communities associated with longevity.
For adults 65 and older, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, muscle strengthening on at least two days, and balance activities. Everyday tasks can count toward that, depending on their intensity, though light movement alone may not get you all the way there. Some activity is better than none, so choose what suits your abilities and health. Here are ten everyday habits that active men often build into their days.
1. They walk to get things instead of ordering them
Walking to the market, post office, or a nearby coffee shop can turn an errand into an opportunity to move. Choose a distance and pace that work for you. Having a destination may make a walk easier to fit into your routine.
2. They stand more than they sit
Standing up and walking around between seated tasks adds movement to the day. It won’t replace aerobic or strength work, but it breaks up long stretches of sitting.
3. They maintain something with their hands
Gardening, maintaining furniture, or another manual project can involve reaching, gripping, and changing position. The demands vary greatly by task. Choose manageable work, and keep dedicated strength training in your week as well.
4. They cook their own food
Preparing food often involves standing, reaching, chopping, and carrying. It won’t replace a workout, but it adds movement to an otherwise seated day.
5. They take stairs without thinking about it
Taking stairs can make the legs work harder than walking on level ground. Use a handrail, take breaks, and choose another route when stairs do not suit your mobility or health.
6. They have a reason to leave the house every day
A regular meetup or appointment can provide both social contact and a reason to leave home. If walking there is manageable, the trip also adds movement. Choose an arrangement that suits your mobility and the people you want to see.
7. They carry their own things
Carrying groceries or laundry can be a physical task, but the load and technique matter. Use manageable weights and ask for help when needed.
8. They squat and get up from the floor regularly
A cohort study of 4,282 adults aged 46 to 75 found an association between performance on a sitting-rising test and subsequent mortality. Getting down to the floor and back up draws on strength, mobility, and balance. Use support or assistance if you need it, and don’t force an unassisted attempt.
9. They don’t retire from all physical responsibility
Daily responsibilities such as tending a garden or helping with a community project can provide reasons to move. And if you’ve slowed down, it’s still possible to begin or adapt an activity routine later in life, within your abilities.
10. They move at the pace of their day, not the pace of a workout
Not every bit of movement needs to be intense. A steady pace suits most daily tasks, and that light movement can sit alongside the moderate aerobic activity, strengthening, and balance practice that round out a routine.
A day full of chances to walk, stand, carry, and garden makes activity more convenient, and planned exercise adds what daily tasks can’t. You don’t need to choose between the two. Start with movements you can sustain and build from there.