One of the questions I always ask people when they come in to chat about potentially joining our program is, “What are you currently doing for exercise?”

At least 80 per cent of the time, they say “walking”.

Some might disagree with me, but for MOST of us, walking should not be considered exercise.

In the NYT best-selling book Younger Next Year, the author defines aerobic exercise as something that gets the heart rate up high enough so a normal conversation is not sustainable. I agree with that definition.

Please don’t get me wrong. Walking is amazing and we should all do more of it – our bodies are made to walk! And walking certainly beats sitting around and being sedentary.

But, if we want to age and function at a high level, we MUST do more.

We MUST focus on strengthening the muscles and surrounding connective tissues, which will lower our risk of falling and allow us to continue things like hiking, travelling, and playing ball with our grandkids. It will also strengthen the bones, reducing the chance of osteoporosis.

We MUST get our heart rate to higher levels to increase the circulation of our blood, strengthen the walls of the heart and give us those “feel good” hormones.

We MUST focus on core stabilization exercises that will keep our spine safe and upright and generate power for things like tennis and golf.

We MUST focus on proprioceptive exercises that teach our body to balance and recover from near falls. (Proprioception: The ability to sense stimuli arising within the body regarding position, motion, and equilibrium. Even if a person is blindfolded, he or she knows through proprioception if an arm is above the head or hanging by the side of the body. Definition from MedicineNet. com)

A daily stroll isn’t going to help with most of these things.

Now, if you are extremely deconditioned and walking gets you breathing hard, then you can consider it exercise, and I heartily endorse it for you. Fast walking up a hill would be another example that could be considered exercise for most.

The challenge when we age is to find things that get the heart rate up without putting knees and other joints under stress with high impact moves. There are a lot of options out there and you don’t have to have an Airdyne bike, elliptical machine or swimming pool, though any of those would certainly work.

Low-impact bodyweight exercises like step jacks, total body extensions and mountain climbers are great alternatives as are my favourite, kettlebell swings. Google “low impact cardio” for more ideas.

Or, if you’d rather take out the guesswork and get some help in building an exercise program that will help you age well without beating you up, it’s well worth the time and money to find a certified personal trainer that specializes in training mature clients.

You only have one body and you want it to last! Take care of it.

-Shelley Turk (Certified Functional Aging Specialist and owner, ProActive Fitness)