What’s the best cardio workout for seniors? That’s like asking what’s the best thing to eat for dinner… My answer is going to be different than yours. Of course, I could say, “it depends,” but then some of you might crack a senior joke about “Depends.”
Here’s the thing: the best cardio workout is one that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes, even if you break it up into 10 minute sessions during the day. Most health experts agree that a minimum of 150 minutes/week will suffice to get the health benefits of exercise for your heart, body and brain.
The best cardio workouts for anyone, including seniors, are the ones you enjoy enough to do almost every day. For me, that means tennis or pickleball, walking, and sometimes the elliptical trainer. I like being outdoors and with other people. What’s it going to be for you?
It doesn’t matter if you do cardio exercise by swimming, walking, lifting weights, or jumping rope. The trick is to identify your heart rate goals and then find a movement, an exercise or sport that you like and will do regularly. Even without measuring your heart rate, you’ll be able to tell when your heart rate is faster. You’ll be breathing harder and maybe break a sweat. As they say, “just do it!”
Target Heart Rates
It’s recommended that you exercise within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results from aerobic exercise. Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. For me, at age 75, 55 to 85 percent means is 79-123 beats per minute. Since I workout regularly, this is easy for me to achieve. For others, who aren’t used to working out, I suggest not worrying about numbers. Work on how you feel.
If you’re just beginning, start out with 10-15 minutes at a time and then gradually build up. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of moderate to vigorous activity per week. Ideally, the best cardio workout for seniors is broken-up into thirty minutes a day, five days a week. Some seniors are able to do more (we recommend daily exercise).
Your target heart rate during moderate intensity activities is about 50-70% of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity it’s about 70-85% of maximum. Generally speaking, maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age. I’ve included a chart at the bottom of this post to help you identify your target heart rate goal.
Warm Up
Before you dive into your cardio workout, warm-up your muscles. Begin with five to 10 minutes on the treadmill, elliptical trainer, or stationary bike. It is not important which of these you select. Choose the one you most enjoy. If you like to read while doing cardio, pick one that makes it easy to read and has a ledge for your book, magazine, or e-reader. Some people like to watch TV and most people enjoy listening to music while they run, walk, step, or pedal.
Don’t stretch before your warm-up. This is especially important for seniors: warming up increases the temperature and flexibility of your muscles, and helps you be more efficient and safer during your workout. A warm-up before moderate- or vigorous-intensity cardio workout allows a gradual increase in heart rate and breathing at the start of the activity. Stretching before resistance training temporarily decreases your strength and you can get injured.
What is important is to warm up your muscles, increase your resting heart rate, and prepare your body for the workout that follows. If you’re using cardio machines, you should gradually (over time) increase both the resistance levels and the amount of time to maintain the best cardio workout for seniors.
Break-up Your Cardio Workout
You say a cardio workout is boring? Spending 20, 30, or 40 minutes on one machine is tedious? I agree, which is why I often break my cardio training into three parts. Let’s say I plan to dedicate 45 minutes to cardio. To make the routine more pleasant, I break it up:
- 15 minutes on the treadmill
- 15 minutes on a spinning bike
- 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer.
I use up-tempo music through my smartphone to help energize me and power through those tedious minutes. (I imagine you can tell that cardio is not one of my favorite exercise endeavors.) I also take my Kindle and read to make the time pass quickly.
High Intensity Intervals
Rob enjoys high intensity interval training (HIIT) to avoid boredom during cardio exercise. HIIT are short periods of fast pace exercise injected into your workout. It makes the time go by faster, and with HIIT, you get increased health benefits after only six minutes of intense intervals.
For example, instead of walking for 30 minutes on a treadmill at a moderate pace, you mix in 30 to 60 seconds of sprinting all out, then rest or walk normally, then continue injecting 30-to-60 second intervals of high intensity. Altogether, your cardio session may only be 15 or 20 minutes, but the three or four high intensity intervals provide maximum stimulus to cellular metabolism.
Walking and Weight Training
I used to downplay the benefits of walking compared to jogging, but not anymore. Not only is walking better for knees and back, but the health benefits are comparable without wearing out any body parts.
I’m not downplaying the benefits of cardio training; however, know that your body at rest burns approximately 50 to 70 calories per hour, and that you will typically burn 250-300 calories in a 45-minute cardio workout. This seems to be a great deal of time and sweat to invest to burn an incremental 190 calories, which can be completely blown by consuming half a bagel.
For those of you who are looking to lose weight by burning more calories during your time in the gym, I recommend reversing your cardio and weight training routines. Weight training burns more calories because it is more stressful to your muscles than cardio. And, as you build more muscle tissue, your body fat decreases.
Weight training can burn calories for up to 39 hours following your workout. A cardio-first routine as a warm up is fine, but studies show that your body does not burn cardio calories until after the first 20 minutes. (Unless, of course, you are doing high intensity intervals.) If you lift weights for 30 minutes first, your body will burn calories as soon as you begin your cardio routine.
Cool Down
Cool down your muscles; it’s just as important as your warm up! After physical activity, especially a cardio workout, your heart is still beating faster than normal, your body temperature is higher and your blood vessels are dilated. This means if you stop too fast, you could pass out or feel sick. A cool-down after physical activity allows a gradual decrease at the end of the episode. Walk (or continue the activity you were doing at a slower pace) for about five minutes, or until your heart rate gets below 120 beats/minute.
Take time to stretch your muscles after each workout to improve your flexibility. Stretching can also help reduce the buildup of lactic acid, which can lead to muscles cramping and stiffness. Don’t “bounce” while you stretch; bouncing can cause injury. Move your muscles just past their point of natural resistance and hold them there for 15 to 30 seconds. The stretch should be strong, but not painful. Notice your breath while your stretching. Exhale as you stretch, inhale while you hold the stretch.
Cardio Workout for Seniors: Target Heart Rate
| Age | Target Heart Rate Zone: 50-85% | Avg. Max Heart Rate: 100% |
| 60 years | 80-136 bpm | 160 bpm |
| 65 years | 78-132 bpm | 155 bpm |
| 70+ years | 75-128 bpm | 150 bpm |
As you exercise, periodically check your heart rate. If your heart rate is too high, lower your pace. For anyone new to cardio workouts, I recommend aiming for the lower range of your target zone (50 percent) and gradually building up.
So, what’s the best cardio workout for you? We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.
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