In one study, researchers compared the benefits of an 18-week endurance and flexibility exercise program with a dance program in which older Americans were taught a new routine each week. While both groups increased the volume of their brain\u2019s hippocampus, which is prone to age-related decline, the dancers had additional growth in subareas associated with\u00a0neuron growth<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean you have to be a good dancer \u2014 it just means that you\u2019re trying to follow the choreography,\u201d Newlands says.<\/p>\n 1\ufeff8. Snag free or cheap equipment<\/b><\/p>\n No home gym? No problem. While all you need for an effective workout is your body weight, a couple of cheap free weights can take it to the next level \u2014 at little cost. A couple of 5-pound dumbbells go for as little as $13 online.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can do a lot with just dance cardio and free weights,\u201d Newlands says. \u201cSo if you\u2019re going to make one purchase, I would say that would be it.\u201d Her second pick: resistance bands, which are often sold in sets of five and can cost less than $10 total. Try these 7 Best Arm Workouts to Get You Stronger.<\/a><\/p>\n You may not even have to open your wallet, though: Check out your neighborhood\u2019s BuyNothing<\/a> group, where someone else\u2019s pandemic-era free weights \u2014 if not their treadmill \u2014 might need a new home.\u00a0<\/p>\n 1\ufeff9. Supercharge your chores<\/b><\/p>\n Sweeping, washing the dishes, taking out the garbage: It\u2019s all movement that counts<\/a>. After all, a 150-pound older adult cleaning\ufeff the house for 20 minutes burns just over 100 calories.\u00a0<\/p>\n But you can maximize those benefits by making a few tweaks, DiPietro says. If you\u2019re standing by the sink, try putting a pillow under your feet to promote balance. If you\u2019re brushing your teeth, raise yourself on your toes and \u201cslam down your heels\u201d to support bone density, she suggests. If you\u2019re vacuuming, weave around and step over obstacles to boost proprioception, or your sense of where your body is in space. Doing all of that helps you \u201cbecome better at processing and reaction time,\u201d which helps with fall prevention, DiPietro explains.\ufeff<\/p>\n Pickleball is simple, makes movement fun, is social and keeps the brain engaged.<\/p>\n Jared Oriel<\/p>\n 20. Pick up pickleball\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for several years now, and older adults are driving the trend for a reason. Per\u00a0AARP\u2019s guide<\/a>\u00a0to the sport\u2014 a mashup of tennis, badminton, racquetball and table tennis\u00a0\u2014 pickleball is simple, makes movement fun, is social and keeps the brain engaged. A 2023 review of research published in\u00a0Frontiers in Psychology\u00a0found that\u00a0playing pickleball<\/a>\u00a0was linked to improvements in older adults\u2019 well-being, life satisfaction, depression, stress and happiness.<\/p>\n It can be pretty darn cheap, too: Paddles are usually less than $100, and outdoor courts are often free. Use the website\u00a0Pickleheads<\/a>\u00a0to find a place to play \u2014 and people to play with \u2014 near you.\u00a0<\/p>\n While jumping in with too much enthusiasm but not enough fitness can lead to injury, the benefits of movement overall tend to pay off. As with any new endeavor, \u201cStart easy and you build from there,\u201d DiPietro says. \u201cWhen people see improvement, they tend to get really motivated.\u201d\ufeff<\/p>\n 21. Active-ate your commute\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n If you drive to work \u2014 or to church, the drugstore or a friend\u2019s house \u2014 consider ways to build in more movement, like parking farther away and walking to your destination, Segar recommends. \u201cPeople don\u2019t often think about, \u2018If I park past where all the parking meters are, I give myself 40 minutes of round-trip movement, and I don\u2019t have to pay,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty cool.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Maybe you already take the bus but can get off a stop earlier. Maybe you usually ride the elevator up to your office or when clothes-shopping, but you can take the stairs. If you\u2019re able, consider a bike for getting around, Bryant says: \u201cMany communities have bike-share programs or affordable used bikes. Start with flat, low-traffic areas and build confidence over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Better yet, find a nonprofit in your area like\u00a0Bike New York<\/a>, which puts on hundreds of classes and programs geared toward making adults safer and more capable riders.<\/p>\n 2\ufeff2. Adopt or foster a dog<\/b><\/p>\n The perks of dog ownership go beyond having an unconditionally loyal buddy. \u201cHaving a dog naturally encourages more movement,\u201d says Bryant. Some research shows that older adults with dogs<\/a> walk an average of 22 more minutes a day than non-dog-owners\u00a0of similar demographics. The pup parents were 12 percent more active in general, too.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, playing fetch with Fido improves flexibility and reaction time, and canine companionship can reduce stress, increase social interaction and provide a sense of purpose, Bryant adds.<\/p>\n \u201cEven fostering a dog for a short period can introduce more activity into someone\u2019s daily routine while supporting animal shelters,\u201d he says. An even lower-stakes option: Ask a dog-owning neighbor if you can take the pooch for a stroll.<\/p>\n 2\ufeff3. Join a team<\/b><\/p>\n Did you love playing softball as a kid? Were you a track star as a teen? An intramural sports enthusiast in college? Reignite that competitive spark through many of the team sports clubs catering to older adults. The National Senior Games,<\/a> for one, is an annual competition for the 50-plus crowd in sports including tennis, powerlifting and cornhole.<\/p>\n Local \u201cmasters\u201d groups, meanwhile, tend to organize training sessions and competitions for anyone 35 years and older in sports ranging from water polo to wrestling. (DiPietro plays on her local masters field hockey team.) While many organizations charge for participation, some include recreation fees or practices in a gym\ufeff, (which again can often be waived through programs like SilverSneakers).<\/p>\n 2\ufeff4. Or a group<\/b><\/p>\n If you want the camaraderie \u2014 but not the competitive edge \u2014 of a team, look to Grouper<\/a>, an organization that fosters friendships around hobbies including bowling, pickleball, golf, and even arts and crafts. Membership is included in many health plans, including Medicare. For less formal group activities, search Facebook, Meetup<\/a> or Eventbrite<\/a> for free or low-cost get-togethers around a mutual interest. You might find a gaggle of open-water swimmers<\/a> in southern Delaware, a mobility and movement class<\/a> for older adults in San Diego, or a sing-and-move session for older adults over Zoom. \u201cFinding a workout buddy can add motivation and friendly accountability,\u201d Bryant says.<\/p>\n 2\ufeff5. Try tai chi or qigong<\/b><\/p>\n The virtues of yoga are well advertised, but tai chi and qigong are offer comparable benefits. The ancient Chinese practices, defined by their combination of movements, breathing and meditation, are \u201cgreat for balance, flexibility and stress reduction, and [are] often available for free in parks or community centers,\u201d Bryant says.<\/p>\n One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that tai chi may\u00a0reduce the rate of falls\u00a0among older adults by more than 50 percent<\/a>. Another analysis confirmed that the practices improved physical and cognitive health not just because they get blood flowing, but also because the process of \u201cmemorizing movements\u201d and \u201cpaying attention to meditation\u201d works the brain, the study authors write. Tai chi has also been shown to boost one\u2019s mood and fend off pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Find a class near you through the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association<\/a>, which also offers free online courses<\/a>, to get started. You can also try AARP\u2019s intro to tai chi<\/a> with fitness expert Kathy Smith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1\ufeff7. Dance You don\u2019t have to follow a formal program to move your body. Turn on any music…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[19901,1154,19892,1630,19895,105,19900,19899,19894,19893,19897,19898,19902,4712,16,15,5182,19896],"class_list":{"0":"post-34277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-best-workouts","9":"tag-exercise","10":"tag-exercise-classes","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-group-fitness","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-how-to-get-in-shape","15":"tag-how-to-reduce-stress","16":"tag-nature-walking","17":"tag-nature-walks","18":"tag-online-exercise-classes","19":"tag-online-fitness-classes","20":"tag-outdoor-workouts","21":"tag-running","22":"tag-uk","23":"tag-united-kingdom","24":"tag-walking","25":"tag-workouts"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114367581653121470","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"spinner](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/uxdia-spinner.svg.svg+xml\")
<\/p>\n![\"pickleball](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/80841_illo05_25Pickleball.jpg\" "\\"Get")
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