Progressing
When you are ready to progress, build up the amount of time you spend doing endurance activities first; then build up the difficulty of your activities later. Example: First, gradually increase your time to 30 minutes over several days to weeks (or even months, depending on your condition) by walking longer distances, then start walking up steeper hills or walking more briskly.
Examples of Endurance Activities
Examples of activities that are moderate for the average older adult are listed below.
Moderate:
- Swimming
- Bicycling
- Cycling on a stationary bicycle
- Gardening (mowing, raking)
- Walking briskly on a level surface
- Mopping or scrubbing floor
- Golf, without a cart
- Tennis (doubles)
- Volleyball
- Rowing
- Dancing
The following are examples of vigorous activities.
Vigorous:
- Climbing stairs or hills
- Shoveling snow
- Brisk bicycling up hills
- Tennis (singles)
- Swimming laps
- Cross-country skiing
- Downhill skiing
- Hiking
- Jogging
