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In the U.S., more than 85% of people 65 and older don't get the recommended amount of exercise. That's according to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published this week. NPR's Pien Huang spoke with adults at a senior center in Towson, Maryland, to learn how they stay active.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Take a deep breath.
PIEN HUANG, BYLINE: It's a weekday morning, and about 20 people have filled the gym at the Bykota Senior Center. They move to the beat in squeaky sneakers. Rita Enders is 84 years old, and she comes to this enhanced fitness class three days a week.
RITA ENDERS: We start out walking, and then we do aerobic exercises, and then we lift weights - you know, whatever you can manage to lift.
HUANG: Her workout buddy, Doris Estes, is 81 years old. Estes suffered a few falls during the pandemic, but then she started working out. She recently won a 5k race in her age group. Is she in better shape now than she was a few years ago?
DORIS ESTES: In some respects, yes, but age takes a toll every year. You feel, you know, you can't do this, you can't do that. But you keep trying.
HUANG: Moving keeps older adults healthy, mobile and mentally sharp. It can also help manage arthritis and chronic health conditions and reduce the risk of falls. Enders, her friend, says if they didn't come to these classes, they'd be really stuck.
ENDERS: Use it or lose it. You know, if you don't keep moving, everything starts to stiffen up. All you have to do is sit down for 15 minutes and try to get up and then you're like, oh.
ESTES: Yes.
HUANG: Enders and Estes are overachievers. They're part of only the 14% of U.S. adults 65 and older that are getting enough exercise to reap substantial health benefits, according to the CDC. That means they're getting at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate cardio and two days of muscle-building exercise each week. Greg Bauer is 76 years old. He's president of the Senior Center Council, and he's got an ample supply of motivational sayings.
GREG BAUER: Rest is rust. Motion is lotion. Get up and move. You have to do something. Even my mother would say, I'd love to get on the floor and play with the dog, but then I won't be able to get up. I said, try it. Just give it a try.
HUANG: Bauer says these actions get easier with repetition. Bauer also teaches pickleball at the gym.
BAUER: The first rule is no ball is worth a fall. Don't be diving after it. Don't run backwards. You know, at the end of the day, your trophy is no bigger or smaller because there are no trophies. If you're not having fun, please stop playing.
HUANG: Brenda Patterson is Bauer's protege. She's 86 years old, took up pickleball in October, and now she plays five times a week.
BRENDA PATTERSON: It's the group that is encouraging. You miss a ball. Everyone misses a ball. And I always say, if I win or lose, it's not going to change my Social Security check.
HUANG: It can be hard for older adults to get to the gym or to get support to train safely. Some are dealing with pain or other physical limitations. Others might think it's too late to start. And Patterson says it can be off-putting for older people to be told that they should be getting a specific amount of exercise.
PATTERSON: My thing is move. I don't care what you do. Move, and don't turn the television on.
HUANG: The older population in the U.S. is 60 million strong and growing, and their fitness trends are moving in the right direction. The people at the senior center say there's chair yoga and seated aerobics and fitness videos geared towards older people online. They say there's an entry point for everyone. Pien Huang, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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