The short answer
- No single type of exercise covers everythingOlder people need aerobic activity for the heart and lungs, and separate strength, balance and flexibility work for the muscles that prevent falls.
- 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week is the NHS targetThat is 30 minutes five days a week, or fewer, longer sessions of anything that raises the breathing while still allowing conversation.
- Strength and balance work on at least two days a weekChair-based exercises, resistance bands, yoga, tai chi and pilates all count, on the same or different days as the aerobic activity.
- Adapt the type, do not drop exercise altogetherA wheelchair, a walking frame or being mostly in bed all still leave real options. Almost everyone gets some benefit from exercise; the gap is that many older people are simply never offered it.
Guidance in this article follows the NHS physical activity guidelines for adults aged 65 and over, current for 2026.
The four types
Why no single type of exercise is best
Families searching for the best exercise for an older parent usually land on one confident answer: walking, swimming or yoga. The fuller answer is that older people need a mix of types, because each does a different job and none of them covers what the others do.
Aerobic (endurance)
Raises the heart rate and breathing
Strength
Works the muscles to the point of needing a rest
Balance
Improves steadiness on the feet
Flexibility
Keeps joints moving through their full range
The NHS groups the last three together in its guidance for older adults, and lists yoga, tai chi and pilates as examples of muscle-strengthening activity as well as balance and flexibility work, because a well-taught class usually does all three at once. What matters for a family working this out is less which shelf each activity sits on and more that a week needs some aerobic activity and some strength, balance or flexibility work, not just one of them. How can I build strength at 80? goes into the strength side in full, and how do I stop stooping in old age? covers posture and balance in more depth than fits here.
A week that covers all of them
What a week that meets the guidance looks like
The NHS advises adults aged 65 and over to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week, alongside some movement every day. Here is one way to fit that into an ordinary week.
A brisk 40-minute walk
Round the local streets or to the shops with someone else. Working hard enough to still talk but not sing.
40 minutes
A seated strength routine
Sit-to-stand from a chair, wall push-ups and standing on one foot holding the worktop, three rounds of each.
25 minutes
A 40-minute swim or gentle cycle
Water aerobics or a ride on a level path both count, and are easier on the joints than walking.
40 minutes
Gardening, housework or a slow walk
No formal session today. Moving through the day rather than sitting for long spells still counts towards staying active.
A brisk 40-minute walk
The same route as Monday, or a dance class if one is nearby.
40 minutes
A yoga or tai chi class
A class aimed at older adults, or a short video followed at home, keeps joints supple and improves balance.
30 minutes
A gentler 30-minute walk
A slower pace with family, bringing the week to 150 minutes of aerobic activity.
30 minutes
This week adds up to 150 minutes of aerobic activity and 2 days of strength and balance work, the NHS minimum for adults aged 65 and over. Move the sessions to whichever days suit better, the totals are what matter.
Swimming is worth a mention on its own, because it gives a full aerobic session with almost no strain on the joints, which suits anyone with arthritis or a hip or knee that aches on land. The swimming for seniors guide has more on getting started, and is climbing stairs a good exercise for the elderly? looks at an everyday alternative that builds both aerobic fitness and leg strength at once.
Matching exercise to ability
What still works when walking or standing has become hard
The guidance above assumes someone can walk and stand reasonably comfortably. Needs change, sometimes quickly after a fall, an illness or a hospital stay, and the exercise has to change with them rather than stop altogether.
| Aerobic | Strength | Balance and flexibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gets about independently | Brisk walking, swimming, cycling | Weights, resistance bands, bodyweight moves | Tai chi, yoga, standing on one leg |
| Uses a stick or a frame | A slower walk, water aerobics | Seated resistance band and bodyweight moves | Seated or standing exercises holding a worktop |
| Uses a wheelchair | Wheeling outside, seated exercise videos | Seated weights and resistance bands for the arms | Seated reaching and turning exercises |
| Mostly in a chair or in bed | Arm movements to raise the heart rate a little | Gentle resistance for the arms shown by a physiotherapist | Range-of-movement exercises for the joints |
Gets about independently
- Aerobic
- Brisk walking, swimming, cycling
- Strength
- Weights, resistance bands, bodyweight moves
- Balance and flexibility
- Tai chi, yoga, standing on one leg
Uses a stick or a frame
- Aerobic
- A slower walk, water aerobics
- Strength
- Seated resistance band and bodyweight moves
- Balance and flexibility
- Seated or standing exercises holding a worktop
Uses a wheelchair
- Aerobic
- Wheeling outside, seated exercise videos
- Strength
- Seated weights and resistance bands for the arms
- Balance and flexibility
- Seated reaching and turning exercises
Mostly in a chair or in bed
- Aerobic
- Arm movements to raise the heart rate a little
- Strength
- Gentle resistance for the arms shown by a physiotherapist
- Balance and flexibility
- Range-of-movement exercises for the joints
A GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist can set the right starting point for the last two rows in particular, and the NHS's fitness advice for wheelchair users goes further than this table can.
Moving down this table over time is common and not a failure of anything, it usually means age or a health condition has caught up with the body rather than that exercise has stopped being worth doing. What changes is the type that fits, not whether exercise still helps. Activities for elderly parents sorts a much wider range of ideas, not only exercise, by the same four levels of ability.
Exercising safely
How to start without causing harm
None of the exercise above is worth much if it causes a fall or an injury. A few checks before starting, and a few signs to watch for once exercise is underway, keep it safe.
Before building up any of the exercise on this page
0 of 6 ticked
Check first
Build up gradually
Stop and rest if
The full NHS guidance is set out in the physical activity guidelines for older adults, including specific advice for anyone who has fallen or is worried about falling. If a fall does happen despite these precautions, how to deal with a fall sets out what to do next, and where balance and mobility are the main day-to-day concern, mobility and falls care is the fuller guide to that side of things.
Getting support to stay active
Where a carer fits in
Building any of this into a week is easier with somebody else there, whether that is a steadying arm on a walk, company at a class, or simply a reminder that today is a strength day.
Company on a walk or at a class
Companionship carers
Help with exercises at home
Hourly carers
A named contact who knows the plan
Consistency matters
Ideas beyond exercise
The wider picture
PrimeCarers is an introductory service: it does not provide or manage care itself. Every carer on the platform has an online interview, and an identity check, a right to work check and an enhanced DBS check on the Update Service before their profile goes live, and they are insured while they work. Search hourly carers or companionship carers near your parent to see rates, experience and availability, message the ones who sound like a good fit, and there is no obligation to book. Activities to do in later life has more ideas for the time between exercise sessions.
Questions
Questions families ask about exercise for older people
There is no single best type. The NHS recommends a mix: at least 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling, plus activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility, such as resistance exercises, yoga or tai chi, on at least two days a week. Doing only one type, walking alone for example, leaves out the muscle and balance work that keeps somebody steady on their feet.
At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, spread however suits best. Alongside that, activities that build strength, balance and flexibility should happen on at least two days a week, and some light movement, such as gardening or a slow walk round the house, is worth fitting in every day.
Both. The NHS lists yoga, tai chi and pilates as examples of muscle-strengthening activity, and they also build balance and flexibility at the same time, which is why a good class can cover most of the two-day-a-week target in one session. They do not count towards the 150 minutes of aerobic activity, which needs a separate activity such as walking or swimming.
Seated exercises still cover all three areas: wheeling outside or a seated exercise video for the aerobic side, resistance bands or light weights worked from a chair for strength, and seated reaching or turning exercises for balance and flexibility. A physiotherapist or occupational therapist can set a safe starting point, and the NHS publishes fitness advice for wheelchair users that goes into more detail.
Before starting or increasing activity after a fall, a hospital stay, a new diagnosis, or if they feel breathless on only mild effort. Most healthy older people do not need a doctor's sign-off to begin gentle activity such as walking, but it is worth asking if there is any doubt.
A useful check for aerobic activity is whether they can still talk but not sing during it, which marks moderate intensity. Chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness or unsteadiness are signs to stop and rest rather than push through. If sessions leave them exhausted for the rest of the day, or they are avoiding exercise altogether because the last one hurt, it is worth scaling back and building up more slowly.
Yes. A companionship carer can walk with your parent or go with them to a class, and an hourly carer can be there while they do exercises at home and notice early if something is wrong. Companion carers on PrimeCarers charge £15 to £20 an hour and hourly carers charge £18 to £25 an hour, both with our fee included. Search carers near you to see rates and availability.