Fitness Over 50 Survey

By Sondra Forsyth

Staying active over 50 is just as important as staying fit in younger years – if not more so. According to a survey of people who use the activity tracker called Fitbit, today’s 50+ demographic is proving it’s not only staying active, but it’s technologically savvy, using fitness trackers to stay accountable and achieve fitness goals.

The survey, fielded in August 2015 among nearly 1,500 Fitbit tracker product owners who self-identified as being over the age of 55, revealed the following:

1. 93% participate in a fitness activity at least once a week, with 90% saying they participate in a fitness activity multiple times a week.
2. Improving and/or maintaining their heart health is their primary fitness goal (66%) followed closely by looking to be healthy for medical purposes (59%) or shape up/tone their body (57%).
3. The average daily step count of this group is 8,540. That’s higher than the 5,100 steps the average American walks.
4. 90% of respondents believe that Fitbit motivates them to be more active, and believe using Fitbit helps them to achieve their fitness goals (88%).
5. 78% agree that their activity level has increased since they started using a Fitbit.
6. 85% report wearing their tracker 7 out of the past 7 days.

Here are tips for staying active:

1. Skip the Lift and Take the Extra Step: Opt to take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. It’s good for your heart…and your whole body! Pick a parking spot that’s furthest from the building to get in some extra steps and track your progress using a Fitbit activity tracker to help you reach your step goal – whether it’s 10,000 steps/day or you’re just pushing yourself to do more than you did the week before.
2. Sitting is the new smoking: Get up every hour to walk for at least a few minutes—and watch your step count climb! In an office? Head to the break room to refill your water bottle, see how many steps it takes to get around the building, or sneak in a set of stairs.
3. 30 Min. a Day Keeps the Dr. Away: The CDC recommends getting 2.5 hours of moderate activity each week. Set a goal to work up to 30 minutes a day; walking, biking, swimming, golfing and other low-impact activities all count! Need to start off with 10 minutes/day and work your way up? Every min. counts!
4. Sleep in: Did you know that sleep deprivation leads our bodies to change the way we regulate our appetite and can have implications on both our overall health and how rested we feel? Are you sleepy even after you’ve had a cup of coffee? Most Fitbit trackers can track your sleep and let you know when you could use a few more ZZZ’s.
5. Drink water, especially when exercising:  How much water you need is specific to you. There are lots of tips out there for figuring out how much you should be drinking, from 8 glasses/day to half your body weight in oz. Set a daily water consumption goal and track your progress by logging your intake on the Fitbit app.
6. Keep your heart happy: Increasing physical activity helps improve blood circulation and keeps your weight under control, putting less stress on the heart. When using an activity tracker with heart rate tracking like Fitbit Charge HR you can track your all day heart rate trends, get simplified heart rate zones and monitor your resting heart rate over time.