Early start boosts quality of life in older age
A study of women shows the benefits of beginning a regular exercise routine in your 40s, 50s, and beyond.
A new study of more than 10,000 Australian women has shown a significant link between regular exercise during middle age and physical health later in life.
The University of Sydney research found it is important for women to be active throughout mid-age to gain the most benefits for physical health in later life.
Ideally, women should increase their activity levels to meet the guidelines by age 55.
In the study, researchers used data collected at three-year intervals beginning in 1996 from 11,336 women aged between 47 and 52.
Participants were classified into three groups:
Those who met World Health Organization (WHO) physical activity guidelines (150 minutes of activity a week) consistently throughout the 15-year period
Those who did not initially meet the guidelines but started to meet them at age 55, 60, or 65
Those who never met the guidelines.
The effect of physical activity was significant even after controlling for socioeconomic factors and pre-existing health diagnoses. However, there was no significant association between physical activity and mental health.
“Combined with existing evidence, this study contributes to growing evidence of the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in mid-age,” the authors said.
“An important public health message is that being active for as many years as possible, even if women start to meet physical activity guidelines in their mid-50s, could have important health benefits in terms of physical health, especially in physical functioning.”
Exercise and physical activity improve health and prolongs quality of life, in areas including cardiovascular disease, incident hypertension, cancers, type-2 diabetes, mental health (reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression), cognitive health, and sleep.
Physical activity also helps prevent falls and falls-related injuries and declines in bone health and functional ability.
There are four main types of beneficial exercise:
Cardiovascular
Strength building
Flexibility activities
Balancing activities.
According to WHO, older adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity throughout the week.
Older adults should also do muscle strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on two or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
Details of the WHO recommendations are here.
Related reading: Sydney University, WHO, Health Direct
