How Much Exercise Do We Need Over the Age of 50?
UcanACT partner, AIFI - Italian Association of Physiotherapy, shares their expertise with us.
As you age, staying active could save you money and give you more years of good life and happiness.
In adults, a high level of sedentary behaviour is associated with poor health outcomes, such as:
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all-cause mortality,
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cardiovascular disease mortality,
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cancer mortality,
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incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
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type-2 diabetes.
Can older adults act to prevent these health outcomes?
Yes! You should keep moving to avoid getting unwell!
Research demonstrates that physical activity brings benefits for many health outcomes, including decreasing:
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all-cause mortality,
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cardiovascular disease mortality,
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incident hypertension,
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incident site-specific cancers,
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incident type-2 diabetes,
and improving:
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mental health (reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression);
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cognitive health,
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sleep,
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adiposity - possible improvement.
How much exercise should every adult over 50 years old do?
According to WHO recommendations, adults should perform the following amounts of activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits:
➔ at least 150– 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or
➔ or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity,
➔ or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity.
Throughout the week, for additional health benefits, adults may:
➔ increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes,
➔ engage in more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or
➔ perform an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
Let's note the following:
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Doing some physical activity is better than none.
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If adults do not meet the above recommendations, doing some physical activity will benefit their health.
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Adults should start by doing small amounts of physical activity and gradually increase the frequency, intensity, and duration over time.
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Adults should limit the amount of sedentary time spent.
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Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits.
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To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.
Workout advice for over 50s:
✔️ Prioritise full-body sessions over isolating muscle groups.
✔️ Keep activities varied.
✔️ Prioritise form over load.
✔️ Flexibility, mobility, and safety are paramount.
✔️ Consider working with a PT or joining some classes.
✔️ Start by working on basic movement drills.
✔️ Stay consistent.
UcanACT - good luck!
Ref.: World Health Organisation, 2024. Physical activity: https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity