benefits of physical activity for older adults

Association of Leisure Time Physical Activity Types and Risks of All-Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality Among Older Adults. “So, the most important thing an inactive older adult can do to improve their health is find an activity that they enjoy and can stick with.” Existing research has established the myriad of health and well-being benefits of physical activity and exercise in older adults higher levels of physical activity have been linked with better physical health (e.g., reduced inflammatory indicators Kohut et al., 2006), more positive psychological well-being (e.g. “We found that all types of recreational activities that get people moving are associated with greater longevity,” Watts says. However, people who got the recommended amount of exercise, regardless of activity, had a reduced risk of death from both cancer and heart disease. Racquet sports were associated with the greatest risk reduction for death from heart disease. Running was associated with the greatest risk reduction for death from cancer. But these returns diminished as activity increased to high and very high levels.

The risk of death continued to decrease with additional activity beyond the recommended levels. Participation in racquet sports and running was associated with the greatest risk reductions, but all activities provided benefit. Those considered active - with at least the amount of aerobic activity recommended by the guidelines - had a 13% lower risk of death compared with inactive participants. Older adults who participated in any combination of these activities but did not meet the recommendations in the physical activity guidelines had a 5% lower risk of death during the study then those who were inactive. That was followed by other aerobic exercise, cycling, golf, swimming, running, and racquet sports. 24, 2022, in JAMA Network Open.Īmong older adults who exercised regularly, walking was the most common activity. They compared reductions in that risk provided by different levels and different types of physical activity. The researchers examined the risk of death during the 12 years of the study. These were running or jogging, cycling (outdoors or on a stationary bike), swimming, other aerobic exercise (such as aerobics class or using exercise machines), racquet sports, golf, and walking. It also recorded participation in seven different recreational activities. The study captured information on health conditions, habits like smoking and alcohol use, socioeconomic status, and diet. When they responded to a follow-up questionnaire between 20, they had an average age of 70.

The participants were first surveyed in the mid-1990s. Eleanor Watts analyzed data from more than 272,000 participants in a national health survey. To understand whether older adults benefit from various types of exercises, NIH researchers led by Dr. And many did not track different levels of various types of activities. But these studies have largely been done in younger adults. Previous studies have found that a wide variety of leisure-time physical activities can provide health benefits.

Benefits of physical activity for older adults