Benefits of maintaining a higher level of physical activity during and after middle age
It is claimed that being active in middle age is very important to help maintain health in later life. There are many different forms of exercise or physical activity that can be enjoyed when people become older. Walking is one and is a very good activity for the middle aged or older person. It is not expensive, it can be easy (depending on the type of terrain tackled) and most people can do it by starting with small distances. The main benefits are that it maintains mobility and independence. Walking also gives an improved sense of self-worth and purpose while being enjoyable.
Often people feel that it is too late to start being active and take up exercise when they become older but if someone is mobile, it is never too late to try walking more. Just do a little at a time and then increase the amount when it feels comfortable to do so.
There are many benefits to maintaining a higher level of physical activity in later life. It can:
- help prevent dementia
- reduce anxiety and depression
- strengthen muscles
- strengthen bones and help prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
- keep one’s weight down
- lower the risk of heart disease, strokes, colon cancer and diabetes
- reduce blood pressure
- improve balance and co-ordination
- increase confidence and mood
- improve energy levels
- improve one’s social life
Research can show how important walking or other forms of exercise are. An example of this is a study undertaken to look at the importance of walking in relation to dementia. As the impact of long-term changes in physical activity during adulthood with regards to the primary prevention of dementia had not been fully researched before, the Ohsaki Cohort 2006 Study decided to look at the relationship of changes of physical activity after middle age and incident dementia.
An article in Age and Ageing gives the details of the research conducted in Japan. 6,909 disability-free Japanese people, aged 65 or over were assessed, during 1994 and 2006, on their individual amount of time spent walking per day. The study used a self-reporting questionnaire with which the participants were asked whether they walked:
- less than 0.5 hours a day
- between 0.5 hours – 1 hour a day
- more than 1 hour a day
The participants were then categorised into 9 groups according to the changes in time spent walking over the relevant periods. Data on incident dementia were retrieved from the public Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI) Database in which participants were followed up for 5.7 years (between April 2007 – November 2012). The Cox model was used for estimating the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HRs) of incident dementia.
The results showed that the 5.7 year incidence of dementia was 9.2%. Compared with people who remained in the lowest category of time spent walking (less than 0.5hours per day in both 1994 and 2006), people who remained in the highest category (more than 1 hour per day in both 1994 and 2006) had a significantly lower risk of incident dementia.
The conclusion was that the results suggested that a key strategy for the prevention of dementia in older age could be maintaining a higher level of physical activity after middle age.
So, find your walking shoes and move your way towards a healthier and more enjoyable lifestyle.
For the article about the Ohsaki Cohurt 2006 Study, please visit https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ageing/afx078/3799582/changes-in-time-spent-walking-and-the-risk-of?