愛污传媒

Skip to main content

Being more active enhances quality of life in older adults, study finds

The study findings indicate that physical activity reduces the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. (photo: pexels) The study findings indicate that physical activity reduces the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. (photo: pexels)
Share

An active lifestyle has a direct correlation to the overall quality of life for adults over the age of 60, according to a peer-reviewed study from the University of Cambridge.

The study of close to 1,500 adults says that older people who maintain an active routine and engage in regular physical activity experience greater benefits in terms of their quality of life than those who do not or who increase their amount of sedentary time, such as watching TV or reading.

The United Kingdom National Health Service recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week for adults, and breaking up prolonged periods of being sedentary or at least standing for older adults, the study says.

The findings indicate that physical activity reduces the risk of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

"Keeping yourself active and limiting 鈥 and where you can, breaking up 鈥 the amount of time you spend sitting down is really important whatever stage of life you're at," Dharani Yerrakalva from the department of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge said in a .

"This seems to be particularly important in later life, when it can lead to potentially significant improvements to your quality of life and your physical and mental well-being."

In an experiment, the research team examined activity levels among 1,433 individuals aged 60 and older to look at health-related quality of life, which included measures of pain, ability to care for oneself, and anxiety or mood.

Based on their responses, participants received a score between zero and one, zero being the worst quality of life and one being the best.

The researchers followed up with the participants six years later on average to look for changes in their behaviour and quality of life.

The result shows that those individuals who did more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with less sedentary time had a higher quality of life.

It found that an hour a day spent more active was associated with a 0.02 higher quality of life score and for every minute a day less engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, quality of life scores dropped by 0.03.

Increases in sedentary behaviours were also associated with poorer quality of life, with a mere 15-minute increase in daily sitting time resulting in a decline of 0.18 to a person's score.

The researchers say that previous work has shown just a 0.1 point improvement in quality of life scores can reduce the risk of early death and hospitalization by 6.9 per and 4.2 per cent, respectively.

"There are several ways in which improvements in our physical behaviours might help maintain a better quality of life," Yerrakalva added.

"For example, more physical activity reduces pain in common conditions such as osteoarthritis, and we know that being more physically active improves muscle strength which allows older adults to continue to care for themselves. Similarly, depression and anxiety are linked to quality of life, and can be improved by being more active and less sedentary."

 
Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.

Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn鈥檛 go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.

The mystery of a 100-year-old letter sent from Manitoba to Ireland is slowly unraveling thanks to the work of one amateur sleuth.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.