Exercise can be advantageous for older people helping to stay fit and healthy in later life. But new benefits keep being discovered – and now a study from Finland’s Jyväskylä University Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Centre has found that multiple chronic health conditions or risk factors need be no bar to exercise for seniors. (Although, unsurprisingly, you should start any fitness programme safely and at the right level of intensity.)
28th May 2024
What’s more, overall health and functional capacity are enhanced by being more active and improving your fitness, whether chronic diseases are present or not.
The university’s year-long, multi-disciplinary programme involved more than 300 participants aged between 70 and 85 who had previously led sedentary lives and were less physically active than recommended. Following the intervention, aerobic endurance, physical activity, muscle strength and power all improved.
Those who took part had a check-up before beginning their exercise regime, and the programme was deemed safe before people got started. The project included muscle strength, balance, aerobic endurance and mobility training.
There were questionnaires at the start and after six and then 12 months of the programme, then a year following the end of the intervention. Various tests to measure physical fitness included a six-minute walking test, a five-times chair/stand assessment, muscle power and aerobic endurance exams and muscle strength measurements.
Chronic diseases and associated risk factors accounted for some 12% of the differences in fitness and physical activity between participants at the baseline of the study, but only 3% of the changes during the programme of exercise.
For the purposes of this study, all risk factors and chronic conditions were considered as a cluster. This meant researchers looked not just at the overall impact of multi-morbidity (the presence of at least two chronic illnesses or their risk factors in one person), but also at the independent significance of risk factors and diseases.
And, while the impact of various illnesses on fitness and physical activity were different, most conditions made no real difference to either. Organisers have described this as a ‘positive surprise’.
According to the NHS, adults aged 65 or older should be physically active daily, and exercise to improve their strength, flexibility and balance on at least two days of the week. They should also minimise how much time they spend lying down or sitting, to break up any lengthy periods of inactivity.
The rule of thumb is to complete at least 150 weekly minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 of vigorous-intensity exercise for those who are already active – or a combination of both.
An outdoor gym provides a safe, enjoyable and sociable place for working out. At Fresh Air Fitness, we have many options for outdoor gym equipment which everyone will love using, including those with chronic underlying health conditions and seniors.
We supply residential care homes, council and local authority settings and schools, housing associations and more, and we could help you, too. Our products are suitable for all ages and abilities, and come with a warranty of up to 25 years; plus we have dozens of different products on offer, and will be with your outdoor fitness project from start to finish.
Get in touch today for further information, to arrange a complimentary site visit, quote or discuss funding opportunities currently available for your project.
Back to all blog posts