To age well, walking is not enough exercise, according to a study of physical activity in Australians over age 65. Lead author of the study Merom Dafna, M. D., from the University of Western Sydney, School of Science and Health, said that to maximize health gains in old age, the elderly need to engage in a range of activities that improve not only cardio respiratory fitness but also muscle strength, flexibility and balance.
At age 65, Australian men and women are expected to live an additional 18 and 20 years respectively, and are facing the challenges of aging successfully, ” Dafna said in an August 8 press release. “Participation in regular physical activity, and the types of physical activity undertaken, may discriminate between adults who successfully age from those who do not.
Results from the study showed that of those surveyed, 32% had not exercised at all in the past year, and 40% participated in only one type of activity. Of those, 53% engaged exclusively in walking.
The top four prevalent sports for men and women combined after walking (45.6%) were bowling (9.9%), aerobics/calisthenics (9.1%), golf (7.7%) and swimming (6.4%). Gym work, cycling, tennis, dancing, fishing, tai chi, weight lifting and yoga were reported by fewer than 5% of older adults.
“Walking may not provide optimal protection for prevalent adverse health conditions. For example, the most efficacious exercise programs for falls prevention were those that included high-challenge balance training, for example, or tai chi, ” Dafna said. “While those that only walked are one step ahead of those not participating in physical activity at all. To improve their health, they should increase their participation in a wide range of activities that will improve balance, coordination and reaction time.”
