The World Health Organization (WHO) blames inactivity for over 3 million deaths every year, mostly in industrialized countries, adding to the large and well-founded body of research indicating that exercise is one of the central factors in determining health outcomes. As people get older, there is greater risk of health problems caused or contributed to by inactivity, which can mutually reinforce other risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure and height blood sugar. WHO recommends at least 150 minutes a week of medium intensity aerobic activity for older adults.
Key Takeaways:
- Death in older adults is not merely attributable to disease and inevitable decay, but can also stem from inactivity.
- In fact, among the older world-wide population, there is research to suggest that as many as 3.2 million die annually specifically due to immobility.
- As humans age their chances of getting non-communicable and chronic conditions gets higher, which only increases with a higher degree of inactivity.
“There is evidence from high quality studies to strongly support the positive association between increased levels of physical activity, exercise participation and improved health in older adults.”
Read more: https://pmj.bmj.com/content/90/1059/26
