Sports in old age Life extending

Sport in old age ensures a healthy standard of living

27/11/2013

Aging in good health? Yes, that is possible. Even those who start to practice sports late have good prospects of spending their old age without any great restrictions.

How long and how often one should exercise in old age, have studied British scientists in a study in more detail. For this purpose, the researchers studied over a period of eight years, 3,500 people at the average age of 64 years. The results of this study were published in the journal „British Journal of Sports Medicine, which showed that regular and moderately practiced physical exertion can increase the chances of a lifetime without chronic and physical restrictions by a factor of seven, but not only physical fitness was an indicator of a healthy lifestyle For aging in good health, scientists also counted on mental health and the ability to build and maintain social contacts, as at the end of the study around a fifth of seniors belonged to this group.

This is in line with the findings of the study published in February this year „Physical activity“ the Department of Epidemiology of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). In this study, researchers investigated the effects of regular physical activity on adult health. Again, researchers concluded that regular exercise not only reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and musculoskeletal disorders, but also helps build social contacts and human resources. These factors were also identified in this study for a better quality of life in old age and as a basis for permanent self-employment in old age. A hectic daily routine and a lack of exercise were described by the WHO as causes of mortality.

But even those who start practicing sports only at an advanced age increase their chance by three times. This was evident in about ten percent of study participants who had not been physically active in the past. In order to obtain meaningful results, the scientists also considered factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and the financial status of the participants in the study.

Regular exercise slows down aging
The long-term study confirmed the findings of the physicians, according to which regular sports in older people can slow down the aging. Regular exercise not only strengthens the cardiovascular system, but can also have a positive effect on lung and tumor diseases and mental illness. The study also showed that conversely, the risk of illness, such as heart attacks or strokes, increases with lack of exercise. (Fr)

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