A recent study conducted by Inserm confirmed that any physical activity, even light, is beneficial for the health of people over 65.
- According to INSERM: “people who have physical activity equivalent to an hour and a half of daily walking, at a normal pace, have a mortality risk reduced by more than 30% compared to people who do not reach this level activity.”
- It is recommended to increase our physical activity time as much as possible to avoid being inactive or sedentary.
- Walking, cleaning or gardening can constitute light physical activity.
It is recommended that everyone practice a sport adapted to their age and physical abilities to improve their health. Daily physical activities, such as walking, domestic chores or gardening, should not be neglected from a certain age. A study carried out over nearly 20 years helped confirm that there is no activity that is useless for our health. This benefit is even more marked in women, diabetics and hypertensives. Researchers found that in these populations, the death rate was significantly lower than in people who did not achieve the recommended level of physical activity.
Reduced risk of mortality in people who move
Researchers observed that people with physical activity equivalent to 1.5 hours of daily walking, at a normal pace, have a mortality risk reduced by more than 30% compared to those who do no activity. In addition, this benefit is 2.5 times greater when it lasts more than 3 hours. These results confirm the WHO recommendations which recommend that adults practice at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity per week, in periods of at least 10 minutes.
Sedentary lifestyle, enemy number 1
Increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, colon, lung and endometrial cancers, type 2 diabetes and increased anxiety, depression and musculoskeletal disorders are all risks caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Being inactive for long periods of time can affect even athletic people. The results highlight the importance of staying active even if you cannot practice intensive sport. And thus, increase the amount of light physical activity, in particular by encouraging walking rather than driving, for example, household chores, etc., in order to reduce sedentary time as much as possible.
