There is a link between psychological well-being and physical activity in adults aged 50 and over, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal. Indeed, sport improves mood and psychological well-being makes it more inclined to practice a sporting activity.
Researchers at Chapman University in the UK conducted an eleven-year study, in which participants were asked about the frequency and intensity of their physical activity at work and in their free time. They have been classified into activity categories: sedentary, low activity, moderate activity and high activity.
The study included 9,986 adults over the age of 50 who were assessed up to six times over an average of 11 years. The average age of the participants was 63.7 years.
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Improve the psychological well-being and physical activity of the elderly
“Researchers have long studied how physical activity can lead to improved mood and feelings,” says Julia Boehm, lead author of the study. “However, we wanted to understand if being happy and optimistic could encourage a person to be physically active.”
The researchers found that a higher level of psychological well-being at the start of the study was associated with higher levels of physical activity for more than a decade.
They also observed that people at the start of the study who had a high level of psychological well-being and who were initially physically active were less likely to become inactive over time.
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Older people who are not very active
Rates of physical activity are relatively low in middle-aged adults and gradually decline until age 75. It is therefore a question of identifying not only the modifiable factors which reduce the probability of a decline in activity levels, or which contribute to the initiation and maintenance of physical activity in the elderly. This is because interventions that increase athletic activity can reduce the burden of ill health later in life.
For seniors, happiness is (above all) health
“These findings have implications for healthcare as professionals often have difficulty persuading seniors to increase physical activity,” said Dr Boehm. “The results of this study suggest that higher levels of psychological well-being may precede increased physical activity. It is therefore possible that psychological well-being is a novel way not only to improve psychological health. but also to increase physical activity “.
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