15 minutes of daily sports activity would improve the health of seniors and reduce their risk of death, according to the results of a study presented at the EuroPRevent 2016 Congress of the European Society of Cardiology and published on the Eurekalert website. A reasonable goal that is easier to achieve than the 150 minutes of exercise per week recommended by health professionals.
Researchers from the Saint-Etienne University Hospital in France studied the medical data of two cohorts. For 12 years, they studied 1011 French subjects aged 65. They also followed for 10 years, 122,417 international subjects aged 60 years.
The risks of death associated with the intensity of physical activity among seniors
Physical activity was measured in “MET” (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) minutes per week which reveals the following levels of inactivity:
1 MET minute = amount of energy expended while sitting.
Between 3 and 5.9 MET minutes = moderate intensity activity
6 MET minutes = vigorous intensity activity
Recommended levels of exercise are equivalent to 500 to 1,000 MET minutes / week.
The authors examined the associated risk of death for the four intensities of weekly physical activity measured in METs.
15 minutes of sports activity reduces the risk of death for seniors
The results of the study showed that the risk of death decreases as the level of exercise increases. Compared to those who were inactive, people with low, medium and high activity levels see their risk of death reduced by 22%, 28% and 35%, respectively.
“We found that the low level of activity, which is half the recommended amount, was associated with a reduced risk of death in the elderly compared to those who were inactive by 22%,” said Dr. Hupine. “This level of activity is equivalent to 15 minutes of brisk walking each day.”
“Age is no excuse for not exercising,” said Dr Hupine. “It is well established that regular physical activity has a better overall effect on health than any medical treatment. But less than half of seniors achieve the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise each week. “
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