A research team from Yale School of Medicine in America has found that the key to preventing disabilities in old age is as simple as taking a 20-minute walk every day.
The study is a first in trying to detect the triggers and preventative measures between staying mobile or becoming housebound in ageing. The study analysed 1635 sedentary men and women between ages 70 and 89 that could walk for 15 minutes, but were as risk of losing that ability due to physical deterioration.
The participants were separated into two groups and were followed for two years, one group walking for 150 minutes per week with strength, fitness and balance training and the second group performed stretching exercises only.
Every six months the participants were assessed and each assessment confirmed the same results: moderate activity helped volunteers maintain their ability to walk at a rate 18 per cent higher than older adults who did not exercise, and there was a 28 per cent reduction in people permanently losing the ability to walk easily.
Co-Principal Investigator Jack Guralnik said: “The fact that we had an even bigger impact on persistent disability is very good. It implies that a greater percentage of the adults who had physical activity intervention recovered when they did develop mobility disability.”
Maintaining functional independence is an important part of a positive ageing process, so the small change in lifestyle could have big rewards for you later.
If you’re unsure of how to get that 20-minute walk in your day, you could try the following things:
It seems like a small thing now, but it could have huge impacts on keeping you happy, mobile and healthy later on in life.
Do you walk? How often and how far? What extra tips and tricks can you share on getting a few extra steps in every day?