Increasing levels of physical activity in the elderly appears to be as good for health as quitting smoking, the Oslo II study showed.
Analysis of data from study participants showed that less than one hour per week of light physical activity was not associated with any significant reduction in the risk of death from any cause.
Doing more than one hour of physical activity regardless of intensity was associated with a 32% to 56% lower risk of cardiovascular death or death from any other cause.
On the other hand, less than an hour of vigorous physical activity was associated with a 23% to 37% risk reduction of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause.
The more time spent exercising vigorously, the lower the risk appeared to be, dropping between 36% and 49%.
Considering that the risk of death from heart disease / stroke increases with age, it only made a small difference in the results.
Men who regularly engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity during their free time lived five years longer, on average, than those classified as sedentary.
The researchers base their findings on the people who participated in the Oslo Study, which invited nearly 26,000 men born between 1923 and 1932 for a medical check-up in 1972-73 (Oslo I).
In total, 15,000 men participated in this long-term study. Study participants were checked for height, weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and asked if they smoked.
They were also asked to respond to a validated survey about their weekly levels of physical activity in their free time.
The levels of physical activity were classified according to:
• Sedentary (watching television / reading);
• Light (walking or biking, even to and from work for at least 4 hours a week);
• Moderate (formal exercise, sports activities, vigorous gardening for at least 4 hours a week);
• Vigorous (hard training or competitive sports several times a week).
About 6,000 of the surviving men repeated the process in 2000 (Oslo II) and were monitored for almost 12 years to see if their level of physical activity over time was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, or any cause. , and if their impact were equivalent to quitting smoking.
During the follow-up period, 2,154 of the 5,738 men who had participated in both health checks died.
Overall, this study showed that 30 minutes of light or vigorous intensity physical activity 6 days a week was associated with a 40% lower risk of death from any cause.
As an observational study, no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the researchers note that only the healthiest participants in the first wave of the study participated in the second wave, which may have reduced the overall absolute risk of death. .
But the differences in the risk of death between those who were inactive and active were striking, even at the age of 73, they suggest.
The study clearly shows that more effort must be made to encourage older men to be physically active, and medical professionals emphasize the wide range of diseases that could be prevented as a result, the researchers conclude.
Working with a certified fitness trainer to get an exercise program that you can manage and work on your daily activity can add years to your life.
