Old People Who Continue To Exercise Live More Independently

Regular physical activity which keeps old people on their feet can help them stay away from social care.

Physically active older people live more independently and reduce the need for social care, argue experts.

The total cost of social care (including the local authority, self-funding, and informal care) is over £100bn, which is similar to the annual amount the UK spends on healthcare, say Scarlett McNally and colleagues.

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It is important for us to understand the power of daily exercise. Only then can we motivate ourselves to inculcate the habit of exercise on a daily basis.

‘Exercise can reverse the decline and keep a person above the threshold for needing increased care.’

They argue that the effects of aging are often confused with loss of fitness - and it is actually loss of fitness that increases the risk of needing social care.

Figures show that a quarter of women and 20% of men in the UK report doing no activity at all in a week, let alone the recommended minimum 150 minutes to maintain health.

Yet they point to evidence showing that middle-aged and older people "can increase their fitness level to that of an average person a decade younger by regular exercise." Furthermore, the evidence is growing that fitness improves cognitive (mental) ability and reduces the risk of dementia.

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Poor health and recurrent illnesses can severely compromise quality of life for seniors. But with appropriate exercise, seniors can age gracefully and maintain overall good health.

The prevailing attitude that exercise is for young people while older people should be encouraged to relax "needs to be challenged," they write. "Gyms, walking groups, gardening, cooking clubs, and volunteering have all been shown to improve the health and well-being of people at all ages with long-term conditions."

They also call for changes to environments and expectations "to make exercise possible for middle-aged and older people, including open spaces and facilities for active travel." Health and care professionals need better training and support to recommend physical activity like a medicine, say the authors.

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For example, older patients admitted to hospital spend over 80% of their time in a bed and more than 60% reduce their mobility. Yet this can be tackled by a focus on rehabilitation and support to maintain activity by health and care professionals as well as family and friends.

"We need individuals to understand their role in reducing demand for social care by being active," they write. "The gap between the best possible level of ability and actual ability can be reduced at any age, no matter how many long-term conditions the person may have."