Starting to exercise in middle age even though you were never blessed with sporting genes, seems like a must after a meal. And yet it is anything but that, because sufficient exercise is essential for a good quality of life from the age of 55 onwards.
In a new study published in the scientific journal PLOS Medicine, Australian scientists followed 11,300 women for 15 years who were between 40 and 50 years old at the start of the study. In terms of exercise, the subjects were divided into three groups: those who always exercised the prescribed 150 minutes per week, those who started doing so in middle age and those who never exercised that amount of time.
An analysis of the health of the participants, which was determined on the basis of a 36-question survey, showed that those who had always exercised sufficiently and those who started at the age of 55 scored three points higher in terms of physical health.
“Our study shows that it is important for women to remain active in middle age to remain as physically healthy as possible later in life. Ideally, women should ensure they meet the recommended weekly prescriptions by age 55,” the researchers said.
The scientists therefore recommend exercising 150 minutes at average intensity every week. Walking at a fast pace, water aerobics, riding the lawn or a game of tennis are all examples of activities that fall under this heading.
