The importance of exercise to stay healthy, energetic and independent as you get older
Many adults aged 65 and over spend, on average, 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary age group.
They're paying a high price for their inactivity, with higher rates of falls, obesity, heart disease and early death compared with the general population.
As you get older, it becomes even more important to remain active if you want to stay healthy and maintain your independence.
If you do not stay active, all the things you've always enjoyed doing and taken for granted may start to become that little bit harder.
You may struggle to pursue simple pleasures, such as playing with the grandchildren, walking to the shops, leisure activities and meeting up with friends.
You might start to get aches and pains you never had before and have less energy to go out. You may also be more vulnerable to falling.
This can all lead to being less able to look after yourself and do the things you enjoy.
Strong evidence
There's strong evidence that people who are active have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and dementia.
If you want to stay pain-free, reduce your risk of mental illness, and be able to go out and stay independent well into old age, you're advised to keep moving.
Recent evidence suggests that regular exercise can reduce the risk of falling in older adults.
It's that simple. There are lots of ways you can get active, and it's not just about exercising.
"As people get older and their bodies decline in function, physical activity helps to slow that decline," says Dr Nick Cavill, a health-promotion consultant.
"It's important they remain active or even increase their activity as they get older."
Most people as they get older want to stay in touch with society – their community, friends and neighbours – and being active can ensure they keep doing that.
What is physical activity?
Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. It includes anything from walking and gardening to recreational sport.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week.
Ideally, you should try to do something every day, preferably in bouts of 10 minutes of activity or more.
One way of achieving 150 minutes of activity is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.
posted Tuesday December 15th
by NHS