Researchers from the University of Sydney have highlighted why it’s important for middle-aged women to keep up with fitness activities later in their lives.
For centuries we have understood the importance of fitness for maintaining health, both physical and mental. Naturally, as we get older and slower, some of these habits start to lose priority status in our heads. As such, studies have shown that post-menopause women tend to reduce their physical activity .)levels.
Why it’s so Important for middle-aged women to keep up with their fitness
Australia’s Binh Nguyen recently published a study in the PLOS Medicine journal that looked at the relationship between health and middle-aged women. To conduct their research, the team analyzed a data set that began back in 1996 from 11,336 people.
The women were then sorted into two groups, with one being those who subscribed to WHO’s physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes a week. At three-year intervals, participants were then asked to complete a survey that noted both their physical and mental health.
Interestingly, the researchers found that women who consistently met physical activity guidelines had a three-point higher PCS than those who didn’t. The same could also be said for those who started to meet guidelines at the age of 55.
What does this mean?
Following the study, the researchers have urged middle-aged women to take a look at fitness and activity and improve it if necessary. The potential health benefits are too good to miss.
“Combined with existing evidence, this study contributes to growing evidence of the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in mid-age,” the authors said. “An important public health message is that being active for as many years as possible, even if women start to meet physical activity guidelines in their mid-50s, could have important health benefits in terms of physical health, especially in physical functioning.”
They added: “Our study shows that it’s important for women to be active throughout mid-age to gain the most benefits for physical health in later life. Ideally, women should increase their activity levels to meet the guidelines by age 55.”
