What exercise do you partake in?
Age UK reveals today that less than half of over 55s are doing the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise per week with one in eight not doing any exercise at all.
But the research released highlights that three in ten would like to take part in more exercise.
Whilst the new research shows many older people are keen walkers and often undertake activities around the home such as gardening, only 8% currently go to the gym regularly and 8% do aerobic exercise. However, older people are keen to take part in more exercise and try something new. Over a quarter said they wanted to try swimming, with 15% mentioning they would be interested in going to the gym, 14% keen to go along to classes such as yoga or Pilates and 12% interested in aerobic exercise. More than one in five also mentioned that they prefer to exercise in a group where they may or may not know people.
Emma Spragg, Head of Wellbeing Services at Age UK, said: “Exercise is good for your physical and mental health whatever your age, but it’s especially important as we get older, so it’s great that this research shows that people want to keep more active in later life. We hope our Gym Open Day will encourage people to get involved and try something new for free today.
“This is a great opportunity to discover or rediscover how exercise can suit your lifestyle and level of ability, and find out just how rewarding keeping fit can be. Anyone over the age of 55 will be able to visit one of the participating gyms today for free to take part in a range of activities or simply pick up some information guides packed with health and wellbeing advice.”
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