Promoting Physical Activity for Older People

Regular physical activity can help older people maintain and improve their mental health and cognitive ability, delay the onset of dementia, and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.  It can also improve other functional abilities, including physical function and balance, thereby preventing falls and fall-related injuries.  Being physically active helps to prevent heart disease and cancer, and to prevent and manage chronic conditions such as Type-2 diabetes and hypertension.  Just as importantly, physical activity brings social benefits - as being active offers the chance to build relationships and strengthen networks; enabling continued contribution to society.  The World Health Organisation has recently produced a ‘Toolkit for Action’ to help to increase the proportion of older people participating in physical activity.  See it at: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/373332/9789240076648-eng.pdf