Gardening good for over-60s
Tuesday October 29th, 2013
Over-60s who keep up gardening and do-it-yourself activities massively cut their risk of heart disease and stroke, researchers report today.
Researchers
said these day to day domestic activities can be as good as exercise in
protecting health.
According to a Swedish study, these activities can prolong life by nearly a third for people over the age of 60.
The findings come from a study of more than 4,000 people in Stockholm, Sweden, over a period of 12 years.
Researchers found that those with a "generally active" daily life had smaller waists, lower levels of harmful blood fats, lower glucose levels and lower insulin levels than the inactive.
People who undertook formal exercise also showed similar signs of having a healthy circulation - even if they were not active as often as gardeners or DIYers.
Nearly l0% of the participants in the study died during the period, the researchers report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
But the researchers found the most active people were 30% less likely than the least fit to die during this period.
Researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, said: “Our findings are particularly important for older adults, because individuals in this age group tend, compared to other age groups, to spend a relatively greater proportion of their active day performing routine activities as they often find it difficult to achieve recommended exercise intensity levels.”
Christopher Allen, of the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the findings.
He said: “Being physically active is important in maintaining good heart health. But, as this study demonstrates, you don’t need a gym membership to do that.
“As long as they make you feel warmer, breathe harder and make your heart beat faster, activities such as DIY and gardening count towards the 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity recommended for a healthy lifestyle.”
The importance of non-exercise physical activity for cardiovascular health and longevity BJSM 29 October 2013; doi 10.1136/bjsports-2012-092038 [abstract]
Tags: Elderly Health | Europe | Fitness | Heart Health | UK News
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