UK Report Links Poor Street Conditions to Lower Activity Among Older Adults

A report from the health and social care select committee states that potholes, unsafe crossings and a lack of public benches are limiting physical activity among older adults in the UK. The committee said these conditions have been designed into daily life for older people and that exercise is as important as medicine. 4 billion each year.

The report called for local repairs to poorly paved streets and unsafe crossings, along with national transport and planning decisions that make movement easier. It also recommended adding more toilets and seating in public areas. The NHS advises adults to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week and to perform muscle-strengthening and balance exercises at least twice weekly.

Data cited in the report shows that 44 per cent of people aged 75 or older complete less than 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. The committee recommended that the Care Quality Commission require exercise programmes in care homes to increase activity levels.

"Increasing movement - especially among the least active - can prevent many of the leading causes of death, prevent the onset of frailty, dementia and disability and help narrow the unacceptable 20-year gap in healthy life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas of the country," the report said.

The report stated that frailty is not an inevitable part of aging and that physical activity can be more effective than drugs in preventing and managing many long-term conditions.