UK Report Urges Greater Focus on Physical Activity for Older Adults

A report from the Commons Health and Social Care Committee states that physical activity is as important as medication for maintaining health in older people. The committee noted that people are living longer but many spend later years in poor health, with low activity levels identified as a major factor.

The report said insufficient activity is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and various cancers. 4 billion annually.

The MPs called for routine conversations about exercise to be embedded in clinical practice. They said health professionals are a trusted source of advice but too many people report never being encouraged to be active. The report stated that physical activity can be more effective than drugs in preventing, treating, and managing many long-term conditions.

It recommended greater use of social prescribing for activities such as yoga and swimming. The committee urged removal of policy, funding, and accountability barriers that make inactivity part of daily life for older people. It called for local action to improve paved streets, crossings, toilets, and seating, along with national transport and planning decisions that make movement easier.

The Care Quality Commission should check that exercise programmes are provided to residents in care homes, the report said.

Chief medical officers recommend that older people accumulate 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week and do muscle strength, balance, and flexibility activities at least twice a week. Figures show that 44% of people aged 75 and over do less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

The report said a greater focus on exercise will support the government's goal of shifting the NHS from treating illness to preventing it. It noted that promoting active lifestyles among older people could also bring services closer to home rather than the nearest hospital.

Layla Moran, chairwoman of the Health and Social Care Committee, said healthcare experts and the government agree that staying physically active can help older people live longer, healthier, happier, and more sociable lives. She added that the changes would cut NHS spending on drugs.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the report should be a wake-up call about how physical activity can help people age well. She said policymakers should do more to make it easier for older people to keep moving as part of daily life.