One Hour Of Vigorous Movement Per Week Reduces The Risk Of Disability By 85%

One hour of vigorous movement per week reduces the risk of disability by 85%

Just one hour a week of brisk walking prevents disability in older people with osteoarthritis. According to the WHO, more than 40% of older people suffer from osteoarthritis, and about two in five people with arthritis (especially in the joints of the lower extremities) develop disabilities due to disability.

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Just one hour a week of brisk walking prevents disability in older people with osteoarthritis, American scientists from the School of Medicine. Feinberg of Northwestern University (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine). The study is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

According to the WHO, more than 40% of older people suffer from osteoarthritis, and about two in five people with arthritis (especially in the joints of the lower extremities) develop disabilities due to disability.

However, just a short, brisk walk (like you're late for an important meeting or train) of less than 10 minutes a day reduces your risk of being disabled by 85%.

“This minimum threshold could induce inactive seniors to embark on an active lifestyle with the wide range of health benefits of physical activity,” said study lead author Dorothy Dunlop, professor of preventive medicine.

The team tracked the health of 1,500 adults over four years who experienced pain, aches, or stiffness in the knee, hip, or ankle but were not disabled at the start of the study. Their physical activity was monitored using accelerometers.

Analysis of the data has shown that an hour of moderate to vigorous weekly physical activity allows older adults to maintain the ability to perform daily tasks. For example, dress yourself or have time to cross the street before the traffic signal switches.

A weekly hour of exercise reduced the risk of disability by 85% (walking too slow to safely cross the street - less than 1 m / s), as well as by almost 45% the risk of being unable to perform routine tasks (walking around the room, bathing and changing clothes).

Whereas, four years after the start of the study, 24% of adults without an appropriate level of vigorous exercise could not safely cross the street because they moved too slowly, and 23% reported problems with the morning routine.

“Our goal was to see what kind of activity can help people stay disabled,” explained Dorothy Dunlop.

Rheumatology guidelines recommend that older people with arthritis do moderate-intensity exercise for at least 2.5 hours per week (about 21 minutes per day). However, many are intimidated by this level of activity - they feel that the goal is unattainable, and therefore do nothing.

“We hope that for public health, these new findings will serve as an incentive to achieve the intermediate goal of physical activity. One hour a week is a springboard for people who are currently inactive. People can start working on it,”concluded Dorothy Dunlop.