Researchers determine how physical activity affects women's health in middle age

Researchers have conducted a new study, the results of which found that it may be possible to “make up” for not being active earlier in life by doing more exercise as you get older, reports The Daily Mail.

Researchers collected data from more than 11,000 women at three-year intervals beginning in 1996. All were aged between 47 and 52 when the study started.

Participants were classified as either meeting World Health Organization physical activity guidelines—of 150 minutes of activity per week—consistently over 15 years, not initially meeting the guidelines but started to meeting them at age 55, 60 or 65, or never meeting them.

The researchers also assessed their health-related quality of life, with their physical health scored out of 100.

On average, people who consistently met physical activity guidelines and those who first started to meet them at the age of 55 had a three-point higher physical health score compared to those who never met them.

"An important public health message is that being active for as many years as possible, even if women start to meet physical activity guidelines in their mid-50s, could have important health benefits in terms of physical health, especially in physical functioning...Ideally, women should increase their activity levels to meet the guidelines by age 55," the researchers noted.

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