Forget walking or yoga - new study reveals the best exercise for over-70s to maintain fitness and mobility with age
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Forget walking or yoga - new study reveals the best exercise for over-70s to maintain fitness and mobility with age
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About this listen
Original article: https://www.womanandhome.com/health-wellbeing/fitness/exercise-for-over-70s-study/
📊 What the article found
A large five-year study from Norway (the “Generation 100” project) looked at more than 1,500 adults aged 70–77 to see how different exercise routines affect fitness, quality of life, and longevity.
🏃♂️ Best exercise for over-70s
The research showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — short bursts of harder effort followed by easy recovery periods — gave the biggest health benefits compared with moderate exercise or just following general activity guidelines.
❤️ What benefits were seen
- Better cardiorespiratory fitness (heart and lung health).
- Improved quality of life over time.
- Lower mortality — only about 3% of people doing HIIT died over five years versus about 5.9% of those doing moderate exercise.
💡 What HIIT means for older adults
HIIT for seniors doesn’t have to be extreme. It can be adapted to what a person enjoys and can safely do — for example:
- Brisk walking intervals (fast for a few minutes, then slow).
- Modified Pilates with alternating effort and rest.