Middle-aged people, especially women, are less likely to exercise and do not meet NHS guidelines, according to a study in England.
Only one in 20 people can do the right amount of aerobic exercise and strength training.
Research from the University of Essex found that women are 34% less likely to do enough strength training and follow general exercise guidelines than men, while adults aged 50 to 65 are less likely to do enough exercise compared to younger people.
According to the NHS, adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should do some physical activity every day and work on exercises to strengthen their muscles and bones at least twice a week.
It is recommended to do 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of activity with vigorous intensity per week.
Moderate aerobic activity may include riding a bike or pushing a mower, while vigorous activity may include jumping, running, or walking up stairs.
The study found that people are much less likely to do strength exercises than aerobic activity, and that the exercise they undertake does not always have good evidence of health benefits.
While more than two-thirds (67%) of adults reported the equivalent of at least 150 minutes per week (moderate physical activity), less than a quarter (23%) of the sample actually met the current guidelines for physical activity in The United Kingdom, specifying twice-weekly activity to strengthen muscles, “concluded experts from the University of Essex in the journal PLOS One.
A review of who followed the NHS guidelines for aerobic activity found that 69% of men and 66% of women said they were.
However, only 28% of men and 25% of women meet the guidelines for strengthening the NHS in England – a figure that fell to 16% of men and 9% of women who do strength training with proven health benefits.
“When strengthening activity is included, the proportion of older English people who meet the current guidelines for physical activity may be up to one in three, but probably up to one in 20,” the authors conclude.
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It has also been found that people from poor backgrounds are less likely to play sports than people living in richer areas.
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