Experts: Exercise and live seven more years

Researchers hail benefits of activity and say it is never too late to start

Regular exercise can add almost seven years to your life, according to experts, who say it’s never too late to start.

Edinburgh University emerita professor Nanette Mutrie says we should exercise to make us feel better and make small changes which will make a big impact to our health.

Professor Mutrie, who is an expert in the psychology of physical activity for health, said: “Exercise is critical for the quality of life and the most important thing for anyone dipping into their 60s and 70s.

“You are never too old to get stronger and it is never too late to start, even if you think it is pointless when you may not have played football, run or been a member of the hockey team in your younger years.

“If there is a time to exercise it is your middle and later years. You are never too old to get stronger.”

Living longer is the conclusion of German research which looked at 13 studies in physical exercise and its association with life expectancy.

Mutrie suggests walking 10 to 15 minutes a day or every second day to begin with and while that helps with balance and strength it is also important to do presses against walls where you lean against them with your arms and lever yourself away.

Standing up and sitting down from your chair 10 times a day is also valuable in maintaining and building strength.

Balance can be built on standing on one leg, aiming to hold it for 30 seconds, if possible she adds.

“That can be done as you wait for the kettle to boil – better than standing around doing nothing.”

Balance helps prevents falls and hip fractures. Worryingly, one in three adults over 50 die within 12 months of suffering a break like this says Dr Sharon Brennan-olsen, a senior research fellow at Melbourne University, Australia. This increased death risk remains for almost 10 years she says.

Mutrie says signing up to a gym should only be considered if you enjoy going and it isn’t a chore.

“There is no point embarking on an exercise regime which will fall away and make you feel you have failed,” she adds. “Instead, weave exercise into everyday living, slotting it into spare moments of your day.

Housework can become a lifesaver if building strength is woven into daily routines, she suggests.

Lifting baskets with wet laundry up and down takes only a few minutes.

“But doing this more than 20 times can turn it into a chore instead of an exercise,” she adds. “Standing on one leg alternatively while waiting for the kettle to boil is a good way of keeping your balance, vital for staying mobile and steady.”

Taking a walk to the local cafe for a chat with friends or neighbours improves our physical and mental health, she adds.

At 69, she walks her dogs daily and endorses an exercise routine Forth Valley Hospital have sited at Larbert Loch for visitors and patients to try.

It involves standing bench presses against park seats to toughen up arm and upper-body strength, leg lifts while sitting to build muscles and heel-to-toe walking to sharpen balance.

“No one wants exercise to be an ordeal, but more a bit of fun which is woven into life.”