Middle-aged and older adults with high levels of physical activity say they have a better quality of life than those that are less active – and it’s not all down to the health benefits gained through exercise. The same individuals said that participating in social activities meant they felt less loneliness, more valued and happier.
The research comes from data collated at The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin. The study found that middle-aged and older adults with low levels of physical activity were over twice as likely to have clinically relevant depressive symptoms as those with high levels of physical activity.
It also recommended that people in other demographics that might be pre-disposed to loneliness, or depression, such as the unemployed and those living in isolation, as well as those living in built-up areas, such as apartments, should be encouraged to be more active and take up forms of exercise that are ‘social’.
Dr Orna Donoghue, project manager on TILDA says, “Walking is a simple and accessible activity for most people and walking just 150 minutes is sufficient to achieve improved mental health and life quality.”
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