Study suggest staying active to boost quality of life in middle aged women

According to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine, consistent adherence to physical activity guidelines throughout middle-age is associated with a higher health-related quality of life in women.

Staying active during middle age offers numerous benefits that significantly enhance the quality of life for women. Regular physical activity during this life stage helps maintain cardiovascular health by reducing the risk of conditions like heart disease and stroke. It also supports healthy weight management, which is crucial for overall well-being and reducing the risk of obesity-related health issues. Additionally, staying active improves muscle strength, flexibility, and bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and age-related muscle loss.

In the study, researchers used data collected at three-year intervals beginning in 1996 from 11,336 participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Participants were classified as either meeting WHO physical activity guidelines — of 150 minutes of activity a week — consistently throughout the fifteen-year exposure period. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the physical health composite score (PCS) and mental health composite score (MCS), which included questions about functional health and well-being.

The results revealed that on average, people who consistently met physical activity guidelines and those who first started to meet guidelines at age 55 had a three-point higher PCS compared to those that did not meet physical activity guidelines. The effect of physical activity on the PSC was significant even after controlling for socioeconomic factors and pre-existing health diagnoses. However, there was no significant association between physical activity and MCS.

“Combined with existing evidence, this study contributes to growing evidence of the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in mid-age,” the authors say. “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.Our study shows that it’s important for women to be active throughout mid-age to gain the most benefits for physical health in later life. Ideally, women should increase their activity levels to meet the guidelines by age 55,” said the study authors.

Reference:Binh Nguyen ,PhilipClare,Gregore I. Mielke,Wendy J. Brown,Ding Ding; Physical activity across midlife and health-related quality of life in Australian women: A target trial emulation using a longitudinal cohort; PLOS Medicine; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004384