- Only 1 in 6 women and 1 in 4 men of all ages take the recommended amount of physical activity to benefit their health (i.e. 30 minutes moderate intensity activity at least 5 days a week)
- The proportion of sedentary women increases with age from around 1 in 3 women aged 50-54 to 2 in 3 women aged 80 and over.
- Exercise programmes can reduce the risk of falls by up to 15%. T’ai Chi can delay the onset of the first or future falls by 50%
- Physical activity is important to maintain strength,
balance and coordination, which can help an older
person remain stable if they ‘slip’ or
‘trip’.
- Physical fitness is important not only to prevent
a fall, but also provides the person with the functional
ability to rise from the floor and avoid complications
associated with a ‘long lie’.
- Risk factors for fallers such as insufficient physical activity,
the environment and the effects of medications can
be positively influenced through education and intervention.
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