Physical Activity In Midlife Aids Fitness Later On

(From Women's Health Advisor, Weill Medical College Of Cornell University)

An ongoing study of the physical fitness of London-based civil servants in the United Kingdom, known as the WHITEHALL PROJECT II, found that the most physically active participants had the least number of limitations in physical ability as they aged.

Nearly nine years of information has been compiled so far regarding fitness levels, chronic disease, and lifestyle habits of the over 6,000 participants between the ages of 39 and 63 via questionnaires and medical screenings. From this information, the participants were classified as "sufficiently active" if they got at least 2 hours of moderate activity or "insufficiently active," or sedentary, if they received 1 hour of vigorous activity a week.

Studies found that the "sufficiently active" participants were less likely to report limitations in physical function. Even those who started the study already having a chronic illness but were considered "sufficiently active" enjoyed better mobility and physical ability, in spite of their illness.