The World Health Organization suggests that adults get 150 minutes of exercise per week. But how it affects health and improves quality of life was unknown. So, researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia tried to study how physical activities in middle age affect women’s health and improve quality of life.
This research was started in 1996 and was published in the journal PLOS Medicine on 2 May 2024. In this study, researchers involved 11,336 women aged between 47 to 52. Researchers classified these participant women into three groups such as those who were consistently following guidelines provided by WHO, those who started following guidelines at ages 55, 60, or 65 and those who never followed the guidelines.
Researchers calculated their health-related quality of life using physical health composite score (PCS) and mental health composite score (MCS). This data was taken from the short 36 Health Survey which had 36 questions about their health.
When researchers observed this collected data, they found that women who consistently followed the guidelines and those who started following guidelines at the age of 55 had better health scores compared to those who were not physically active. The PCS for women who consistently followed WHO guidelines and those who did not follow them was 46.93 and 43.90, respectively. These scores remained the same even after they considered some factors like income or existing health complications. But they did not find any link between physical activity and MCS.
Researchers explained how important it is for women to maintain an active lifestyle during middle age, as it can provide them with long-term health benefits. They also explained even if women start following WHO guidelines in their 50s, they can improve their physical health.
As the results of this study show that following exercise guidelines provided by the WHO can improve the quality of life for middle-aged women, they should become more active. This will help them stay healthier. Healthcare professionals should make some effective strategies to make these women more physically active.
Reference Link:
Nguyen B, Clare P, Mielke GI, Brown WJ, Ding D, Physical activity across midlife and health-related quality of life in Australian women: A target trial emulation using a longitudinal cohort. PLoS Medicine (2024).
