The review collected a wide range of large-scale studies which focused on the effect of physical activity on older adults. The studies were selected based on their relevance to mortality and quality of life.

The researchers found that regular physical activity reduces the risk of more than 30 chronic conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Dementia
• Depression

The findings include that engaging in at least 150 minutes per week of exercise of moderate-intensity such as brisk walking can lower all cause mortality by 31%. Additionally, resistance training and balance exercises were found to improve strength, mobility, and fall prevention. The results aren’t limited to physical health, either, with exercise enhancing cognitive function and mental health, and potentially helping to mitigate dementia risk and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Despite the key benefits found, physical activity still remains under-prescribed, with over 80% of adults not meeting the daily recommended movement guidelines.

The researchers conclude: ‘Physical activity is underused as a health intervention both in the community and in the delivery of health care for older adults. Age, frailty, or existing functional impairments should not be viewed as absolute contraindications to physical activity but rather key reasons to prescribe it, considering the benefits of physical activity interventions for older adults. Older adults who become more physically active can potentially add years to their lives as well as higher quality of life to those years.’

The review findings align with another recent study published in Preventing Chronic Disease and recommendations from the NHS that 150 minutes of exercise a week will benefits several markers of health and therefore decrease the risk of illnesses.

Ideally, by splitting up your 150 minutes over the week into smaller chunks, you will likely find it easier to include in your lifestyle. However, other new evidence published in Circulation indicates that as long as you include your 150 minutes of exercise in your week, regardless of how the workouts are spread across, you can still see a reduction in the risk of illnesses. Which is good news for weekend warriors.

It still seems that 150 minutes of movement is the magic number, and luckily for walking fans brisk walking counts towards that. It’s important to walk at a pace which keeps your heart rate up consistently for the duration of your walk in order to see the benefits.

As a general goal, aiming for somewhere around 110-120 beats per minute for brisk walking is ideal. However, this can vary largely depending on the individual. By completing a ‘talk test’ where you see if you can still just about maintain a conversation during your walk (but not sing), you can see if you’re working at a good level to get the best benefits. For moderate-intensity walking, as used in the review, during the talk test you’ll notice a change in your breathing and speaking ability. You can still say short sentences or a few words at a time, but it becomes much more difficult. That’s the sweet spot.

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.