2.5 hours or more of exercise weekly could reduce the risk of falls in older women

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-02-01 03:00

Australia; NSW

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For older women, exercising as little as 2.5 hours a week could reduce the risk of falls and subsequent injury, according to Australian research. The researchers surveyed over 7000 women aged 65-70 years about how much they exercised, and three years later surveyed them again about whether they had had any falls in the past year. They say those who exercised in their free time as much as recommended by the WHO (150-300 minutes a week) or more were less likely to have had falls, whether severe enough to cause injury or not. Looking at specific types of exercise, the researchers say brisk walking, moderate and moderate-vigorous exercise were associated with a lower risk of falls.