It’s never too late! Scientists find you can ‘compensate’ for being lazy as a teenager by getting active in your 50s

Juggling kids, career and social life while trying to stay fit and healthy can sometimes seem impossible.

But getting active at 50 isn’t too late to improve your quality of life, experts say.

Scientists have found that it is possible to ‘compensate’ for not being active earlier in life by exercising more as you get older.

The researchers collected data from more than 11,000 women at three-year intervals beginning in 1996. All were between the ages of 47 and 52 when the study began.

Participants were classified as meeting the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of activity per week consistently over 15 years, not initially meeting the guidelines but beginning to meet them at 55, 60 or 65 years old, or they never reached it.

The researchers also assessed their health-related quality of life, with their physical health scored out of 100.

On average, people who consistently met physical activity guidelines and those who started meeting them at age 55 had a physical health score three points higher compared to those who never met them.

Having a higher score means that a person is more likely to report that they are in good health, that they are not limited to vigorous or moderate activities, that they can carry groceries or climb stairs without problems, and that their health does not interfere. with social activities.

The researchers, from the University of Sydney, said: “Combined with existing evidence, this study contributes to increasing evidence for the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in midlife.

“An important public health message is that being active for as many years as possible, even if women start meeting physical activity guidelines in their mid-50s, could have important health benefits in terms of physical health, especially in physical functioning.

“Our study shows that it is important for women to be active during midlife to obtain the greatest benefits for physical health in later life.

“Ideally, women should increase their activity levels to meet the guidelines at age 55.”

Dr. Binh Nguyen, one of the study’s authors, said it’s important for middle-aged women to realize that it’s not too late to reap the health benefits of exercise.

“I hope the study’s findings will inspire middle-aged women to stay active or increase their activity,” she said.

“Our findings suggest that to maintain a good physical health-related quality of life around age 70, one may be able to ‘compensate’ for earlier inactivity by becoming active in one’s mid-50s.

“It may be possible to ‘turn back the clock’ in midlife through lifestyle changes such as physical activity.

“Being active for as many years as possible, even if you start exercising regularly in your mid-50s, could have significant health benefits in terms of physical health, so it’s not too late!”

The findings were published in the journal Plos Medicine.