Regular physical activity is crucial for healthy ageing and has proven benefits in many areas, such as pain management, maintaining mobility and strength, increasing performance, preventing falls and much more.

The Swiss Confederation recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance training or 75 minutes of high-intensity endurance training per week for senior citizens, as well as additional strength, balance and fall prevention exercises on two or more days. For older people, however, any form of exercise is preferable to sedentary activity.

The next graph shows how physical fitness generally declines from a certain age. However, through consistent training, this natural decline can be slowed or even reversed. It is never too late to pursue fitness goals, with the main goal being to avoid falling into the stripped range, as losing your autonomy can have many negative consequences for your physical and mental state, motivation and overall quality of life.

Stability and fall prevention are particularly important for older people. Balance naturally declines with age, due to factors such as muscle weakness, joint stiffness, reduced reaction time and altered sensory perception. However, all of these factors can be counteracted with targeted training.

Since stability plays such an important role in estimating biological age, it is important to quantify it. Fortunately, this can be achieved by measuring it with a pressure plate. This device measures the Center of Mass (CoM), which is the point in the ground where the mass of an object can be summarized, as well as the pressure point, which indicates where the ground reaction force acts on the body. An increased distance between these two points indicates low stability and the need for balance training to prevent falls.

Exercise may be the most powerful intervention against aging of the body, especially in preserving muscle mass. For example, a study comparing an MRI image of the quadriceps of a 74-year-old sedentary man with that of a 70-year-old triathlete shows clear differences, including the greater amount of adipose tissue and lower muscle mass of the sedentary person. Furthermore, when comparing the leg area of a 40-year-old triathlete with that of a 70-year-old triathlete, remarkable similarities can be observed despite the age difference of 30 years.

In summary, regular physical activity is essential for healthy ageing and the mitigation of age-related impairments and chronic diseases. By exercising with defined fitness goals, older people can improve their general well-being, increase their physical function and reduce their risk of falling. Physical activity enables older people to defy age-related limitations and live a life full of vitality, strength and independence.