Now this is encouraging!
A new British survey has found a silver surge in walking has led to record levels of physical activity among the over-55s.
Figures covering Nov 2022 to 2023, showed that 62.3% of 55-74-year-olds did at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, up from 57% in 2016 when the survey was first commissioned.
And in even better news there was a rise in activity in the over-75s, with 42.8% considered active, up from 33.4% seven years ago.
Analysis by Sport England found that an increase in walking for leisure was behind the rising figures.
Just under 60% of 55-74s said they were regular walkers, up from just over 53% in 2016. Equally walking for leisure among the 75-plus age group was up from 43% to 49% over the period, while other forms of activity declined.
We reckon this surge in walking has a lot to do with the wonderful hiking trails available in the country.
“There are now two million more active people in England since 2016 – two million more people that are reaping the benefits of an active life,” Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of Sport England who commission the Active Lives survey told The Guardian.
“It’s great to see that older adults are leading the way. This group have traditionally faced many barriers from taking part in sport but – like all of us – have so much to gain from physical activity.”