More physical activity may reduce risk of death in older women

More physical activity and at higher intensities could lead to a big drop in the risk of death in older women, a recent study has suggested. The study was conducted from 2011 to 2015 and involved more than 17,700 women (average age 72) who were asked to wear a device, called triaxial accelerometer, for seven days, when awake. The device is capable of measuring activity along three planes: up and down, front to back and side to side. During an average follow-up after approximately two-and-a-half years, 207 women had died. Results showed that more moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking) was associated with roughly a 60 per cent to 70 per cent lower risk of death, while more light intensity activity (such as housework and slow walking) was not independently associated with death risk at the study's end. However, researchers stressed this finding does not mean that light activity isn't beneficial for other health outcomes.