The optimal exercise to slow aging: men should choose 'cycling'... what about women?

As you age, muscles decrease and bones and joints weaken. To slow down the aging process, exercise is essential. What kind of exercise should you do? Men are recommended to ride bicycles, and women are advised to go hiking.

Professor Tsuji Daishi's research team at the University of Tsukuba Institute of Health and Sports Sciences in Japan focused on previous studies indicating that the health benefits for the elderly vary depending on the type of exercise, and conducted a study to specifically analyze the effects of different types of exercise.

The research team conducted a study on 75,045 elderly individuals with an average age of 73.1 years. Among the participants, 33,746 were men and 36,799 were women. The team identified twenty types of exercise and asked the participants which activities they engaged in. Subsequently, they conducted a health assessment that included 25 items such as depression scales and self-rated health scales, and tracked and investigated changes over three years.

Twenty types of exercise include walking, running, fitness exercises, strength training, hiking, golf, ground golf, gateball, dance, yoga, aerobics, pétanque, tai chi, swimming, water exercises, table tennis, bowling, cycling, tennis, and other sports.

The analysis showed that elderly individuals who engaged in hiking, walking, tennis, ground golf, and strength training maintained their health scale scores well over three years, regardless of gender. In particular, for women, hiking, walking, tennis, gymnastics, strength training, and swimming helped maintain their health scale scores in that order. For men, the order was dance, cycling, swimming, hiking, golf, table tennis, walking, running, tennis, and strength training.

The research team stated, "The types of exercise that help elderly men and women maintain their health differ by gender," and added, "This study provides practical evidence on which exercises should be recommended to prevent frailty in the elderly."

Meanwhile, the results of this study were published in the international journal 'European Review of Aging and Physical Activity'.

<Source: Health Chosun>