Compliance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization on the practice of physical activity in people over 65 years in Spain

Abstract

Purpose: Identifying whether the recommendations of the WHO regarding the amount of weekly time dedicated to the practice of PA in its different modalities are being met in the population of people over 65 in Spain. Method: This study has used data provided by 1317 interviewees aged 65 to 69 years old included in the Spanish Health Survey. Results: 19.1% of the sample said to not walk any day of the week at least 10 minutes, being the 84.2% those who did, at least, 150 minutes per week. Concerning the accomplishment of intense and moderate physical activity generally, the general or optimal recommendations for the weekly time were not satisfied. The proportion of individuals that comply the recommendations, general and optimal, of physical activity moderate were 17.4% in both cases. Those percentages, regarding intense exercise, the percentage of individuals that comply with the recommendations are reduced to 6.6% and 2.4%, for general and optimal recommendations, respectively. Conclusion: The practice of moderate and intense exercise is not within the frequent habits of people over 65 years of age, and this phenomenon could be one of the causes of the increasing health demand in this country (regardless of whether it is of a sensitive sector to get sick from the ageing process).