As much as 53 percent Poles aged 55+ are physically inactive according to the MultiSport Index 2022 survey. The greatest influence on the decision-making of seniors about an active lifestyle is education (39.6%), local community (23%) and involvement in a constant group of interests (18 , 2%), and their main motivations for exercise are he alth and relaxation.

According to the latest MultiSport Index 2022 report, only 64 percent adult Poles undertake physical activity (including recreational activities such as walking or cycling for transport purposes) at least once a month. At the other extreme, there is 36 percent. Poles who do not undertake any physical activity, including even ordinary walks. The worst situation is among people aged over 55 - as much as 53 percent. of them have not taken any physical activity in the last 6 months.

- This result is alarming because it is significantly different from the recommendation of the World He alth Organization, which recommends the elderly to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week or even very vigorously active for at least 20 minutes for 3 days a week. week. Regular exercise not only improves the well-being and work of the brain, but is also an important factor in the prevention of many civilization diseases, which in nearly a decade will cause 2/3 of deaths in the world - says Adam Radzki from Benefit Systems, creator of the MultiSport Senior sports card.

Physical activity decreases with age

The strongest determinant of activity is age (29.9%) - the older a person is, the more likely they are to be less active. Among people aged 55+, the greatest influence on taking up activity or lack of it in everyday life is education (39.6%), perception of the local community (23%) and the involvement of seniors in a constant group of interests (18.2%) - it shows it is clear that belonging to this type of group, even unrelated to sports, correlates with the physical activity of a given person. Among all physically active Poles, as many as 43 percent. admits that the most important motivator to be active is he alth.

- Today there are two percent more physically active Poles than a year ago. Even the slightest increase in physical activityshould be happy, because exercise is a way to improve he alth and maintain a good quality of life. It is he alth that mobilizes as much as 43 percent. among us to exercise and is currently the most common reason for taking up physical activity - says Adam Radzki. - 21 percent Poles exercise mainly at weekends - it's about 5 percent. more than in 2022. It is worth noting that this change coincides with the introduction of trade restrictions on Sundays. We are most willing to exercise in the evenings - this time for physical activity is chosen by 35 percent. Poles.

27 percent Poles exercise for pleasure and relaxation, and 14 percent for the improvement of appearance and figure - in these two groups the majority of people under 30 years of age. Active Poles most willingly use cycling, which this year has outpaced running, which has enjoyed many years of popularity. After running, the next sports choice for Poles are walks and training in the gym or in the fitness club.

Consequences of being motionless

Physical activity is becoming an increasingly important topic in discussions about the future of an aging society. The World He alth Organization warns that immobility is the fourth cause of death in the world due to high blood pressure, smoking and elevated blood glucose levels, and is responsible for 6% of deaths (3.2 million annually). According to experts, lack of physical activity is the main cause of 21-25 percent. cases of breast or colorectal cancer. Immobility is also responsible for 27 percent. cases of diabetes and about 30 percent. cases of coronary heart disease.

- Movement and good physical performance improve the quality of life of seniors and their he alth. About 90 percent reduce the risk of dementia, improve the microstructure of the brain and memory of the elderly, which is particularly important in the face of demographic changes and the aging of Polish society. We also have moderate evidence that regular physical activity improves the overall functioning of the elderly, reduces the risk of hip fracture, lung cancer, and endometrial cancer. The right dose of exercise reduces the fat content in the body, increases bone density, improves muscle strength, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, it also lowers the concentration of unfavorable cholesterol - says Dr. n. med. Ernest Kuchar, specialist in sports medicine, Head of the Pediatrics Clinic with the Observation Department at the Medical University of Warsaw.

- Currently, it is heart disease, strokes and cancer that are the main causes of death, and regular physical activity, by reducing their risk, extends life - continues Dr. Kuchar. - Regular physical activity relieves symptoms of depression among seniors as wellimproves cognitive functions. Thanks to regular exercise, age-related degeneration and brain atrophy processes are slowed down. Older people who are more physically active have better memory, they can focus more easily, they are better oriented in their surroundings, they have a better mood, which means that they remain independent for much longer, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, only a minority of older people exercise regularly.

How do seniors exercise?

By multivariate analysis of the group of active Poles 55+, the MultiSport Index 2022 report distinguished three segments of active seniors:

  • "Individual recreation" - 31 percent.

People belonging to this group are both women and men who want to stay he althy, therefore they are physically active at least once a week. Movement is also a source of pleasure and relaxation for them. People in this group sometimes use the offer of sports facilities, but prefer outdoor activities. They are physically active mainly in the first part of the day.

  • "Walk through life" - 8 percent.

Representatives of this segment are physically active, but rarely engage in any sports discipline. Activity is part of their everyday life for them - it is not too intense, but regular, and almost never takes place in sports facilities. The favorite form of movement of people in this segment are walks.

  • "Active affiliation" - 7 percent

In this segment, there are seniors who are the most active, often choosing to go swimming, gymnastics, cycling or Nordic walking, for example. They like to play sports in company. They are clients of sports facilities and use outdoor activities. They choose the company of active people, and their surroundings are favorable for sports.

Activity in Poland and Europe

People who are physically active are mainly inhabitants of large cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) - 64% Among them, the best result was achieved by Warsaw - three-fourths of Varsovians use the traffic at least once a month.

- Looking at the regions of Poland, the greatest number of active citizens live in the Wielkopolskie and Małopolskie voivodships - 69 percent each. residents. At the other extreme, the least active, are the following voivodeships: Zachodniopomorskie (45%), Dolnośląskie (52%) and Opolskie (54%), says Dr. Janusz Dobosz.

In terms of physical activity, Poland is still clearly below the European average, which according to the 2022 Eurobarometer is 71%. active citizens. Among the EU Member States, we occupy the sixth place from the end,ahead of Portugal, M alta, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria, where the average percentage of physically active people in these countries is 51%. A similar level of physical activity to that recorded in Poland is recorded in Greece and Spain, and slightly higher in Cyprus, Croatia and Hungary (the average for these three countries is 68%). We are still far from the leaders of these statistics. Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have an average score of 94%.

The MultiSport Index survey was conducted by Kantar on behalf of Benefit Systems (the creator of the MultiSport program) in January 2022, taking into account a representative sample of 1,858 Polish residents.

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ABC of exercises