Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
OVER 55-YEAR-olds are outperforming all younger age groups in time spent at physical activity, a survey has found.
The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP), who conducted the survey, warn that an avoidable health crisis is looming for Irish adults if current trends in physical inactivity continue.
The findings suggest that the 18-24 age group may be the least physically active amongst all adults. On average, the age group report spending the least amount of time per day being physically active at just 2.5 hours per day.
In comparison, the 55-64 and 65+ age groups are more physically active, reporting that they spend on average 4.4 hours and 4.3 hours respectively per day being active.
The striking comparison is reiterated by the fact that the 18-24 age group spend by far the most time on-screen - using a TV, tablet or phone – at five hours per day, compared to the lowest amounts of 3.9 hours for the 55-64 group.
On a regional basis, the people of Connacht and Ulster report spending the most time being physically at 4.1 hours compared to Dublin, which had the lowest amount at 2.9 hours.
The ISCP recommend that people in situations where they must look at a screen for long periods of time, such as an office setting, should take personal responsibility by taking a break at least once per day, taking a short walk, and stretching to ease muscle tension.
“We need the nation to recognise that sitting and being sedentary is the new smoking. If people aren’t more physically active now, then this will lead to all kinds of future problems,” ISCP president Marie Guidon said.
Reasons
The survey showed that 72% of the national population recognise that they don’t exercise enough, with the main reasons for not being more active being; difficulty finding the time (25%), family commitments (20%) and not liking exercise (15%).
Guidon has warned that despite these reasons, not exercising could have serious health implications, such as obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, mental health challenges and back problems.
“It is never too late to start being more active,” Guidon said.
“Physical activity needs to start earlier and needs to be maintained throughout the lifespan to maintain a quality of life, especially in an era where the population is growing older and living longer,” she said.
We recommend easy activity like walking and very simple strength and resistance exercises which are important to maintain muscle strength and everyday functioning.
The research was conducted through an online survey and was released today to mark World Physiotherapy Day.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
While sometimes it hard to motivate myself to get out on the bike or go for a run afterward you never regret doing so. A natural high.
@mickmc: i love fitness but i dread running but i also do it quite regularly because the feeling afterwards is awesome! I envy people that enjiy running. http://www.bodycoach.ie
@mickmc: I like to smoke a J before I go for a cycle, double the high!
I thought I was great quiting smoking, now i’ll have to quit sitting too
@Aidan O’Hara: You’ll feel even better if you do.
Why do other educated European countries still have way more smokers than Ireland. Even Germany still have cigarette adverts. That is insane and shows their gov ain’t helping. And they have the worst graphics on the boxes and yet everywhere you go in France Germany etc you be choking on passive smoking.
@Stan: the whole Polish/Lithuanian/Latvian populations seem to smoke and the vast majority of them are skinny too. Coincidence or what?
Where would we be without experts?
@John Campbell: we’d likely have millions of people needless dieing still,
After all its those exports that over the years created vaccines, fought against big tabaco etc
So I suppose the answer to your question is simply…more of us would be dead
@Barry Somers: you are fake news.
@Johnny Gunn:
I am not sure you fully grasp what fake news is
@Johnny Gunn: rich coming from somebody who just created a twitter account recently to troll people on thejournal.ie, go back under your pathetic sad little bridge…sorry I mean life.
@Johnny Gunn:
Fake news that vaccinations save lives and that smoking is harmful??
Errrrr… ok then….
@Barry Somers: I don’t think any physios have saved millions from dying, created vaccines or fought big tobacco.
So the age categories where people wind down on work (or retire) are more active, in hours counted, than the age spending hours a day in college or work??
Shokka
@Ían Ó Ceallaigh: And who would have thought that the 18-24 age group spend more time using a TV, tablet or phone than the 55-64 group! My world view has been turned on its head!!
@EvieXVI: Indeed. Now I wonder if they will ask about the intensity of exercise carried out? A casual stroll or an intense gym/team session?
Farting is the new exhaling this expert said.
@kenny mcgrath:
8 pints of Guinness beforehand is great preparation
Will they (experts) just feck off
@Mike O Connor: Yeah, without experts we’d still be sitting under a tree chewing food for half the day and spending the rest of the time picking fleas off each other.
Experts eh!
@Fozz:
What did the experts ever do for us anyway…..
According to the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists? Thanks, but I’ll wait for the real medical professionals to advise me on, eh, medical matters.
@Dr Richard DeWitt: Someone really should tell them that a)smoking is really, really bad for you and b) online surveys will tend to get responses from people who are sitting down….
@Dr Richard DeWitt: “Chartered Physiotherapists” – bunch of lychees literally. I used to know two physiotherapists as needed some help few years ago. Both retired profession as they faced qualification recognition after mandatory registration introduced in 2016 (?). We all pay for these “Chartered Physiotherapists” fantasy living.
I use my standing desk when I’m at work because it’s a call centre where you’re constricted to your chair for prolonged periods. It actually gives me energy to stand up, paradoxically, and improves my mood. Never do I advocate it cause it could be the opposite for someone else. It also breaks up the day. We weren’t made to hunch over desk and likewise for being indoors and getting no sun exposure.
Exercise works on the principle of hormesis, i.e. a little damage initiates a healing response which makes you healthier in the long term. Problem is it’s hard to tell when you’ve crossed the line (diminishing returns) and may be doing more damage without the increased benefits. Standing and moving around doesn’t risk that. It’s the middle way.
Wondering how they are going to tackle this one , extra tax on the sofa , at the end of the day it always comes down to a new tax . Have they forgotten the time they spend snoozing in leinster house .
Seems to me there is a huge increase in people working out. There gyms all over the place so I’d take this survey with a pinch of salt
I’d love to be as active as I used to be, used to walk 12/14 km a day and loved a hike but one thing after the other just keeps me breaking down, getting old is a pain in the hole
Can’t blame the dubs for having the lowest exercise times in fairness. They risk getting shot every time they leave their front doors.
I used to sit 20-30 times a day, when I had a fag I’d sit, same with a coffee or after the loo I’d sit, I decided to give up sitting for the first 3 month’s I was very grumpy and eat loads because I didn’t know what to do when I was having a smoke, 9 months on I feel great now and I never think about sitting and anyways the smell of your jeans when sitting all the time is disgusting.
Being fearful for the sedentary lives of some of my fellow commentariat I’m thinking of starting a Journal Mini Marathon (positive deception) which will be run once a month.
Fact Check can then analyse the content below the line and come up with some interesting analytics on the oxygenated brain as opposed to the general caffeine/nicotine input.
Its people in tracksuits that are dropping dead
There’s a lot a fat people around nowadays
Neo-liberal nonsense. Put everyone in 24 hour milling machine and then blame them they die. No reflection what actually people are is caused by dehumanised system they try to adjust to. But as you can’t blame the game, you blame players…
every tom dick and harry is running on roads! thats worse if you ask me..i work for a knee manufacturer and people have no idea of the long term damage they are doing to themselves.
have your say