Good physical activity practices among young elderly

Oral Presentation B10.1

Authors

  • Tuomas Kari Institute for Advanced Management Systems Research; University of Jyvaskyla
  • Markus Makkonen Institute for Advanced Management Systems Research; University of Jyvaskyla
  • Christer Carlsson Institute for Advanced Management Systems Research
  • Pirkko Walden Institute for Advanced Management Systems Research
  • Lauri Frank University of Jyvaskyla

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.551

Keywords:

Physical Activity, Young Elderly, Digital Wellness Services, Mobile Application, Good Practices

Abstract

Background: The global population is aging and at the same time life expectancy at older ages is improving. Physical activity (PA) can ward off age-related illness and frailty. PA also aids in upkeeping the ability to function and contributes to better quality of life during senior years. However, insufficient PA is a global problem. In Finland, where our study was conducted, only one fourth of the people over 60 years meet national PA recommendations. However, many would like to be more physically active. Thus, it seems they lack good PA practices. Purpose: To find and study good practices among young elderly (age group 60–75 years), which support being physically active. Methods: We collected good PA practices from 142 participants in our DigitalWells (https://www.digitalwells.fi/) research program (35.4% male; 64.6% female; mean age 68.8 years) by using printed forms containing both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. The data was analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Results: Five good PA practices and their features were identified: 1) A specific schedule for PA; 2) Multiple physical activities to choose from; 3) PA before noon; 4) PA with a friend or in a group; and 5) If PA feels unappealing, think about the resulting good feeling. Conclusions: The identified good PA practices have been presented to all the 600+ participants in our research program and have been well received. Funding: Study funded by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

Published

2021-09-30

How to Cite

Kari, T., Makkonen, M., Carlsson, C., Walden, P., & Frank, L. (2021). Good physical activity practices among young elderly: Oral Presentation B10.1. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.551