More exercise needed to avoid worst effects of ageing

London - Participating in high levels of physical activities, such as swimming or a game of tennis, once a week helps stave off chronic musculoskeletal pain, a new study finds.

Researchers found persistent pain was more common in women, possibly because of hormonal differences, and in those who were obese or overweight.

Chronic pain is a significant societal problem and pain complaints are one of the main causes of work absenteeism and emergency room visits.

Those hoping to avoid one of the worst side effects of ageing such as bone, joint and muscle pain that doesn’t go away might need to exercise a lot harder and more often than previously believed.

According to a new study, only high levels of activity at least once a week—playing tennis, running, swimming, digging with a spade, or doing hard physical labour as part of your job—appears to help ward off chronic musculoskeletal pain in the long-term.

The study, led by the University of Portsmouth, examined the data of 5802 people aged 50 or more over 10 years. Nearly half or just over 2400 reported they suffered with musculoskeletal pain at the end of the ten-year period.

The researchers say chronic pain is a huge problem at any age, and one of the main causes for people calling in sick at work or visiting A&E. It is one of the most widespread and complex problems in the medical community and leads, for many who suffer with it, to a lower quality of life and poor wellbeing.

It’s well known that pain tends to be more common as we age, so it’s vital people look at what might help prevent and reduce it. The lack of longitudinal studies among older adults of the risk factors for chronic pain is alarming.

For many complex reasons, the solution to the problem of chronic pain in older people has proved elusive. The study is the first to examine the experience of chronic pain alongside gender, BMI, age and wealth over a long time period.

All activity helped lower the chances of suffering pain but, over time, only high levels of physical activity appeared to lower the risk of someone developing musculoskeletal pain.

Being poor, being female and being overweight or obese were all found to independently be risk factors for suffering musculoskeletal pain.

The findings may encourage those who design programmes to help people avoid chronic pain to include regular vigorous physical activity, weight loss programs and find ways to address helping those on lower incomes.

For the study, moderate exercise included activities such as dancing, walking, stretching and gardening.

Only high levels of activity at least once a week appears to help ward off chronic musculoskeletal pain in the long-term.  Mild activity included activities such as doing laundry, vacuuming and DIY.

Any activity does help people stay well and feel better than not exercising, but mild exercise does not appear to have a long-term effect on the development of chronic pain. Activity needs to not only be vigorous, it needs to be done at least once a week.

A person who cycles, for example, once a month and whose only other activity was light housework would still be classed as sedentary.