When does physical decline typically begin according to the Swedish study?

The long-running Swedish study indicates that physical decline begins around age 35.

Can starting exercise later in life still improve fitness?

Yes, adults who began exercising later in life improved their physical capacity by 5-10 percent.

What is the Swedish Physical Activity and Fitness study?

It's a 47-year study tracking hundreds of adults to understand how fitness, strength, and endurance evolve with age.

Home / Health / Never Too Late: Exercise Boosts Fitness Later

Never Too Late: Exercise Boosts Fitness Later

20 Jan

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Summary

Physical decline begins around age 35, study finds.
Late exercisers improved physical capacity by 5-10%.
Nearly 50-year Swedish study followed adults for decades.

Never Too Late: Exercise Boosts Fitness Later

A comprehensive Swedish study, spanning nearly five decades, has pinpointed age 35 as the approximate starting point for physical decline in adults. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet followed hundreds of participants for 47 years to track changes in fitness, strength, and muscle endurance. The study, part of the Swedish Physical Activity and Fitness (SPAF) initiative, offers rare longitudinal insights into adult physical development.

Findings indicate that both fitness and strength begin to decrease around age 35, a trend that continues gradually and accelerates with older age. This decline appears independent of earlier fitness levels. However, the research provides encouraging news: adults who adopted exercise later in life saw improvements in their physical capacity by 5-10 percent.

Lead author Maria Westerstahl stated that "It is never too late to start moving." The study suggests that while exercise can slow performance loss, it cannot entirely halt the aging process. The ongoing research aims to uncover the mechanisms behind peak performance at age 35 and the precise effects of physical activity on performance decline.