30 minutes, five times a week

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Issue: 19 April 2006

Exercise is key to living a rich and ripe old age. However, fewer than a quarter of over-65s meet the chief medical officer's recommended target of 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week - 24 per cent of men and just 16 per cent of women.

That's why the CSP is campaigning for better resources to support older people in getting physical so they can maintain their independence and quality of life. This age group faces particular barriers to stepping onto the activity treadmill, says the Society. Some believe exercise is too expensive or will mean having to buy specialist equipment; other common complaints include being too fat or not fit enough, too old, shy or afraid.

Fear is a big problem, CSP professional adviser Léonie Dawson told Frontline. But it's one physiotherapy can help to conquer. 'Physiotherapy addresses more than just the physical side,' she said. 'It helps a person develop confidence to get active, especially if they have had a fall and fear falling again, have a chronic chest condition and don't feel that they can risk becoming breathless, or have painful joints and don't know how to slowly progress exercises in a safe manner.'

The Society highlighted exactly how physiotherapy could help support quality of life for older people at a seminar in Westminster last month (see 5 April issue). If over-60s are to access leisure and activity within their communities, provision must be made for transport, long-term funding for classes, training for people working with them, and for physiotherapists to be accessible when older people feel they need help to maintain their independence. What's needed now is strong leadership at national and local level to press for resources, says the Society. Together with Asthma UK, Cancer Research UK and Age Concern it's calling on the government to develop an effective activity strategy for older people.

The Westminster seminar also concluded:

• funding should be sustained where services provide evidence they are of value (this appears to be an area where project monies are not followed by a committed budget)
• more physiotherapy input is needed in the social care sector to encourage people within institutions into activity
• there is room for improvement in the communication and joint working among public sector and voluntary agencies working with older people
• more needs to be done to inform GPs of the value of services which are available and effective in supporting older people to become more active.