Forget walking or yoga - new study reveals the best exercise for over-70s to maintain fitness and mobility with age

Original article: https://www.womanandhome.com/health-wellbeing/fitness/exercise-for-over-70s-study/

📊 What the article found
A large five-year study from Norway (the “Generation 100” project) looked at more than 1,500 adults aged 70–77 to see how different exercise routines affect fitness, quality of life, and longevity. 

🏃‍♂️ Best exercise for over-70s
The research showed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — short bursts of harder effort followed by easy recovery periods — gave the biggest health benefits compared with moderate exercise or just following general activity guidelines. 

❤️ What benefits were seen

• Better cardiorespiratory fitness (heart and lung health). 
• Improved quality of life over time.
• Lower mortality — only about 3% of people doing HIIT died over five years versus about 5.9% of those doing moderate exercise. 

💡 What HIIT means for older adults
HIIT for seniors doesn’t have to be extreme. It can be adapted to what a person enjoys and can safely do — for example:

• Brisk walking intervals (fast for a few minutes, then slow). 
• Modified Pilates with alternating effort and rest.