A new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise has examined how hard people in their 70s should exercise to help preserve aerobic fitness as they age. The research team, led by Sindre Midttun of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, analysed data from the 'Generation 100' study in Trondheim, Norway, focusing on how exercise intensity affected participants' fitness levels over a five-year period.
Generation 100 included about 1,500 people aged between 70 and 77. Participants were originally assigned to either follow public health guidelines, complete twice-weekly moderate exercise at 70 per cent of maximum heart rate, or perform intense exercise at 80 per cent. The programme lasted five years.
