47-Year Study Shows It's Never Too Late to Get Fit
Swedish researchers tracked hundreds of people for nearly five decades and discovered that while fitness peaks at 35, adults who started exercising later still boosted their physical capacity by up to 10 percent. The takeaway is beautifully simple: moving your body matters at any age.
Scientists in Sweden just wrapped up one of the longest fitness studies ever conducted, and the results prove something we all needed to hear.
For 47 years, researchers at Karolinska Institutet followed hundreds of men and women to understand exactly when our bodies start losing strength and endurance. They found that physical performance begins declining around age 35, regardless of how active someone was in their youth.
But here's where the story gets exciting. Participants who became physically active during adulthood, even after that 35-year mark, increased their physical capacity by 5 to 10 percent.
The Swedish Physical Activity and Fitness study tracked several hundred randomly selected adults between ages 16 and 63. Unlike typical research that compares different age groups at one point in time, these scientists measured the same people repeatedly across nearly half a century.
Lead researcher Maria Westerståhl says the message is clear. "It is never too late to start moving," she explains. Physical activity can slow the decline in performance, even if it cannot completely stop it.
The research team measured fitness, strength, and muscle endurance throughout the participants' lives. They discovered that physical decline continues gradually after 35 and tends to speed up with advancing age, but exercise remains valuable at every stage.
Why This Inspires
This study flips the script on aging. Too often, we think of our 30s as the beginning of an inevitable slide toward weakness and limitation.
Instead, these findings show that our bodies remain remarkably responsive to movement throughout life. Starting a walking routine at 45 or joining a fitness class at 60 isn't about recapturing youth. It's about improving from wherever you are right now.
The research continues too. Next year, when participants reach age 68, the team will examine them again to better understand how lifestyle choices connect to physical performance and overall health.
For anyone who's ever thought they missed their window for getting stronger or healthier, this decades-long study offers proof that the window stays open. Your body is still listening, still adapting, still ready to improve.
Based on reporting by Health Daily
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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