Read time: 4 minutes

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You’ve probably seen the movie.

The 1998 flick Sliding Doors contrasts two alternate futures of the main character (Gwyneth Paltrow) after a seemingly minor twist of fate (whether she catches a train or misses it).

The cool thing is you get to see the two vastly different life paths resulting from that single event.

The reality is, many of our choices could alter our life path.

But since life isn’t a research study, we don’t know what the “alternative” path might’ve been like.

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You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this…

Well, something that could drastically change our future is deciding to be more physically active.

A 2023 study provided some insight into how the health trajectory of two groups of older adults were vastly different because of one aspect.

Over a single year, one group (who were in their early 70’s) exercised consistently, while the other continued their usual inactive lifestyle.

And the results a mere 12 months later were nothing short of astounding.

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A study of two alternate futures with or without exercise

The study in question compared two groups of older adults aged about 73 (on average).

Each cohort was followed for one year - with one exercising regularly, and the other remaining inactive.

The exercise group was part of a supervised community-based exercise program called “Gerofit”.

This program involves up to 3 days/week of mixed exercise consisting of:

• Balance
• Aerobic
• Resistance
• And flexibility training

The inactive group was part of the “Act on Ageing” study that follows sedentary, community-dwelling older adults in the Piedmont area of Northern Italy.

To be included in the respective studies, both groups had to be in decent physical and cognitive health, and independent in activities of daily living.

So both cohorts were quite similar at baseline - apart from their physical activity levels over the next year.

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The mindblowing impact of a year of exercise

Before the study and one year later, participants in both groups underwent a series of physical function tests.

These included the:

• Six minute walk test (maximum walking distance covered in 6 minutes)
• 30-second chair stand test (maximum number of chair stands in 30 seconds)
• And the timed up-and-gotest (fastest time to rise from a chair, walk 3 metres, turn around and sit back down)

Here’s how the two groups fared over a single year (shown as the percentage change in each measure):

But the exercise group completely reversed this trend.

Not only did exercise halt the decline in physical function, it facilitated decent gains across the board.

For one of the groups, their decision to exercise regularly was truly a “sliding doors” moment for their physical function 12 months down the track.

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It’s never too late to buck the trend

These findings showcase the massive impact exercise has on our physical ability as we age.

It's clear exercise serves two purposes with physical function and ageing.

And that’s to:

1. Slow age-related declines
2. And facilitate improvements in physical ability

So without regular exercise, we’ll likely succumb to the effects of inactivity with ageing.

But with exercise, not only can we halt these losses, we can actually make gains.

Even in our eighth decade of life - and beyond.

And we’re not talking crazy amounts of exercise.

The participants in this study completed up to 3 sessions per week.

Pretty impressive.

But the question remains: is knowing this enough to change behaviour?

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The reality is, it's probably not enough.

Telling someone where they’ll be in a year’s time with regular exercise may not be enough to spur them into action.

This is for 2 main reasons:

• Because of a concept known as delay-discounting, we perceive outcomes remote in time as less valuable than immediate rewards
• We also tend to overestimate the likelihood of positive future events, and underestimate the chance of negative ones (what’s known as beliefs distortion) - which tends to devalue the health benefits of physical activity

So once you identify a longer-term goal (like better physical function in 12 months), there’s an extra step needed.

And that’s to define what that goal requires over the short-term - and then put systems in place to help you stick to the process.

With exercise, that means finding a way to turn up again and again.

In a sense, to “trick” yourself to stay on the path towards a longer-term goal.

Some tactics to achieve this include:

• Celebrating the small wins along the way (like gains in strength)
• Following a “never miss twice” mindset (rather than giving in to minor setbacks)
• Focusing on the short-term “feel better” effect with each exercise session (like enjoyment or changes in mood)

Anything that helps you stick to the path.

That way, you don’t have to wait a year (or longer) to reap the benefits.

You’re already winning along the way.

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The bottom line

This unique study shows the impact of sustained exercise on the physical function of older adults.

And the stark contrast with those who remained inactive.

The evidence is clear:

Regular and sustained exercise can dramatically impact your health - no matter your age.

But this knowledge is worth little without an action plan.

So once you decide to be more physically active, it’s equally (if not more) important to put systems in place to ensure you stick to the path.

The person you’ll be this time next year will thank you for it.

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As always, I appreciate you being here!

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Until next Saturday,

Jackson

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PS: Did someone forward you this email? You can sign up to The Weekly Exerciser here.

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IMPORTANT:

The information contained herein is of general nature only and does not constitute personal advice. You should not act on any information without considering your personal needs, circumstances, and objectives. Any exercise program may result in injury. We recommend you obtain advice specific to your circumstances from an appropriate health professional before starting any exercise program.