E-learning on the benefits of physical activity for older people

Public Health England (PHE) and the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine have developed an e-learning module to provide information about the benefits of physical activity for older adults and in particular those who are beginning to experience a decline in their physical function, referred to as those who are ‘in transition’. Older adults ‘in transition’ are those mainly over the age of 65 whose function is declining due to low levels of activity and too much sedentary time. They may have lost muscle strength and/or are overweight, but otherwise remain reasonably healthy.

The course covers:

• information about the guidelines on physical activity for older adults, and how they particularly apply to older adults in transition
• practical examples of the various ways in which older adults in transition can meet the recommended guidelines
• information on the risk of physical inactivity and the benefits of meeting the recommended guidelines
• practical tips on how to broker conversations with older adults in transition in every contact, across professional settings
• suggestions and signposts to tools on how to evaluate and monitor the impact of conversations with older adults

The course is free to access –apply for your unique username and password

More learning resources to help you support older people available here.