Nottingham Professor To Discuss Benefits Of Exercise For Older People In House Of Commons
A University of Nottingham researcher will speak in the House of Commons this week as part of a discussion on how physical activity can boost the health and wellbeing of older adults.
Professor Elizabeth Orton, Professor of Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, has been invited to contribute to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into Healthy Ageing: Physical Activity in an Ageing Society.
Taking place on Wednesday, November 12, this inquiry will focus on ways that physical activity can prevent and reduce ill health in older age.
It will explore how structured, progressive and tailored exercise can be used as an effective treatment to reduce the risk of falls in older age and have how it can impact on reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy between older people in the most and least deprived regions.
Healthy life expectancy in England has stalled, with older adults spending more years in poor health. However, even small increases in physical activity among the older population can greatly improve health and delay the development of long-term conditions.
During the inquiry, Professor Orton will present evidence on the importance of making sure the Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme is more widely available and share research demonstrating its impact, including fewer falls, increased confidence and a reduced fear of falling. She will emphasise the importance of training specialist instructors to support exercise in older people and of delivering programmes in a way that does not compromise effectiveness.
The FaME programme is a six-month, face-to-face group exercise programme aimed at improving strength and balance in people aged 65 and over.
Professor Orton, who is also the Building Community Resilience and Enabling Independence Theme Lead for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands, said: “Supporting older people to stay active is one of the most powerful tools we have for promoting independence, confidence and wellbeing in later life.
“Exercise programmes like FaME show that with the right structure and community support, people can not only reduce their risk of falls but continue doing the things that make life meaningful. Our challenge now is to make these opportunities accessible to everyone, wherever they live.”
The FaME programme is not yet available nationwide in England. Recent research involving Professor Orton suggests this is due to limited funding and a lack of understanding of just how powerful and effective specialist exercise programmes can be.
This week, Professor Orton will also unveil the new FaME Implementation Toolkit at the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) Autumn Meeting in Nottingham (12–14 November).
The toolkit is a collaboration between the NIHR ARC East Midlands, NIHR ARC Wessex, NIHR PenARC and NIHR ARC GM, Health Innovation South West, and the Universities of Nottingham, Manchester, Exeter and Glasgow Caledonian, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and Later Life Training.
The BGS Autumn Meeting brings together specialists responsible for the care of older adults, highlighting the latest scientific research and best clinical practices. This year, the meeting will be held at the East Midlands Conference Centre and online, providing broad access to cutting-edge developments in geriatric healthcare.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Director of the NIHR ARC East Midlands, said:
“Helping older adults stay active and independent has a real impact on their quality of life.
“By rolling out programmes like FaME, we can reduce falls, promote confidence and build stronger, healthier communities across the region.”
