Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation

Older adults

This section focuses on older adults. Data from the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) relating to adherence to MVPA and muscle-strengthening guidelines, low activity and sedentary time are for age groups 65-74 and 75+. Due to differences in age banding, data from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) on sport participation and recreational walking are for those aged 60 and over.

Due to relatively low numbers of older adults within the sample, analysis by disability and deprivation have not been included separately for this age group. This data has been included in the previous Adults section. Age and sex analysis is included alongside data for all older adults.

Summary

• Older adults have reported being more physically active than in the past with increased adherence to MVPA guidelines. This is driven by an increase in adherence to guidelines by those in the oldest age group (75+) who have also shown a decline in very low activity. Among adults aged 60+, reported rates of recreational walking have also increased.
• Sports participation has declined from a peak in 2019.
• There has been an increase since 2014 in adherence to muscle-strengthening guidelines in all older adults, although the younger cohort (65-74) are more likely to meet the guidelines than the older one (75+).
• Females age 75+ are the least likely to meet MVPA guidelines but adherence has increased since 2014 in both males and females.

Activity intensity/frequency

The CMO guidelines recommend that each week older adults should aim to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity, building up gradually from current levels. Those who are already regularly active can achieve these benefits through 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity, to achieve greater benefits. Weight-bearing activities which create an impact through the body help to maintain bone health.

• For all older adults (65+), 45% met the recommendations in 2024, an increase from 40% in 2014, driven by an increase in activity in the oldest age group (75+).
• Amongst 65-74 year olds, 51% reported adherence to MVPA guidelines in 2014 and 2024. However, amongst the oldest age group (75+), reported adherence to MVPA guidelines increased from 26% in 2014 to 37% in 2024.
• In 2024, females in the oldest age category (75+) were the least likely of all adults to report meeting MVPA guidelines, with 32% of this group reporting adherence to guidelines compared to 43% of males. In the 65-74 age group 48% of females met guidelines compared to 53% of males. The last two years have seen the smallest sex gap recorded since 2014 in this latter age group.
• Reported adherence among females in the 75+ group has improved, increasing by 10 percentage points since 2014 from 22% to 32%. Over the same time period reported adherence among males has also risen from 32% to 43%.
• For all older adults 41% reported low activity levels in 2014. Levels were similar in 2024 at 37%.
• Amongst those aged 75+, reported levels of very low activity have reduced from 56% in 2014 to 45% in 2024. A reduction was observed for both males and females, from 54% to 40% for males and 56% to 48% for females.

Figures 14 and 15 present trend over time for meeting MVPA guidelines and very low activity levels of older adults.

Sport and walking participation

The CMO guidelines recommend that older adults should participate in daily physical activity to gain health benefits, including maintenance of good physical and mental health, wellbeing, and social functioning. Some physical activity is better than none: even light activity brings some health benefits compared to being sedentary, while more daily physical activity provides greater health and social benefits.

• The proportion of adults aged 60+ who reported participating in sports increased to a high of 36% in 2019 before returning in 2023 (32%) to levels similar as in 2014 (30%).
• 52% of older adults (aged 60+) reported that they took part in recreational walking in 2014, and this increased to 60% in 2023.

Figure 16 presents the trend over time for older adults’ participation in sport and recreational walking.

Muscle strength

The CMO guidelines recommend that older adults should maintain or improve their physical function by undertaking activities aimed at improving or maintaining muscle strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days a week. These could be combined with sessions involving moderate aerobic activity or could be additional sessions aimed specifically at these components of fitness.

• For all older adults, 11% met the muscle-strengthening guidelines in 2014 and this had risen to 16% by 2024.
• Those aged 65-74 were more likely to report meeting muscle-strengthening guidelines (20%) than those over the age of 75 years (10%).
• There has been an increase in reported adherence to the guidelines among the 65-74 year old age group since 2014, from 13% in 2014 to 20% in 2024.

Sedentary time

The CMO guidelines recommend that older adults should break up prolonged periods of being sedentary with light activity when physically possible, or at least with standing, as this has distinct health benefits for older people.

• Reported sedentary time among all older adults (65+) has not changed significantly between 2014 and 2024.
• For those aged 65-74, the average time sedentary was 6.6 hours in 2014 and similar at 6.9 hours in 2024. For those aged 75+, the average sedentary time was 7.3 hours in 2014 and 7.5 hours in 2024.

Figure 17 presents trend over time for older adults mean weekday leisure time spent sedentary.