Exercise among older people dropped significantly as the Covid-19 pandemic struck

Physical activity reduced more sharply in older age groups during the pandemic, the study found. 

Exercise among older people across the EU dropped significantly as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, with older Irish people among the highest for dropping off on their activity routines, new European research has shown.

Those are just some of the findings of an analysis by Dublin-based EU agency European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, or Eurofound, into the impact of Covid-19 on older people across the bloc.

Other findings included nearly half of people over 50 were dissatisfied with online medical appointments compared with face-to-face contact.

Loneliness was also a major factor among older people, the analysis found, while transport and care costs also impacted those in lower socio-economic groups.

"Reduced physical activity during the pandemic increased with age. In summer 2020, 41% of people aged 50–79 and 46% aged 80+ went out for walks less often than before the pandemic," Eurofound said.

The strict limitations on movement during the first national lockdown in Ireland was particularly impactful among older people and exercise routines, although a significant chunk took to exercising at home, it said.

"In Ireland, people aged 70+ most often reported a decrease in exercise frequency (28%) and least often an increase in exercise frequency (19%). Among people aged 60+, 17% exercised at home more often than they had previously."

However, older people in Ireland were far more mindful of poor eating habits than younger people, it found.

"In Ireland, while an overall increase in the consumption of sweets and junk food was reported, this was less common among older people, in particular, those aged 70+ (29.5%, compared with 69% among all age groups); 8% reported a decrease in the consumption of sweets and junk food," Eurofound said.

The experiences of older people across the EU when it comes to exercise is evidence of the need to improve the likes of walkways and cycling infrastructure alongside the 'green transition' to transform economies, Eurofound said.

When it comes to online or phone-based healthcare, older people generally disliked the idea compared to traditional face-to-face contact, the analysis found.

"Low-tech (phone) e-healthcare facilitated access to healthcare, but 56% of people aged 50+ who needed a consultation had a face-to-face consultation because they preferred it to the available e-healthcare options. 

"An e-healthcare consultation did not fully meet the needs of 49% of people aged 50+ who used one. In long-term care, the role of e-care seems limited," Eurofound said.

Across the EU, people of all ages became more at risk of mental health issues and loneliness during the pandemic, but the impact was particularly severe among young people and people aged over 80, the analysis found.

"In summer 2020, 23% of people aged 80+ felt sad or depressed more often than before the pandemic. Among older people, particularly worrying trends were seen among people aged 80+. In summer 2020, 18% of this cohort felt lonelier than before the pandemic and one-third never left their home."

However, the scourge of loneliness was endemic in the EU long before the pandemic struck, Eurofound warned.