Inactivity: the silent challenge of Polish old age
According to the MultiSport Index 2025 report, more than half of Poles over 60 do not engage in physical activity even once a month. Meanwhile, research indicates that being active and maintaining muscle strength can significantly impact the length and quality of life of seniors.
According to the MultiSport Index 2025 report, 55% of Poles over 60 do not engage in physical activity even once a month, including such basic forms of exercise as walking or cycling.
At the same time, new research indicates that regular exercise and maintaining muscle strength are important factors in promoting healthy ageing. American scientists observed over 5,000 women aged 66 to 93, analysing their levels of physical activity and muscle strength. The results of a study published in the JAMA Network Open journal show that muscle strength is one of the biomarkers of healthy ageing that may influence lifespan.
During eight years of observation, it was found that among people with greater muscle strength, the risk of death was lower by up to one third, regardless of age, comorbidities or BMI.
– Muscle strength comes from movement. That is why it is so important to maintain regular but also varied physical activity at every stage of life – points out Dr. Ewa Niedzielska from the University of Physical Education in Warsaw, coordinator of the “Senior in Good Shape” programme of the MultiSport Foundation.
The World Health Organisation recommends that people over 65 engage in at least 150–300 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking or swimming, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity per week. The recommendations also include performing muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week as well as training to improve balance and coordination which help prevent falls at least three times a week.
Not only length but also quality of life
Experts emphasise that physical activity in old age is crucial for maintaining health and independence.
– Regular physical activity among older people is not a matter of sporting ambition but the foundation of maintaining health and independence. Lack of exercise at this age is the shortest path to sarcopenia and osteoporosis, which rob seniors of their sure footing and circulatory stability – emphasises Dr. Ewa Niedzielska.
Seniors want to be more active
The MultiSport Index 2025 report also shows that 49% of Poles over 60 declare a desire to increase their level of physical activity.
– The key is to create solutions and programmes that make it easier for seniors to be active and offer training tailored to their needs and capabilities. One such initiative is the MultiSport Foundation’s free nationwide programme called “Senior in Good Shape.” As part of it, seniors can benefit from specially prepared online training sessions. Last year, nearly 400,000 participants attended such training sessions, and nearly 10,000 people took part in Nordic walking activities organised in nine voivodeships – explains Dr. Ewa Niedzielska.
According to the Public Opinion Research Centre (CBOS) data, today seniors are increasingly using new technologies: 66% of Poles over 60 use a computer or the internet.
– The survey conducted as part of the “Senior in Good Shape” initiative shows that as many as 80% of programme participants would like to take advantage of the sports offer at a fitness club, for example – the expert adds.
This year, the project also includes free in-person classes in fitness clubs in Warsaw and Gdańsk.
As Dr. Niedzielska emphasises, physical activity also has an important social dimension for seniors.
– Research involving programme participants indicates that for them physical activity is not only a way to improve their psychophysical wellbeing and maintain fitness, but also an opportunity to spend time in company of others. This is particularly important because according to Eurostat data one in five Polish seniors struggle with loneliness. Physical activity is therefore a way not only to live longer, but also to have a better quality of life at any age – concludes Dr. Ewa Niedzielska.
More information about the “Senior in Good Shape” project can be found at: https://fundacjamultisport.pl/program/senior-w-dobrej-formie/
Marcin Walendziak
The MultiSport Foundation is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle among all social groups, with particular emphasis on children, youth, seniors and people with disabilities. The foundation implements educational and sports programmes, such as “Active MultiSport Schools” and “Full of Sport”, which engage tens of thousands of participants throughout Poland each year and support health prevention and social integration. The organisation collaborates with research centres, schools, athletes, and business partners, constantly developing programmes that respond to society’s current health challenges.
