How diverse was the leisure time physical activity of older Australians over the past decade?

Objectives: Public health recommendations for older adults highlight the need to engage in a combination of aerobic, muscle strength, flexibility and balance activities. This study characterised leisure time physical activity in older Australians (>= 65 years), examining the diversity in reported activities Design: Cross-sectional monitoring. Methods: The Exercise Recreation and Sport Surveys (2001-2009) were combined and analysed for 22,050 elderly. Results: Walking was reported by 45.6%, of those 53% engaged exclusively in walking. Prevalent sports (i.e., >1%) were bowls (9.4%), aerobics/callisthenics exercise (9.1%), golf (7.7%), swimming (6.4%), gym work (5.2%), cycling (3.2%), tennis (2.9%), dancing (2.1%), fishing (2.0%), tai chi (1.4%), weight lifting (1.2%) and yoga (1.1%). Significant gender differences were apparent. Over time, significant increases were reported in walking, aerobic/callisthenics and gym workout in both genders. In the previous year, 32.0% of older adults participated in "nil" activity, 40.6% engaged in one activity, 19.5% and 8.0% participated in two or three or more activities, respectively. Common combinations were walking with another aerobic activity. Only 2.6% reported a combination of aerobic, balance and strength activities. Multiple-activity participation increased over the years, hut declined with increasing age, education and for the most disadvantaged, compared to single-activity participation. Partially or exclusively organised participation, combined, was reported by 42.5% of older adults. Women were more likely to combine mode of participation. Geographic region was associated with multiple-activity participation and organised-only participation. Conclusions: Most elderly people engage in one activity, if at all. An increase in participation in balance enhancing activities and weight training is warranted to maximize health benefits. (C) 2011 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.