Hip fractures in older adults can result in loss of mobility. This type of fracture also can lead to significant medical expenses. But a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Public Health offers hope. It suggests that four hours of walking each week can greatly reduce hip fracture risk later in life.
The study looked at nearly 36,000 men over a 24-year period. It showed that men who walked briskly for four or more hours a week had a 62% lower risk of hip fracture than men who walked less than four hours a week.
Researchers also found that even men who walked four or more hours a week at a slower pace saw benefits. Those who walked at a slower pace for four or more hours a week had a 43% lower risk of fracture compared with those who walked less.
The Health Professionals Follow-up study reported time spent walking, sitting, and in 10 other discretionary activities every 2 years in 35, 996 men aged 50 years and older from 1986 to 2010. The study calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for risk of hip fracture by amount of activity and sitting in Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, medication use, disease diagnoses, and diet.
Over 24 years, participants reported 490 low-trauma hip fractures. Energy expenditure from all activities was weakly associated with lower risk of fracture. More walking time, with little alternat exercise, lowered risk by 43%, and risk decreased linearly with more frequent walking. Brisk (vs leisurely) pace lowered risk by 47%. Sitting lowered risk primarily among those who also walked for exercise. We observed no benefit of strenuous activity.
Walking is a relatively safe and easy activity for hip fracture prevention.
How Physical Therapy Can Help:
If you have limitations due to pain or decreased inactivity, our physical therapists can help by discussing what barriers are keeping you from starting a walking routine. Then we can help you by creating a safe and enjoyable routine that you can build upon, including an appropriate recommendation for footwear and orthotic inserts.
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