There are many obvious benefits to being happy, but new research suggests it could also make you fitter.
A study revealed people who enjoy life walk more quickly and are more active in old age than unhappy people.
Happy elderly people also have less trouble getting out of bed, getting dressed and showering.
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Older people who are happy walk more quickly and are more active than those who are unhappy
Researchers from University College London assessed 3,199 men and women aged 60 years or over living in England.
They examined the link between emotional and physical well-being over the space of eight years.
The participants were divided into three age categories: 60-69, 70-79 and 80 years or more - and were asked about their enjoyment of life.
Researchers then used personal interviews to determine whether participants had impairments in daily activities such as getting out of bed, getting dressed, bathing or showering. They gauged walking speed with a gait test.
Dr Andrew Steptoe said: ‘The study shows that older people who are happier and enjoy life more show slower declines in physical function as they age.
‘They are less likely to develop impairments in activities of daily living such as dressing or getting in or out of bed, and their walking speed declines at a slower rate than those who enjoy life less.’
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Elderly people are more likely to be happy if they are married, working and of high socio-economic status
Participants in the 60 to 69 age bracket had higher levels of well-being, as did those with higher socio-economic status and education and those who were married and working.
Not surprisingly, people with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, stroke and depression had lower levels of enjoyment of life.
People with low well-being were more than three times as likely as their positive counterparts to develop problems in their daily physical activities.
Dr Steptoe added: ‘This is not because the happier people are in better health, or younger, or richer, or have more healthy lifestyles at the outset, since even when we take these factors into account, the relationship persists.
‘Our previous work has shown that older people with greater enjoyment of life are more likely to survive over the next eight years. What this study shows is that they also keep up better physical function.
‘Our results provide further evidence that enjoyment of life is relevant to the future disability and mobility of older people.
‘Efforts to enhance well-being at older ages may have benefits to society and health care systems.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2542733/How-happy-make-FIT-Cheerful-people-walk-faster-active-old-age-unhappy-people.html#ixzz2qyqkuV4L
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