PESHAWAR: Now, a new study finds that exercising for just 45 minutes is enough to reap health benefits. First author Dorothy Dunlop, professor of rheumatology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Il, and colleagues report their findings in the journal “Arthritis Care & Research”. However, according to Dunlop and colleagues, only 1 in 10 older US adults with knee OA meet these recommendations. This is most likely because they find such guidelines unachievable with their condition. With this in mind, the team set out to determine whether older arthritis patients might be able to benefit from lower levels of physical activity than the current recommendations. To reach their findings, the researchers analysed the data of 1,629 adults aged 49 and older who were part of the Osteoarthritis Initiative — a nationwide study that aims to identify prevention and treatment strategies for patients with knee OA. All participants had pain, aching, or stiffness in joints of the hips, knees, or feet. The physical functioning of each subject was assessed at a study baseline and two years later through self-reported outcomes. Physical activity and functioning were also measured using movement-monitoring accelerometers. The team found that older adults who engaged in just 45 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, per week were 80 per cent more likely to maintain or improve their physical functioning than those who exercised for under 45 minutes weekly. The researchers say that their findings applied to both men and women with arthritis of the lower joints.