EXPLORING DELAYED AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AMONG THE ELDERLY IN NIGERIA

Population ageing is an unprecedented global phenomenon, with projections indicating that persons aged 60 years and above will constitute 22 per cent of the world’s population by 2050. This conceptual and empirical paper examines how lifelong physical activity promotes active ageing and contributes to national development through enhanced productivity, reduced healthcare expenditures, and sustained workforce participation. Physical activity—encompassing aerobic exercise, resistance training, flexibility, and functional movement—maintains physiological, cognitive, and social capacities across the lifespan. Evidence indicates that regular physical activity attenuates age-related declines in cardiovascular function, musculoskeletal integrity, metabolic regulation, and neurocognitive performance. Economic analyses estimate that increasing population physical activity levels could generate between $6.0 and $8.6 trillion in cumulative global GDP gains over 2020–2050. A 16-week multicomponent physical activity intervention involving retired Ahmadu Bello University staff yielded significant improvements in functional capacity (pre-intervention: M = 18.4, SD = 4.7; post-intervention: M = 26.8, SD = 3.9), health-related quality of life (pre: M = 62.3, SD = 11.2; post: M = 78.6, SD = 9.4), and social engagement (pre: M = 42.7, SD = 8.3; post: M = 58.2, SD = 7.1). These findings affirm that physical activity simultaneously promotes individual ageing outcomes and broader socioeconomic development.