World Physiotherapy Day is celebrated around the world on September 8. This year, the theme is how physiotherapy and physical activity can promote healthy ageing, with a particular emphasis on preventing frailty and falls. This is a challenge that is becoming increasingly important as the population ages.
Caption: Kristine Røren Nordén emphasizes that even small amounts of exercise can make a big difference. She is a researcher and physiotherapist at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and the Unit for Health Services Research and Innovation. Photo: Nicolas Tourrenc/ Diakonhjemmet Hospital
At Diakonhjemmet Hospital, physiotherapist and researcher Kristine Røren Nordén documented for several years how exercise can function as medicine for various patient groups.
In her PhD, she investigated the importance of fitness for patients with rheumatic disease. Nordén points out that fitness, measured as aerobic capacity, is essential not only for patients with rheumatic diseases, but for all of us. Fitness is an excellent measure of general health and studies show that there is a strong correlation between fitness, the ability to perform daily activities, and the risk of future diseases.
Lifelong training
She sees clear connections between her own research and this year's theme for World Environment Day.
– Physiotherapists have a key role because we can both assess physical fitness and function and tailor training programs to the individual's needs, says Nordén. – We are aware that endurance and strength training are crucial for our health. For the elderly, balance training is also recommended. As physiotherapists, we have good knowledge of how to best dose safe and effective training for the individual, as well as how to support them in maintaining training over time.
High intensity gives results – even for the elderly
Our research shows that patients with chronic illnesses can also tolerate and benefit from harder training than many people think, which Nordén believes is also important for the elderly.
– Many are skeptical of high intensity in the case of chronic illnesses or as you get older, but research shows that the body responds positively even with increasing age. The most important thing is that the training is adapted, gradually built up and professionally supervised.
Needs change throughout life
She also reflects on how the needs and opportunities for physical activity can change through the different phases of life.
Youth need to build basic strength, motor skills and stimulate good bone health.
In adult life, it's often about finding sustainable forms of exercise that harmonize with a busy everyday life. It's important to remember that you'll get a long way with effective cardio sessions and some strength training - and to remember that you're making an effort for your current health while investing in your future health.
For the elderly, maintaining muscle strength and balance is crucial. I believe that we physiotherapists must always meet the patient where they are – and facilitate activities that are both empowering and realistic to carry out.
Never too late to start
This year's campaign emphasizes that it's never too late to start physical activity. It's a message Nordén is happy to endorse.
– Even small amounts of exercise can make a big difference. Many people are surprised by how quickly they notice progress.
You can start small, with simple exercises that strengthen your legs and challenge your balance. During a walk, try to pick up the pace a little, so that you get out of breath – for example, by walking briskly for a couple of minutes, then at a slower pace for a few minutes, and repeat this pattern.
It's also important to remember that you don't have to be alone when starting exercise – physiotherapists can provide safe guidance and support throughout the process.
Prevents falls
Falls are one of the biggest health risks for older people, and prevention is highlighted as a core area of World Physiotherapy Day 2025.
We know that strength training in particular is important for maintaining and possibly increasing muscle strength, muscle mass, and the ability to be independent in everyday life. In addition, research shows that strength training can prevent falls, especially when combined with exercises that challenge your balance.
Strengthening exercises for the legs are especially important, as strong legs make it easier to stand up, climb stairs, and prevent falls. If you do fall, it's also necessary to have enough strength to get back on your feet.
Balance exercises, such as standing on one leg or moving on different surfaces, can help build stability. However, it is just as important to train strength, and not be afraid to challenge yourself with exercises that feel a little heavy.
She says her favorite is the squat, one of the most basic and effective strength exercises we have: You bend your knees and hips as if you were sitting in a chair and then stand up again. This is where you train some of the largest muscle groups we have.
Moreover, the exercise can be easily adapted with your own body weight at the beginning, and then made heavier by sitting down deeper, holding weights in your hands or perhaps carrying a heavy bag on your back, she says.
Another useful exercise is walking up and down a flight of stairs – you can also increase the difficulty by using higher steps or adding extra weight.
Physiotherapy for hip fractures
If there is an accident and someone breaks their hip, many people come to Diakonhjemmet Hospital. The hospital is responsible for hip
fractures in eight of Oslo's 15 districts.
Here, patients meet physiotherapists who start early rehabilitation. Several professional groups work closely together to ensure that the patient receives the best possible treatment. [1]
At the Orthopaedic ward, patients meet physiotherapist Kamilla Andersen or one of her colleagues from the Department of Clinical Activity. First, they receive information about the injury, the operation and the way forward. Then, exercises, training in daily activities and walking training with the right aid are initiated. Patients who need a walker permanently are fitted with one that they take home.
Physiotherapists also follow up after discharge, in collaboration with the municipality or institution. At the same time, physiotherapists are important contributors to the "Safe Home" project, a project that works for more seamless patient processes, strengthening rehabilitation and preventing new fractures.
Patients meet Kamilla or one of her colleagues when they come for a check-up three months after the fracture. They are also offered the hospital's learning and coping course, After the Hip Fracture.
As important as medicines
For both Andersen and Nordén, it is crucial that training is not perceived as an addition, but as an integrated part of the treatment.
– We must be clear messengers. Research shows that exercise can reduce the burden of disease, prevent complications and improve quality of life – often with the same effect as medication, and without side effects, when you exercise correctly. In hospitals, physiotherapists should collaborate closely with doctors and nurses, so that exercise becomes a natural part of patient care, says Nordén.
Kamilla Andersen from the Department of Clinical Activity.
[1] The orthogeriatric model they follow is in line with national guidelines and is considered internationally the "gold standard" for treating hip fractures.
