Pharmacists are being urged to promote exercise in the over 55s, after a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) survey found that a third may be unnecessarily holding themselves back because of long-term conditions.

Almost a third of patients aged over 55 felt that long-term health conditions were a barrier to staying active, despite the age group generally doing more exercise than younger patients, the survey found.

The survey came as GSK launched Your Personal Best, a national campaign to inspire the 7.78 million people aged over 55 with long-term health conditions to lead a more active lifestyle.

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	Pharmacists had a key role to play in advising patients on using exercise "not just as a prevention but as a treatment", said Dr William Bird, a GP with a special interest in physical activity. "Moderate physical activity can have an enormous effect on the outcome of diseases. With COPD, the single most important factor for life expectancy is physical activity," he added.

One example of how pharmacy could get involved is Green Light Pharmacy in Euston, which runs seperate weekly walking groups, for women and men.

Pharmacist Simon Harris said they have been running the walks for years and about 15 women and 10 men take part, many of whom are over 55. "It's very successful," he said. "In giving prescriptions, we always give lifestyle advice, such as on blood pressure, diet and exercise."

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