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Never Too Late: Exercise for Seniors Still ImportantEven a little bit of low-intensity exercise each week can benefit seniors
An active mind and body are essential quality-of-life elements for everyone, and this connection holds true for seniors in care facilities. Institutional life can lead to a downward spiral of diminished independence, lack of physical activity, declining physical and mental function, and reduced quality of life. A study found that exercise programs developed specifically for institutionalized seniors and adaptable for those with thinking (cognitive) and physical disabilities were helpful in maintaining health-related quality of life. The study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, included 160 people, age 65 and older, living in nursing care facilities. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups:
A little exercise, a big difference?At the 6- and 12-month follow-ups the researchers noted the following observations:
Exercise that meets the needs of seniors works best“Exercise programs offer promising benefits for the prevention of health-related quality of life decline in institutionalized elderly persons,” the study’s authors conclude. “The cognition-action intervention, which included an adapted guidance for physical activity, tended to provide better and more sustained results than the adapted tai chi intervention.” Based on this study, it seems that even a little bit of low-intensity exercise each week can benefit seniors, especially when the exercise is adapted to their capabilities and teaches useful skills that aid in life’s daily activities. (Arch Intern Med 2010;170:162–9) Maureen Williams, ND, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. She has a private practice on Cortes Island in British Columbia, Canada, and has done extensive work with traditional herbal medicine in Guatemala and Honduras. Dr. Williams is a regular contributor to TraceGains Newswire. Copyright © 2024 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved. |