In newspapers
Good news for seniors who’ve trouble reaching the beneficial 150 minutes of exercise every week: A brand new study suggests that exercising for as little as 48 minutes may help some older adults.
The study was published online on August 18, 2017. Plus oneHow different amounts of exercise benefited nearly 1,700 adults aged 70 to 89. Those chosen were those that did lower than 20 minutes of physical activity per week and were at high risk of mobility problems.
Half the group was randomly assigned to do a 20-minute exercise program twice every week, consisting of 10 minutes of walking followed by 10 minutes of lower-body resistance training with ankle weights, balance exercises, and a stretching routine.
The exercise group also did additional home exercises as they may, and wore an accelerometer to measure each day movement. The other half participated in regular health education workshops covering topics similar to nutrition, travel safety, and negotiating the health care system.
After six months, the exercise group showed significant improvements in walking speed over 400 meters, scored higher on tests of mobility and balance, and moved more through the day than the group who didn’t exercise. The profit continued at one- and two-year follow-ups. While all participants who added some activity saw improvements, those that engaged in not less than 48 minutes per week benefited essentially the most.
