It's never too late to start exercising
It's never too late to start exercising
Even retirees who have become frail due to age and lack of exercise can benefit from regaining the exercise habit, according to the results of two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in mid-May.
One study, authored by Walter Ettinger Jr., MD, a professor of internal medicine and director of the aging center at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, followed 360 elderly patients with painful osteoarthritis over a period of 18 months. The study found that those who participated in a mild-to-moderate intensity walking program were more likely to have less pain, better balance and greater ease walking and climbing stairs than those who did not participate were.
The individuals in the exercise program were encouraged to walk at least three times a week and to gradually increase the time spent walking during each session.
The second study, conducted by Andrew Goldberg, MD, and colleagues at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, followed a similar walking program for older patents with peripheral artery disease. This is a condition in which narrowed blood vessels in the legs can cause intense pain, especially during physical activity.
After six months, the 27 patients enrolled in the exercise program were able to walk significantly farther without pain than the 23 who did not.
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