On your mark, get set, go! Seniors who acquaint
themselves with that well-known mantra may live more independent
lives, according to new research.
A study, which appears in the November issue of Journal of
Gerontology, is the first to show that physical activity can improve
a person's score on a standardized test of physical mobility, said
Stanford University School of Medicine professor Abby King, PhD. She
and other Stanford researchers took part in the multi-center study
demonstrating that elderly people who increase their levels of
regular exercise perform better on a test measuring balance, walking
speed and ability to rise from a chair.
Researchers at the University of Florida and the National Institute
of Aging coordinated the work. The Stanford team, led by King,
professor of health research and policy and of medicine at the
Stanford Prevention Research Center, played a key role in recruiting
and working with 100 study participants in the Bay Area. The research
was a preliminary study, and the next step is to conduct a
full-scale, long-term trial on the benefits of exercise in the elderly.
"We are encouraged by these results, which demonstrate that a
well-designed program combining aerobic, strength, balance and
flexibility exercises can make a difference for those who are at high
risk of losing mobility function," said Jack Guralnik, MD, PhD, a
co-leader of the study from the National Institute of Aging.
King said the study's goal was to determine whether regular exercise
could keep people healthier and more independent as they age.
"Exercise is one way of having a huge impact on our aging
population," she said.
Previous work suggested that performance on the fitness test is
predictive of future health problems. According to King, earlier
research had shown that seniors with lower scores die earlier and are
also more likely to end up in assisted-care facilities. "The goal of
this study is prevention - keeping people out of nursing homes," said King.
Researchers at Stanford and other sites recruited 424 participants
aged 70 to 89. Participants lived independently, but they were at
risk of developing an age-related disability, said King.
The study leaders randomly divided participants into two groups. Half
the seniors spent approximately two and a half hours a week walking
at a moderate pace. They also strengthened and stretched their leg
muscles. The second group of seniors received education on healthy
living, including advice on nutrition, medication and foot care. The
study followed participants for just over a year.
The people who exercised regularly performed better on the
standardized fitness test than people who received health education,
and they were better able to walk a quarter of a mile. The fitness
test is scored on a scale of one to 12, and the people who exercised
improved their scores by one point on average, which is considered
substantial. They were also less likely to suffer from an age-related
disability that hampered their movement.
The study's findings held for men and women as well as for people of
different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Indeed, as people age,
they share a common concern. "When you ask seniors what they are most
afraid of they often don't put cancer or other specific age-related
diseases at the top of the list," said King. "They say loss of independence."
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