Mild Exercise Helps Improve Physical Fitness in the Elderly.
Even mild to moderate exercise can be very helpful to older patients in maintaining strength, flexibility and heart/ lung fitness. Exercises such as walking (including dog walking), bicycling (regular bike or stationary), swimming (or walk walking or water exercises), gardening, dancing, exercise classes, tennis, golf and lifting light weights are excellent for maintaining fitness. Exercising in a group or with a partner is often helpful. Many Y’s, exercise clubs, senior centers and residential facilities offer exercise programs, classes or walking clubs for seniors. Older athletes should wear comfortable clothes and well fitted shoes. Some senior exercisers can benefit from the advice of a physical or exercise therapist. Exercisers may require special equipment such as canes or knee braces.
A number of studies have reported that mild exercise can significantly improve physical fitness and strength in elders. A recent Japanese study of 65 subjects (average age 84 years) assigned 31 to a mild exercise program which included regular chair exercises, stretching and walking. The other 34 subjects received no intervention. In a 12 month period, walking speed, walking distance, leg strength and grip strength all improved significantly in the exercise group as compared to the non-exercise group. This research by Taguchi et al is now in press with Journal of Epidemiology.
Earlier research has reported that patients in their 90’s can significantly increase muscle strength by a program of lifting light weights. Other studies have reported that by walking or using a stationary bicycle for one to two hours per week- elderly patients can improve their cardiopulmonary (heart/ lung fitness) significantly. For elder folk who exercise regularly, cardiopulmonary fitness can be equivalent to people 10 to 20 years younger who do not exercise! Other research has found that regular exercise can reduce the risk of mental depression and reduce the risk of thinning bones (osteoporosis) in seniors. Even a modest amount of exercise- such as walking a mile or riding a stationary bike for 20 minutes- can have significant health benefits.