Senior Who Exercise Can Remain Independent

It stands to reason that if you exercise, you'll be stronger and healthier. But recent research shows that specific types of exercise are particularly useful to older adults. That's because people lose muscle mass as they age, and lose even more if they're sedentary. When you lose strength, you lose mobility and then independence.

An article in the New York Times on August 31 says that scientists are now studying why muscles wither, just like bones lose density. The scientists say that losing muscle will be as important a topic as osteoporosis very soon. The term for muscle loss with age is "sarcopenia".

Most seniors want to maintain their independence. Doing the right exercises everyday is a small price to pay to have mobility and independence. The University of Florida is doing research to help seniors gain strength and balance, both keys to mobility. It's worth reading about via the links below.

You can read about this in depth at the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/health/research/31muscle.html

Find out more about the research going on at The University of Florida:
http://news.health.ufl.edu/2002/12828/colleges/college-of-medicine/uf-study-shows-strength-training-improves-aerobic-power-in-seniors/

 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this interesting study. It certainly demonstrates the importance of exercising, especially as we age.

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