By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
A study cited in a recent edition of the Journal of Gerontology giving credence to the advice often given to older adults that they should walk more.
The study’s conclusion was that a surprisingly small increase in walking can have meaningful health benefits.
Participants in the study were divided into two groups. The active group walked 28 or more blocks per week, or the equivalent of four blocks or more per day. The sedentary group walked less than seven blocks per week, or less than a block a day.
The difference in how the participants rated their health was significant, with 83.5% of the active participants rating their health as excellent, very good or good versus 63.9% of the sedentary participants.
Another benefit of walking was cited in a recent Blog written by Paula Span on the role of exercise among older adults. The Blog entitled “Another Reason to Keep Moving” was posted on May 25 in the New Old Age section of the New York Times online.
For the Blog, Span talked with Dr. Catarina Rosana of the University of Pittsburgh about research into the impact of exercise on cognitive skills. The evidence indicates that walking can really have a positive impact on your brain.
Click here to read Span’s Blog.
The American Heart Association also cites the benefits of moderate-intensity activities such as walking for older adults.
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease and stroke contributes to obesity, high blood pressure and low levels of “good” cholesterol.
For more information go to
www.americanheart.org (Click)
As Gerontologist David Fisher notes in his book How to Keep Mom (and yourself) Out of a Nursing Home, “people in motion stay in motion.” He emphasizes the importance of a regular exercise program, with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise four days per week as an excellent goal to set.
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“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
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