Walking Exercise Benefits Seniors

Photo: Royal Flora Expo 2006, Chiangmai, Thailand. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Now there's proof that walking is good for us, especially for seniors. According to a new University of Georgia study, older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence (which we all would like) by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise program.

Now this is good news and a boost to many of us trying to maintain and improve our wellness as we get older and cannot do the more strenuous physical activities.

The study, appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, also found that the walking participants increased their peak aerobic capacity by 19 percent when compared to a control group and also increased their physical function by 25 percent.

For the study, 26 low-income adults aged 60 and older were randomly assigned to either a walking exercise group, meeting three times/week for four months, or to a nutrition education control group. Initially, the walking group walked for 10 minutes continually. As the weeks progressed, the walking group increased their walking time to 40 continuous minutes, beginning each session with a 10-minute warm-up and ended with a 10-minute cool-down that included balance and flexibility exercises.

» Source: The Vancouver Sun