Exercise prolongs life- even in the very old

Posted by: Curt | Under: General Fitness | (0) Comments

This is really good news because it is such a simple thing to do- walk. If you have family or friends that are getting older, pass this along. My mother is in her 70’s now and while a 15 min walk is simple, it isn’t easy to get her out of her recliner and into her tennis shoes! But, she does go to a water aerobics class every week for seniors and that helps. So encourage older folks in your life to get up and go for a walk. In fact, go with them since it probably wouldn’t hurt you either!

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CHICAGO – Even in the “oldest old,” a little physical activity goes a long way, extending life by at least a few years for people in their mid- to late 80s, Israeli researchers found.
The three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-year-olds compared with those who were inactive. Getting less than four hours of exercise weekly was considered inactive; more than that was active.
The results “clearly support the continued encouragement of physical activity, even among the oldest old. Indeed, it seems that it is never too late to start,” the researchers wrote in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, which published the study.