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2009/10/26
Based on original reporting by The Canadian Press
EDMONTON - New research suggests it's never too late for seniors to benefit from exercise.
Doctor Ken Madden says exercise is always touted as a key component to good health in younger people, but after age-65 many people believe it's too late to undo physical damage.
Wrong, says Madden.
The doctor took several seniors, average age in the mid-70's and with health problems such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and split them into two groups.
One group did not exercise, while the other did so vigorously three times a week.
Members of both groups were then measured for arterial stiffness - a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
And Madden says the stiffness in the seniors who exercised improved by 20 per cent in just three months.
The message, he says, is crystal clear - it's never too late in life for exercise to make a difference.
Madden, who works at the University of British Columbia, is presenting his research at a conference in Edmonton this weekend.
Resources
Fitness videos - HealthyOntario.com
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Article - Why exercise is vital to health
Click here
Article - Exercise, Education Keep You Sharp in Old Age
Click here
Active 2010 Resource Locator
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Be Active, Your Way, Every Day for Life! - Age is no barrier - Public Health Agency of Canada
Click here