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08 Thu

Defy age with exercise

Defy age with exercise

Paul Kochoa, PT, DPT, OCS, CGFI

 

Great news everyone! Exercise keeps you young!  According to an article in the New York Times that references a new study out of England, exercise changes how you age.  They studied 126 men and women between the ages of 55 and 79 and looked at how cycling affected many factors that typically degrade as we age.

Previously, it was believed that when we age, there are certain factors that just get worse as the years pass, regardless of whether we attempted to do anything about it.  But the question remained whether or not these changes were indeed from age or from inactivity, as most older people become more and more sedentary as they age.

So this new study took only active individuals, negating the sedentary factor.  One big result, and one that we test a lot in our clinic, was the Timed Up and Go test.  For older adults, it would take about 7-10 seconds to complete the test:  From a sitting position, stand up without using your hands, walk 10 feet, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down…

These subjects were able to complete this test in less than 5 seconds!  Great numbers for younger adults, found in people over 55!

The Timed Up and Go test has also been directly correlated to one’s fall risk.  The worse your score is, the higher risk of falling you have.  So to see really great results in an active group really points out that physical activity and exercise can dramatically reduce your risk of falls.

Also the subjects showed younger people’s levels of balance, reflexes, metabolic health and memory ability.

So the bottom line is that exercise is really good for you, and it may even make you age differently.

If you would like more information, please call Professional Physical Therapy and Training at 973-270-7417.  Our offices are located within the YMCA locations in Madison and Summit, NJ.  You do not need to be a member of the YMCA to visit with us.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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