Everyone knows that walking is good for your health. However, many seniors have given up on this activity and only get around by car or sit for long hours in their wheelchairs. A bad habit that can lead to more dependence in this already fragile population. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine shows that a little walking improves the mobility of seniors and their resistance. And that wouldn’t be luxury. Indeed, our seniors often alternate between independence and disabling conditions due to a broken bone, an operation or hospitalization.
Walking prevents loss of mobility
Researchers at the University of San Francisco recruited 1,600 people aged 70 to 89. All were considered to be at high risk of developing a disability due to their sedentary lifestyle or chronic health problems such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Participants had to be able to walk 400 meters in less than 15 minutes, which was far from too much for some of them.
Two groups were formed and followed for three and a half years. The first was committed to a walking program combined with a few simple muscle building and balance exercises. The second only received health education. As a result, the group of walkers reduced the time spent suffering from major mobility problems by 25%. Walkers experience fewer episodes of loss of mobility, and recover better when they occur.
Reluctance still anchored
Despite these benefits, seniors are often reluctant to start physical activity, especially if they were not very active in their youth. Main reasons: they are afraid of suffering, because of osteoarthritis for example, of falling and hurting themselves, or even of aggravating an existing pathology. Still, choosing a safe place like an open sidewalk, park, or shopping mall, there are only advantages to walking. The idea is not to make our elders globetrotters, but to gradually bring them back to mobility through gentle physical activity. In order to convince the most cautious, the authors of the study recommend a prescription from their doctor, who can reassure them.
To read also
Sport among seniors reduces heart risk by 50%
A sensor to prevent the risk of falls among seniors
Stopping sport harms brain health
