Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that the likelihood of becoming disabled with age increases with the following factors: having a chronic condition or cognitive impairment; low physical activity; slower gross motor coordination; having poor lower-extremity function; and being hospitalized. Women are also more likely than men to become disabled in their later years…
Some of the essentials for performing the most ordinary daily and many recreational activities are good balance and mobility. The act of balancing is a complex task involving co-ordination between the body’s muscles and sensors, which are part of the body’s nervous system…
Elderly individuals who are physically inactive and have a high sodium intake have a higher risk of cognitive decline, compared with people of the same age who are not sedentary and consume less salt, Canadian researchers reported in the journal Neurobiology of Aging…
Everyday movements like making the bed or picking up a shopping bag add up and could, especially in adults, contribute to better health. Exactly how much energy seniors exert is still unclear as most previous studies were based on unreliable self-reports of physical activity rather than actual measurements…
A new University of Colorado Boulder study shows that a small amount of physical exercise could profoundly protect the elderly from long-term memory loss that can happen suddenly following infection, illnesses or injury in old age…
Geoffroy Berthelot and Stephane Len, both researchers at the IRMES (Institut de Recherche bioMedicale et d’Epidemiologie du Sport at INSEP, Paris, France), have published their findings in AGE, the official journal of the American Aging Association, describing the evolution of performances in elite athletes and chess grandmasters…
People lose 30% of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life and manage everyday tasks independently…
An Indiana University study examining disparities in physical fitness levels between older adults who are patients of safety net community health centers (CHC) and those who are members of a medically affiliated fitness center is producing stunning results…
T’ai chi has particular health benefits for older people, including helping to prevent falls and improving mental wellbeing, reveals a review published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine…
Gardening could be an effective way for older adults to increase life satisfaction and physical activity, according to a study by researchers from the Texas A&M and Texas State Universities in the US…