Exercise To Stay Alive
A team of Brazilian researchers interviewed 1,451 seniors over age 60 about their health and rated how well they could perform such normal activities as bathing, dressing, getting from bed to a chair, going to the bathroom and feeding themselves. They also queried the participants about whether or not they smoked and how they would categorize their health. Some participants reported serious health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, high cholesterol, depression, stroke, and cancer. The investigators equipped 971 participants with wrist monitors to track their physical activity. Over the length of the study, the team found that, regardless of an individual’s health, low levels of physical activity were associated with a higher risk of death.
Source:
Renata M. Bielemann et al, “Objectively Measured Physical Activity Reduces the Risk of Mortality among Brazilian Older Adults,” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, October 8, 2019, doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16180
More from this week’s bulletin:
- Exercise To Boost Memory
- Why You Do Have Time To Exercise
- This week’s recipe: Fava Bean Bruschetta
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