Never Too Late: Exercise for Seniors Still Important

A little exercise, a big difference?

At the 6- and 12-month follow-ups the researchers noted the following observations:

• After six months, people in the exercised groups scored the same as before on tests measuring their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), while the scores had decreased (become worse) in people in the usual-care group.
• After 12 months, there were smaller declines in ADL scores in the exercise groups than the usual-care group, though the differences were not statistically significant.
• Some specific ADL differences were noted at 12 months: walking abilities were better preserved in the cognition-action group, continence was better preserved in the tai chi group, and eating was better preserved in both groups compared with the usual-care group.
• Scores on physical function tests were unchanged at six months and decreased less at 12 months in the exercising groups compared to the usual-care group. These differences were more pronounced in the cognition-action group.
• Overall neuropsychiatric test scores, measuring symptoms such as agitation, depression, anxiety, and apathy, declined in the usual-care group but improved slightly in the exercise groups at both the 6-month and 12-month assessments. These differences were also slightly more pronounced in the cognition-action group.

Exercise that meets the needs of seniors works best

“Exercise programs offer promising benefits for the prevention of health-related quality of life decline in institutionalized elderly persons,” the study’s authors conclude. “The cognition-action intervention, which included an adapted guidance for physical activity, tended to provide better and more sustained results than the adapted tai chi intervention.”

Based on this study, it seems that even a little bit of low-intensity exercise each week can benefit seniors, especially when the exercise is adapted to their capabilities and teaches useful skills that aid in life’s daily activities.

(Arch Intern Med 2010;170:162–9)